Blaine was the favorite going in, but there was a possibility that President Arthur could build a coalition with smaller candidates such as George F.

Blaine was at his home in Augusta, Maine, and Arthur followed the events from the White House by telegraphy.

[4] The convention was held in Chicago, Illinois at the Exhibition Hall building, which was located on Michigan Avenue.

He was also accompanied by William Henry Smith of the Associated Press as well as the local Western Union Telegraph Company manager, touring and assessing the spaces set aside for the anticipated 300 journalists that would cover the convention on behalf of newspapers.

Work tables for newspaper reporters were placed on the floor of the convention hall (some located directly in front of the stage and perpendicular to it, others erected to the sides of the stage and set at a right angle from it), as well as a special balcony for those press representatives who did not need a worktable.

The windows are all high, near the roof, and while they will receive the heat of the afternoon sun, they will not give entrance to much fresh air for the crowd below.

[5]The majority individuals selected by James A. Saxton (the convention sergeant-at-arms) to fill operations roles were locals of Chicago.

[9] The local hotel subcommittee was dissolved at its members request after they discovered that state delegations were already independently taking care of arranging their overnight accommodations.

[5] The Sherman House accommodated delegates from Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

The Palmer House accommodated delegates from California, Georgia, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and Wyoming.

The Grand Pacific Hotel accommodated delegates from Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

[10] To test the waters, Blaine supporters nominated Powell Clayton as temporary chair of the Convention.

Edmunds's supporters, led by Henry C. Lodge, moved to nominate John R. Lynch instead, an African-American from Mississippi.

[3] That evening leaders of Arthur's and Edmunds's camps met in private in the Grand Pacific Hotel and tried to create a viable coalition.

This led to more than 225 delegates being individuals regarded to be relatively independent in their views rather than lockstep with their state party.

When Maine was called, the cheering lasted ten minutes, during which time William H. West came to the platform and gave a rabble-rousing speech to second the nomination.

Arthur received only a third of his votes from the North, none from Ohio, 1 of 44 from Illinois, 9 of 30 from Indiana, 11 of 60 from Pennsylvania and only 31 of 72 from his home state of New York.