Spokane's Expo '74
By Bill Cotter
2017
First Published
4.23
Average Rating
98
Number of Pages
Part of Series
In the late 1960s, Spokane’s civic leaders were desperately looking for a way to revitalize a large section of downtown, especially a motley collection of little-used railroad lines and polluted industrial sites along the Spokane River. Their solution was to use the area for Expo ’74, which was billed as the first ecologically themed world’s fair. Critics predicted the project was sure to fail, as Spokane was the smallest city to ever host a world’s fair, but history proved them wrong. From the minute the gates opened on May 4, 1974, the crowds loved the fair. Hosting 5.4 million visitors, with participation from several major companies and countries, Expo ’74 was a success. As planned, it launched a rebirth along the river that left a permanent legacy, the popular Riverfront Park.
Avg Rating
4.23
Number of Ratings
13
5 STARS
38%
4 STARS
46%
3 STARS
15%
2 STARS
0%
1 STARS
0%
goodreads
Author
Bill Cotter
Author · 2 books
Bill Cotter has been an avid scholar and fan of world’s fairs since his first visit to the 1964–1965 New York World’s Fair. His collection of vintage photographs has been featured in numerous books, including three previous titles for Arcadia Publishing, as well as in magazine articles, documentaries, and Web sites that document the histories of the fairs.
