So, people may already know about this, but after reading a book about the 1893 World's Fair, it all started to come together for me: 
 
In 1893, the World's Fair came to Chicago, and at the time it was hailed "as important as an event in America as the Civil War".  Developers created a gleaming city of the future; dubbed, the White City.  This was truly the era of steam punk, and is clearly the main inspiration for Bioshock: Infinite.  Tesla, Westinghouse, and Edison were all presenting their new electric generators and light bulbs.  Huge steam engines towed in exhibitions from around the world!  The first ever Ferris Wheel was open to ride.   And America's first modern serial Killer, H H Holmes, used all of this excitement to bring in unsuspecting victims to his hotel, where there is evidence that he murdered as many as 250 people before being caught. 
 
What is most important, was the official title of the fair, the World's Columbian Exposition, named because it marked the 400th anniversary since Christopher Columbus discovered the New World.  Check out the

or maybe it's hanging over british columbia

never thought of that did ya

@Laketown said:

or maybe it's hanging over british columbia

never thought of that did ya

Interesting. I've been meaning for ages to read The Devil in the White City but I never get round to buying a copy.

@Laketown said:

or maybe it's hanging over british columbia

never thought of that did ya

@Laketown said:

or maybe it's hanging over british columbia

never thought of that did ya

Best comment ever?

Isn't Columbia the name of the personified woman representing America or something like that??

Interesting read. And Neoclassical Architecture makes it even better.

Columbia is an old fashioned nick name for the United States. Hence, Columbia University, Columbia Broadcasting Service (CBS) and Columbia Records.

Nice find. Too bad it's actually because it's always over British Columbia. 

Columbia is an old fashioned nick name for the United States. Hence, Columbia University, Columbia Broadcasting Service (CBS) and Columbia Records.

or maybe it's hanging over british columbia

never thought of that did ya

Columbia is actually a very American term. If Christopher Columbus would have just coped with the fact that he landed on a new contient America would have been called Columbia instead.