Tiny Town (miniature park): Difference between revisions
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The contest prize awards were available only to the manual training pupils involved. The teenage student "officials" were in charge during the time of the prize awards held at the Springfield convention center.<ref name=exposition> {{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Newspapers Throughout The Country Are Featuring "Tiny Town" Exposition |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5638934// |newspaper=Springfield Missouri Republican |location=Springfield, Missouri |date=May 31, 1925 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} }} </ref> The actual carpentry construction of the framing and exterior of the homes were done mostly by the boys.{{sfn|Grant|1919|p=269}} The main district supervisor of the art department of the participating schools had an interior home decoration contest for prizes to get the girls involved. The girls made draperies, furniture, and floor coverings. They beautified the interiors of the houses in various ways.{{sfn|Thomas|1919|p=398}} |
The contest prize awards were available only to the manual training pupils involved. The teenage student "officials" were in charge during the time of the prize awards held at the Springfield convention center.<ref name=exposition> {{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Newspapers Throughout The Country Are Featuring "Tiny Town" Exposition |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5638934// |newspaper=Springfield Missouri Republican |location=Springfield, Missouri |date=May 31, 1925 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} }} </ref> The actual carpentry construction of the framing and exterior of the homes were done mostly by the boys.{{sfn|Grant|1919|p=269}} The main district supervisor of the art department of the participating schools had an interior home decoration contest for prizes to get the girls involved. The girls made draperies, furniture, and floor coverings. They beautified the interiors of the houses in various ways.{{sfn|Thomas|1919|p=398}} |
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The building promotion "Build Now" combined with the Tiny Town project increased the building of homes substantially in Springfield.{{sfn|Thomas|1919|p=397}} When the exhibition was finished many of the tiny homes were sold off by those that wished them disposed of. Others, that were prize-winning structures, were put as window displays in Springfield's major stores.{{sfn|Bruce|1919|p=398}} |
The building promotion "Build Now" combined with the Tiny Town project increased the building of homes substantially in Springfield.{{sfn|Thomas|1919|p=397}} When the exhibition was finished many of the tiny homes were sold off by those that wished them disposed of. Others, that were prize-winning structures, were put as window displays in Springfield's major stores.{{sfn|Bruce|1919|p=398}} The Tiny Town committee made an attempt to get the United States Post Office to allow an official "postmaster" for the miniature city during it exposition, but to no avail.<ref name=mail> {{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title= Large crowds are attending Tiny Town exhibit at Park|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5647973//|newspaper=Springfield Leader |location=Springfield, Missouri |date=May 30, 1925 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} }} </ref> |
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== Prize winning models == |
== Prize winning models == |
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Revision as of 15:35, 21 June 2016
Tiny Town of Springfield, Missouri, was the first complete miniature city built. It was constructed by 10,000 high school students in 1925. The motivation behind the project was for a local home building promotion and teaching aids.
Background
Tiny Town is the first complete city built in miniature.[1][2] It was a 1920s community involvement project and miniature park.[3] It was executed by the Springfield director of publicity and the local Chamber of Commerce.[4][5][6] A miniature version of it was exhibited on the floor of the Springfield convention center in 1919.[1] The main motivation for the project was a building promotion called "Build Now" to stimulate the home construction industry of Springfield.[7]
The district superintendent of the Springfield public school system was a key instigator of the project. He believed in teaching the students home ownership and citizenship responsibilities, along with their normal education.[8] He went as far as getting them involved in government duties associated with the Tiny Town project which had the manager-commission form of government. Certain concepts came into play like that of women’s suffrage and political aspirations.[3]
Description
The miniature city project involved the students from eighteen Springfield public high schools. The pupils, that were learning construction and handicraft, built the city of some 1200 structures under the supervision of their teachers. This consisted of 1000 miniature houses in various neighborhoods and 200 other structures. The miniature buildings and houses were build to the standard plans of construction of the real ones. There were some material firms and lumber companies that supplied items gratuitously for the project.[9] The buildings and homes came complete with exterior landscaping and interior decorating and furnishings.[10] It was to scale of one inch Tiny Town structure equaling one foot of a real building.[11] The miniature city came with water mains and electric lights. The tiny neighborhood houses and buildings were laid out on avenues just like in a real city.[1]
The pupils of the manual training departments of Springfield’s public schools were used for the miniature city building. Much of the smaller work done by the students was done at their homes to get the parents involved.[3] Ideas being introduced into the students were that of how to be a citizen of the community and what was involved in home ownership.[3] Ultimately 10,000 children built the miniature city in a period of ten weeks time. Tiny Town was built on a piece of city land of some 5 acres and was 1000 feet long by 250 feet wide that took up 250,000 square feet, which represented 155 acres of real land.[3][12]
Outcome
Tiny Town was finished and available for viewing by the public on May 25, 1925. The park exhibit of miniature houses at Grant Beach Park in Springfield had an admission fee. The miniature city was made available to the public for three weeks, ending Saturday June 13.[13] There were discounted children's entrance tickets available at certain commercial enterprises throughout the city.[14]
The contest prize awards were available only to the manual training pupils involved. The teenage student "officials" were in charge during the time of the prize awards held at the Springfield convention center.[15] The actual carpentry construction of the framing and exterior of the homes were done mostly by the boys.[16] The main district supervisor of the art department of the participating schools had an interior home decoration contest for prizes to get the girls involved. The girls made draperies, furniture, and floor coverings. They beautified the interiors of the houses in various ways.[17]
The building promotion "Build Now" combined with the Tiny Town project increased the building of homes substantially in Springfield.[3] When the exhibition was finished many of the tiny homes were sold off by those that wished them disposed of. Others, that were prize-winning structures, were put as window displays in Springfield's major stores.[18] The Tiny Town committee made an attempt to get the United States Post Office to allow an official "postmaster" for the miniature city during it exposition, but to no avail.[19]
Prize winning models
References
- ^ a b c Kane 1997, p. 105.
- ^ "Springfield's Tiny Town". Springfield Missouri Republican. Springfield, Missouri. May 26, 1925 – via Newspapers.com
. a city was born the only one of its kind in the world
- ^ a b c d e f Thomas 1919, p. 397.
- ^ American Builder 1919, p. 142.
- ^ Kriechbaum 1924, p. 71.
- ^ Leighton 1919, p. 483.
- ^ Johnson, William H. (May 17, 1925). "The meaning of a Home". Springfield Missouri Republican. Springfield Missouri – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ Johnson 1919, p. 440.
- ^ "Tiny Town Committee to meet Monday Noon". Springfield Missouri Republican. Springfield, Missouri. May 10, 1925 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Tiny Town Committee to meet Monday Noon". Springfield Missouri Republican. Springfield, Missouri. May 10, 1925 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Tiny Town Exposition is Attracting Nation-Wide Interest". The Springfield Leader. Springfield, Missouri. March 29, 1925 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ Bonnier Corporation 1925, p. 51.
- ^ "Tiny Town exposition will continue for another week". Springfield Leader. Springfield, Missouri. June 6, 1925 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Have You Seen TINY TOWN?". Springfield Missouri Republican. Springfield, Missouri. May 31, 1925 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Newspapers Throughout The Country Are Featuring "Tiny Town" Exposition". Springfield Missouri Republican. Springfield, Missouri. May 31, 1925 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ Grant 1919, p. 269.
- ^ Thomas 1919, p. 398.
- ^ Bruce 1919, p. 398.
- ^ "Large crowds are attending Tiny Town exhibit at Park". Springfield Leader. Springfield, Missouri. May 30, 1925 – via Newspapers.com .
Sources
- American Builder (1919). American Builder. American Carpenter and Builder Company.
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- Bonnier Corporation (December 1925). Popular Science. Bonnier Corporation.
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- Bruce (1919). Industrial Arts and Vocational Education. Bruce Publishing Company.
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- Grant, Arthur (1919). The American City. Buttenheim Publishing Corporation.
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- Johnson, W. H. (1919). The American Architect. Architectural & Building Press, Incorporated.
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- Kane, Joseph Nathan (1997). Famous First Facts, Fifth Edition. The H. W. Wilson Company. ISBN 0-8242-0930-3.
Item 2197, page 132 The first city in miniature was Tiny Town, in Grant Beach Park, Springfield, MO. It was built on June 6, 1925, by 10,000 children under the direction of William H. Johnson, on a carefully prepared townsite of five acres, with avenues, electric lights, and water mains, all to a scale of one inch to one foot. The town had 1,200 miniature structures, covering every aspect of a modern city. Schoolchildren served as the officers of the town, which had the manager-commission form of government. Conceived and constructed as an incentive to building, Tiny Town boosted building permits in Springfield from a $280 daily average for the 90 days preceding its exhibition to $1,843 per day for the 90 days immediately following. Six years before the townsite was selected, a miniature village was exhibited by Johnson on the floor of the convention hall in Springfield.
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- Kriechbaum (1924). The Lumber Manufacturer and Dealer. Kriechbaum Publishing Company.
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- Leighton, Etta V. (1919). Primary Education. Educational Publishing Company.
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- Thomas, W.W. (1919). Industrial Education. CCM Professional Magazines, Incorporated.
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