There is an exciting new development over here at the farmhouse because we have always wondered whether or not the Cockayne family made the trip to Philadelphia for the Centennial International Exhibition in 1876. This was a huge event for America's 100th birthday and was attended by about 10 million people! Samuel A.J. Cockayne won an award at the event for his Merino wool, which gained the Cockayne family international acclaim.

While digging around in our archives, we happened upon this memo notebook in one of our miscellaneous boxes. It just about proves that Samuel A.J. or someone else in the family attended the exhibition in Philadelphia because this notepad could only be purchased at the event as a souvenir! Inside, places they may have visited are recorded: Fairmount Park, Agricultural Hall, Horticultural Hall, and Machinery Hall, which you can see on the map below of the exhibition. They also detail landmarks in New York City and Washington D.C. so it must have been a fun trip out East!