Notes
The Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition of 1905 thrust the remote city of Portland onto the world stage. The expo must have been a huge draw for those Hood River residents with the time and money to travel to Portland. This resident brought his camera and plenty of glass negatives to document his trip.
From this vantage point we can see most of the fair. There were buildings housing exhibits of art, technology, and agriculture, as well as exhibits from many US states and foreign countries. Most of the buildings were built with inexpensive lathe and plaster, and were removed as soon as the fair closed. The major exception is "the world's largest log cabin" which served as the Forestry Building. It survived many fires, though it finally succumbed to flames in 1964.
The Agriculture Building, with its prominent cupola, provides the answer to yesterday's Mystery Monday post. You can just make out the cupola to the left of the house, so we know this house must have been in Northwest Portland.
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Comments
Every time I see pictures of the Expo, I am so amazed. All these people from all over the world coming together to celebrate life...."sigh"....if only it was that simple today.
Connie on 13th September 2011 @ 8:25am
My husband's grandmother was a teenager at the time of the Expo. Even in her 80's she still talked about it. It must have been quite an event.
Reading some of the history I was surprised at how much earth and water movement took place to create the site.
This photo looks like a fairytale city.
l.e. on 13th September 2011 @ 8:27am
The building in the middle is the big "forestry" building. I remember as a child going in there when we used to go to Montgomery Wards which sat right behind it across the street. I recall that the logs inside were massive and especially so from about a 6 or 7 year old perspective. It was dark in there and it sort of had that forest dankness to it as I recall.
Tragic that not more of that complex was preserved, but it went with the marching of time.
Charlott on 14th September 2011 @ 7:05am
I just remembered something my grandmother told me. She said that there were boats, maybe gondola type ones on that big lake formed and grandpa took her on more than one ride while there on their honeymoon.
I wonder about lodging, whether there was hotels close at hand or people stayed in those in downtown Portland and communicated .....way out there....
Charlott on 14th September 2011 @ 7:07am
There was a place to stay on Vaughn and NW 26 street in Fact the place still excites . They are called the Historic Fairmount Apartments
Ellen Dittebrandt on 15th September 2011 @ 6:27pm
This event still lingers with us as the all- volunteer crew works to restore to operation the OR&N 197 steam locomotive here in Portland. The 197 was built and purchased in 1905 to handle the passenger loads being transported by the OR&N for this event. The locomotive is owned by the city of Portland and managed by the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation.
This is a GREAT picture and project.
Arlen Sheldrake on 17th September 2011 @ 7:56pm