▁World ' s ▁Fair ▁held ▁in ▁New ▁Orleans , ▁Louisiana , ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 4 . ▁At ▁a ▁time ▁when ▁nearly ▁one ▁third ▁of ▁all ▁cot ton ▁produced ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁was ▁handled ▁in ▁New ▁Orleans ▁and ▁the ▁city ▁was ▁home ▁to ▁the ▁Cot ton ▁Exchange , ▁the ▁idea ▁for ▁the ▁fair ▁was ▁first ▁advanced ▁by ▁the ▁Cot ton ▁Plan ters ▁Association . ▁The ▁name ▁" World ▁Cot ton ▁Cent enn ial " ▁referred ▁to ▁the ▁earliest - sur v iving ▁record ▁of ▁export ▁of ▁a ▁ship ment ▁of ▁cot ton ▁from ▁the ▁U . S . ▁to ▁England ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 4 . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁U . S . ▁Congress ▁l ent ▁$ 1 ▁million ▁to ▁the ▁fair ' s ▁direct ors ▁and ▁gave ▁$ 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁for ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁a ▁large ▁US ▁Government ▁& ▁State ▁Ex hib its ▁Hall ▁on ▁the ▁site . ▁However , ▁the ▁planning ▁and ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁fair ▁was ▁marked ▁by ▁cor ruption ▁and ▁sc and als , ▁and ▁state ▁tre as urer ▁Edward ▁A . ▁Bur ke ▁abs cond ed ▁abroad ▁with ▁some ▁$ ▁ 1 , 7 7 7 , 0 0 0 ▁dollars ▁of ▁state ▁money ▁including ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁fair ' s ▁budget . ▁ ▁Despite ▁such ▁serious ▁financial ▁difficulties , ▁the ▁Fair ▁succeeded ▁in ▁offering ▁many ▁attra ctions ▁to ▁visitors . ▁It ▁covered ▁, ▁stretch ing ▁from ▁St . ▁Charles ▁Avenue ▁to ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁River , ▁and ▁was