The location was along the Western & Atlantic Railroad tracks near the present-day King Plow Arts Center development in the West Midtown area.

It planned to show the progress made since the city's destruction during the Battle of Atlanta and new developments in cotton production.

It demonstrated the rebirth of Atlanta and the South by announcing an end to the Reconstruction Era and the sectional hostilities that had plagued the nation for several decades.

The idea of holding such an exhibition in the South was first suggested by Edward Atkinson of New York, who in August 1880 wrote a letter to a New York journal discussing the great waste incident to the methods then in use in the gathering and handling of the cotton crop and suggested the exhibition, to bring all of those interested in the production of this great Southern staple for the purpose of improvement.

A few weeks after the publication of this letter it was announced that Atkinson was about to make a Southern trip for the purpose of putting the suggestion into form.

H. I. Kimball, being impressed with the importance of the enterprise and personally acquainted with Atkinson, invited him to Atlanta to address the people on the subject.

Atkinson accepted this invitation, and at the solicitation of many prominent citizens of Atlanta he delivered, on October 28, 1880, an address in the state Senate chamber, in which he advocated Atlanta as the proper place in which to hold a cotton exhibition, such as would result in devising improved methods in the cultivation of the cotton as well as to be a stimulus to the entire industrial development of this section.

Associated with them were citizens of several other counties in Georgia and of the states of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, Missouri, Massachusetts, New York, Maine, Rhode Island and of London, England.

As the work advanced, however, and as the country became interested in the subject, it was decided to open its doors for the admission of all products from every section, and the capital stock was therefore to $200,000.

It was believed if Atlanta subscribed one-third the amount required, other cities interested in the successes of the enterprise would contribute the balance.

This park was originally laid out and improved under the direction of Kimball, in 1870 for the use of agricultural fairs, but the work of adapting the grounds and erecting the necessary buildings for the exposition was not an easy task.

The work was begun under Kimball's direction and rapidly pushed to completion and made ready in ample time for the opening of the exposition.

The main building was constructed after a general model of a cotton factory, as suggested by Atkinson, the form being a Greek cross, the transept nearly half the length, the agricultural and carriage annexes extending along the southern side, and the mineral and woods department forming an annex at the extreme western end of the building.

Columbia is in the background displayed with a smile of approval and Clio is shown with a pen ready to keep record of this special event.

[2] The exposition also demonstrated the cotton gins in action and on Governor's day the machines were set up to make two suits.