Expo 74 was held in Spokane from May 4th to November 3rd of 1974.

It was classified as a specialty World's Fair, having the first theme of the environment (a theme repeated for Expo 2005 in Aichi, Japan).

The site was a former railyard for the Great Northern Railway. As rail companies were shrinking and consolidating in the 1960's and 70's, the city saw an opportunity to create an urban project in similar manner as Seattle did 12 years earlier.

Spokane is the smallest city to hold a World's Fair. 10 nations had their pavilions including the Soviet Union who hasn't been at a World's Fair in the United State since the New York World's Fair of 1939.

The fair in many ways, didn't represent many concepts as those of the past. This wasn't a theme about the future. There was very little attention to consumerism. In fact, corporate interest was small with a few auto companies (GM and Ford), Kodak, and Pacific Northwest Bell (the last time a Baby Bell company would be in World's Fair before the AT&T breakup).

A&W had sponsored a chairlift ride across the fairgrounds known as the Sky Float. It had a fast food restraunt on the fairgrounds that was represented by the original owners of the Lodi, California based company. It was the companies plateau in the fast food industry as McDonald's would overtake them once the fair was over.

The US Pavilion introduced the country to IMAX, on a screen that was larger than what you would find at a drive in theater. Some experienced motion sickness as the camera was going over The Grand Canyon.

The fair had a tribal presence as they encamped in a location on the Northside of the fairgrounds. Our family spent more time in that location than some of the other activities as arts, dancing, and many cultural activities were going on.

In the history of World's Fairs, diversity hasn't always been a positive message but by the end of World War 2, many of the barriers were lifted from these events.

It was the only World's Fair held in the United States during the 1970's. It was used (in a way) as a kickoff to the US Bicentenial that was two years away.

The fair introduced Amtrak as the only passenger rail service in the United States.

The fair may have not had the same economic benefit as Seattle or Knoxville for creating new industries, it did see Keytronic, a keyboard/electronic manufacturing company (founded in 1969) who make computer keyboards that were needed as personal computers were on the way.

5.6 million vistors attended the fair even though it was in a unique location during a time when the country was seeing financial burdens from inflation, an energy crisis (ended just before the fair started), and a President that would open up the fair only to be replaced (during the fair) by the Vice President as the result of Watergate.

Why are World's Fairs never held in North America anymore?

World's Fairs started as a important need to showcase the Industrial Revolution showing it's results to the consumers throughout the world.

The Eifel Tower, The Space Needle, and the original Solider Field were apart of these events.

The telephone, telegraph, electricty, elevators, the phonograph, automobiles, trains, computers, robotics, and just about every household item (including televsion) were all examples of products demonstrated during these events.

The New York World's Fair of 1939-40 not only demostrated electronic televsion to the public but also demonstrated urban development with freeways, planned communities, transportation corridors, and even rambler homes that would be around after World War 2 was over in a mechanical electronic presentation year before Walt Disney would do the same thing on the same site.

Spokane had utilized one thing presented from General Motors during this fair, elevated passenger walkways above the streets to connect the area department stores (this went away when the nearby mall was built).

After World War 2, themes were still focused on a futuristic message introducing many to computers, communication systems, and appliances that sometimes were ideas more than a reality. IBM, AT&T, and GE may have seen the real interests in their products from the consumers. The car companies could focus on the latest and the greatest in selling transportation while food industries would sell and demonstrate their products to the public.

In 1958, Coca-Cola was at the World's Fair in Brussels where many Belgium's never touched their beverage until the fair. Color television was demonstrated in the US pavilion leaving the city with a television studio once the fair was over.

USSR, demonstrated space, science, and technology next door to the American's which left many wondering if our country was out of touch demonstrating fashion and a soda fountain in a circular building with a circlevision theater.

The Seattle World's Fair (1962) took these concerns into consideration creating a science and technology fair with focus on the future and space demonstrating NASA and science in a way the public could understand leaving a city with a legacy that created the tech industry in the Pacific Northwest.

The New York World's Fair (1964-65) wasn't an official fair since it was caught in the middle of Seattle and the Montreal fair (Expo 67, under construction). It was the major fair of US consumerism done with the help of Disney that had it's critics for it's excessiveness managed by the great engineer of urban development, Robert Moses who wanted to finish what was started after the last fair in 1939 (on the same site) as a park.

While Expo 74 was going on, Flushing Meadow/Corona Park (the site of the New York World's Fairs) would see some of it's legacy fall to deterioration as budget cuts, during the 1970's, didn't provide the necessary upkeep.

Hemisfair 68 did bring a great deal of success to San Antonio. Even though many of it's exhibitors were involved in the Montreal fair in 1967, they did see a reason to be there.

The 1980's changed many attitudes in having these events. While Knoxville and Vancouver did benefit from these fairs, New Orleans did not (another fair held in the middle).

One year after Vancouver hosted their fair, Disney World would open Epcot as a permanent world's fair with corporate sponsorship (from many of the same exhibitors) based on an idea that was considered during the last fair in New York.

Banks that financed fairs in the United States, during the 1980's went out of business during the downturn of the savings and loans banks during the decade.

Transportation and lodging were always a concern as systems were put into place before the fairs only to go out business due to bad management.

Corporations that benefited from these events changed their attention to sports, including the Olympics.

Many corporations that participated in world's fairs, sponsored these events and later sport teams, and arenas.

Many cities that hosted world's fair in the past (London, Paris, Montreal, and Vancouver) opted into hosting these events that cover weeks (rather than months) to accomodate athletes and guests using a wider area to cover these events.

Trade shows have changed the focus on marketing goods to the public especially the Conusmer Electronics Show.

Auto Shows can showcase just the vehicles and services every year to a local audience without the costs of constructing a pavilion.

As many cities have even turned down bidding for the privilege of hosting the Olympics due to traffic and housing concerns, global warming has also played a role in these decisions for hosting these events.

A subject that did get it's start in 1974 on the banks of the Spokane River.