Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition
Encyclopedia
The Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, commonly also known as the Lewis and Clark Exposition, and officially known as the Lewis and Clark Centennial American Pacific Exposition and Oriental Fair, was a worldwide exposition held in Portland, Oregon
, United States
in 1905 to celebrate the centennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
. While not officially considered a World's Fair
by the Bureau of International Expositions
, it is often informally described as such; the exposition attracted both exhibits and visitors from around the world. During the exposition's four month run, it attracted over 1.6 million visitors, and featured exhibits from 21 countries. Portland grew from 161,000 to 270,000 residents between 1905 and 1910, a spurt that has been attributed to the exposition.
s. Meanwhile, Portland’s wheat and flour industries were growing at an amazing rate, and Portland held “the largest flour mill on the Pacific coast.” The unparalleled timber industry continued to grow, as “Oregon is second [in wooded area], with 54,300 square miles” and “in quantity of standing lumber, Oregon leads the Union, with 300 billion feet…” Oregon’s shipping was growing, too, fueled by a $1.5 million project to dike and dredge the Columbia River
. During this time, Oregon's population grew from 13,294 in 1850 to 413,536 in 1900, a 3,000 percent growth, compared to the 1000 percent growth of the nation as a whole.
Despite all these positive factors, though, Oregon was not unaffected by the nationwide Long Depression
, which had particular effect in 1893. Jobs were lost across the country as railroads grew too fast on a weak banking system and agricultural values fell. The state’s elite business leaders all attempted to devise plans to boost the economy. Dan McAllen, a dry goods merchant, suggested in 1895 “that Portland mark the new century and pull itself out of its economic slump by holding some sort of international fair.” Since the area’s focus was on other issues, his proposal went unnoticed for a few years. The idea of a fair came up again occasionally, but no concentrated effort was made for various reasons. It was not until mid-1900 that this sort of action began, when “J.M. Long of the Portland Board of Trade put together a provisional committee” to begin planning some sort of fair.
Soon, a permanent board was conceived, and the head of the Portland General Electric
Company, Henry W. Goode, became the president of the Board of Directors. Others included I. N. Fleischner, First Vice-President; Oskar Huber, Director of Works; Colonel Henry E. Dosch
, Director of Exhibits; Henry E. Reed, Secretary; and J. A. Wakefield, Director of Concessions and Admissions. These were some of Portland’s most wealthy and powerful men, working together to create an event of unmatched grandeur and power.
Although the true motivation for the fair came from an economic and business standpoint, it was still crucial to have a theme for publicity and décor. The theme for the Portland fair came from the advice of the Oregon Historical Society
. They suggested that the centennial anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
’s stay in Oregon would be a perfect event to commemorate. As the directors wanted to include their dreams of economic growth as well, they combined the two ideas into a title that “summed up the dual goals of historic commemoration and regional boosterism: ‘The Lewis and Clark Centennial and American Pacific Exposition and Oriental Fair.’” In addition, a motto was decided on, to focus the festivities and bolster publicity: “Westward The Course of Empire Takes Its Way.”
$10,000….” Many of the substantial investments were from hotels (the Imperial Hotel Company purchased 50 shares worth $5,000), restaurants, streetcar companies, and retailers – all groups with much to gain from the success of the fair and the economic prosperity it could provide. In addition, approximately 3,000 average citizens purchased stock certificates both as investment opportunities and to support what they viewed as a worthwhile venture.
began planning appropriations for the fair. Although they “had [little] interest in the historical heroes and their 2000 miles (3,218.7 km) trek… they [shared] the vision of Pacific trade that had motivated the exploration and settlement of the Oregon Country.” Thus, the Legislature passed “An Act Celebrating the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Exploration of the Oregon Country,” which appropriated a sum of approximately $500,000 for the fair. After the Fair’s completion, it was reported that
Thus the fair received funding to hold the exposition.
The bill that appropriated the funds also created a special commission to oversee the organization of the fair. As this Commission reported: “The Lewis and Clark Exposition was held jointly, under the authorization of the act creating this Commission, by the Commission and the Lewis and Clark Exposition Corporation.” First assembling on May 30, 1903, they were a committee appointed by the government with the intent of sharing the burdens of planning. On this date, they chose a President, Jefferson Myers, who “made a speech… urging hearty co-operation with the Lewis and Clark directors to bring about the best results. He later repeated these assurances of help to the directors.” This seemed to go well, and their assistance helped guide the fair through the governmental hurdles inherent with the planning of such a venture.
After the closing of the fair, Henry Reed, Secretary for the Exposition Corporation, created a hefty volume documenting the whole process of planning and running the event. He, too, spoke highly of the government’s involvement, and wrote that “The State of Oregon gave more solid help… to the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, than any other state of the Union has ever given to an exposition held within its borders.” He was also specifically grateful for the City of Portland’s assistance, and noted that their “cordial and enthusiastic backing” was invaluable to the success of the Fair. These praises of Portland were repeated by the State Commission, further supporting the city’s great assistance.
; City View Park, now Sellwood Park and Oaks Park
; and Hawthorne Park, now an industrial area. The western sites considered were City Park, now Washington Park; and Guild's Lake
in the Balch Creek
watershed. Guild’s Lake was a site that “everyone in Portland was vaguely aware of… [though] no one on the site selection subcommittee could remember whether it evaporated during the dry season.” Inspections showed that it remained at a depth of 2.5 foot (0.762 m) through the summer, and therefore would be an appropriate site. By September 4, 1902, the Oregon Journal
reported that “the fair officials are hot on the trail of a site and it is confidently predicted that ‘something will be doing’ shortly.” The next day, they reported that the committee had narrowed its choices to “two tracts… Willamette heights on the west side and Hawthorne Park, with a portion of the Ladd tract, on the east side,” and that Willamette Heights was to be chosen, as “It is claimed that the natural advantages offered by the Willamette Heights outweigh all other considerations and that … Guild’s Lake, it is said, can be utilized to great advantage and made a scene of beauty….” With this voting, “the Lewis and Clark Exposition had its site – a grove of trees, 180 acre (0.7284348 km²) of pasture, and 220 acre (0.8903092 km²) of waist-high stagnant water at the site’s center.”
Guild's Lake had numerous other advantages. As the site was located on the edge of settlement in Portland, it was easily accessed by the populace. Two local trolley
lines (the Portland Railway and City Suburban Railway) ran to within one block of the proposed entrance.
Guild's Lake also had the advantage of being located adjacent to the recently-constructed Vaughn Street Park
, a baseball
stadium which would prove rather useful during the operation of the fair. The site was also accessible from the river; and steamers
provided visitors a ride to the site for 10 cents.
The site had been sold for private development prior to the fair, and was leased back to the City for the event.
Numerous individuals were involved in the design and construction of the fairgrounds and buildings. Architect John Charles Olmsted
, whose uncle was Frederick Law Olmsted
, was hired to develop a plan for the grounds, being paid $5,000. His plan took advantage of the scenic views available from the site, including Mount St. Helens
and the river. Numerous other local architects, including Ion Lewis
of the firm Whidden & Lewis, were commissioned to design the fair's buildings; the majority of the buildings were in the style of the Spanish Renaissance
, and decorated with architectural flourishes such as dome
s, cupola
s, arched doorways and red-colored roofs. The buildings, not intended to be permanent, were largely constructed of plaster
over wooden frames, which resulted in rather low construction costs (79 cents per foot).
The major exception to this was the Forestry Building, a log cabin
which was said to be the world's largest. It was constructed of 54 long unhewn logs, and contained exhibits of local forestry products, wildlife, and Native American
photographs. The building was 206 feet (62.8 m) long, 102 feet (31.1 m) wide, and 72 feet (21.9 m) high (63 m x 31m x 22m), and cost nearly $30,000 The building stood until destroyed by fire in 1964 and inspired the Western Forestry Center
as a replacement.
In addition, numerous statue
s adorned the grounds. Several of the statues remain today, including Alice Cooper
's Sacajawea which now stands in Washington Park. Over 100 thousand light bulbs were used to outline the buildings, bridges, and statues; the result was a spectacular nighttime view.
Some exhibits took up to three years to assemble.
, whose pavilion contained a large collection of marble statues. Germany
and France
also spent enormous sums on their exhibits, the latter providing a replica of the drawing room of King Louis XIV. Japan
spent $1 million (a significant sum in 1905) on its exhibit, including numerous cultural artifacts such as porcelains, silks, and lanterns.
States to have exhibits at the Exposition were: Alaska
, Arizona
, California
, Colorado
, Idaho
, Illinois
, Louisiana
, Maine
, Massachusetts
, Missouri
, Montana
, Nebraska
, New York, North Dakota
, Oregon
, Oklahoma
, Utah
, Washington, and Wyoming
. Each attending state was granted a day to publicize its exhibit, often attended by visiting dignitaries.
There were extensive exhibits on topics such as agriculture, technology, and music. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
sent an exhibit, as did the Smithsonian Institution
; numerous famous artists such as Claude Monet
were featured. Some of the exhibits were controversial (and by modern standards, offensive), such as an exhibit of Philippines
Igorot
tribespeople; displayed in order to convince the American populace of the legitimacy of the recent U.S. conquest of the Philippines, taken from Spain
in the recently-concluded Spanish-American War
. The exhibit included Irogots living in a simulated village, engaging in traditional activities (some of which, such as preparation and consumption of dog meat
, would be viewed as primitive to most visitors).
Many exhibitors had to be turned away due to lack of space.
, various sideshow
s, concerts, free motion pictures (a novelty in those days), blimp
excursions, and numerous vendors hawking food and other items to visitors. The site was the finish line for the nation's first transcontinental automobile race, ending on June 21, and the National Track and Field Championships were held next door at Vaughn Street Park
. (Portland's baseball team
, then called the "Giants", played the 1905 season at a different venue in Portland).
.
Unusual for such expositions, the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition was profitable, turning a gross profit of nearly $85,000. Capital investors received a 21% return on their investments. In addition, the impact on the local economy was significant. It is estimated that a million out-of-town guests came to Portland, resulting in millions of dollars (in 1905 figures) added to the economy. In addition, construction of the fairgrounds provided 1,000 construction jobs.
Very little of the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition remains today. The vast majority of the structures were designed to be temporary, and were torn down the following year, in 1906. A few structures were moved elsewhere and remained in use for a long time, most famously the Forestry Building, which was reinforced with a concrete foundation and converted into a forestry museum. It burned to the ground in 1964. A replacement museum was built in Portland's Washington Park and is today known as the World Forestry Center
. A few buildings from the fair remain standing today, including the Fairmount Hotel
, the American Inn, and the NCR Building (now the St. Johns Theater and Pub).
More significantly, Guilds Lake (the picturesque lake around which the fairgrounds were built) itself is no more. The lake, a cutoff meander
of the Willamette River, was slowly filled in by industrial developers (and the Port of Portland
) in the years after the fair; by the 1920s the lake had vanished entirely. Over the years, the grounds have been used for a garbage incinerator, a landfill
, a rail switching yard, wartime housing, and warehouses. Today the ground formerly occupied by the lake (and the fairgrounds itself) is still used for primarily industrial purposes, and has been designated an Industrial Sanctuary by the City of Portland.
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1905 to celebrate the centennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William...
. While not officially considered a World's Fair
World's Fair
World's fair, World fair, Universal Exposition, and World Expo are various large public exhibitions held in different parts of the world. The first Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom, in 1851, under the title "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All...
by the Bureau of International Expositions
Bureau of International Expositions
The International Exhibitions Bureau is an intergovernmental organization created to supervise international exhibitions falling under the jurisdiction of the Convention Relating to International Exhibitions....
, it is often informally described as such; the exposition attracted both exhibits and visitors from around the world. During the exposition's four month run, it attracted over 1.6 million visitors, and featured exhibits from 21 countries. Portland grew from 161,000 to 270,000 residents between 1905 and 1910, a spurt that has been attributed to the exposition.
Early Oregon
Since its founding in 1845, Portland had evolved into a major economic center, largely fueled by the arrival of the railroads. Three transcontinental railroads used Portland as their Pacific coast terminus – the Northern, Southern, and Union Pacific RailroadUnion Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
s. Meanwhile, Portland’s wheat and flour industries were growing at an amazing rate, and Portland held “the largest flour mill on the Pacific coast.” The unparalleled timber industry continued to grow, as “Oregon is second [in wooded area], with 54,300 square miles” and “in quantity of standing lumber, Oregon leads the Union, with 300 billion feet…” Oregon’s shipping was growing, too, fueled by a $1.5 million project to dike and dredge the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
. During this time, Oregon's population grew from 13,294 in 1850 to 413,536 in 1900, a 3,000 percent growth, compared to the 1000 percent growth of the nation as a whole.
Despite all these positive factors, though, Oregon was not unaffected by the nationwide Long Depression
Long Depression
The Long Depression was a worldwide economic crisis, felt most heavily in Europe and the United States, which had been experiencing strong economic growth fueled by the Second Industrial Revolution in the decade following the American Civil War. At the time, the episode was labeled the Great...
, which had particular effect in 1893. Jobs were lost across the country as railroads grew too fast on a weak banking system and agricultural values fell. The state’s elite business leaders all attempted to devise plans to boost the economy. Dan McAllen, a dry goods merchant, suggested in 1895 “that Portland mark the new century and pull itself out of its economic slump by holding some sort of international fair.” Since the area’s focus was on other issues, his proposal went unnoticed for a few years. The idea of a fair came up again occasionally, but no concentrated effort was made for various reasons. It was not until mid-1900 that this sort of action began, when “J.M. Long of the Portland Board of Trade put together a provisional committee” to begin planning some sort of fair.
Soon, a permanent board was conceived, and the head of the Portland General Electric
Portland General Electric
Portland General Electric is an electrical utility based in Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. It distributes electricity to customers in parts of Multnomah, Clackamas, Marion, Yamhill, Washington, and Polk counties - half of the inhabitants of Oregon...
Company, Henry W. Goode, became the president of the Board of Directors. Others included I. N. Fleischner, First Vice-President; Oskar Huber, Director of Works; Colonel Henry E. Dosch
Henry E. Dosch
Henry Ernst Dosch - , was a German-born immigrant who served in the Civil War and later became a successful merchant, horticulturist and author in Portland, Oregon...
, Director of Exhibits; Henry E. Reed, Secretary; and J. A. Wakefield, Director of Concessions and Admissions. These were some of Portland’s most wealthy and powerful men, working together to create an event of unmatched grandeur and power.
Finding a theme
Oregon Historical Society
The Oregon Historical Society is an organization that encourages and promotes the study and understanding of the history of the Oregon Country, within the broader context of U.S. history. Incorporated in 1898, the Society collects, preserves, and makes available materials of historical character...
. They suggested that the centennial anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William...
’s stay in Oregon would be a perfect event to commemorate. As the directors wanted to include their dreams of economic growth as well, they combined the two ideas into a title that “summed up the dual goals of historic commemoration and regional boosterism: ‘The Lewis and Clark Centennial and American Pacific Exposition and Oriental Fair.’” In addition, a motto was decided on, to focus the festivities and bolster publicity: “Westward The Course of Empire Takes Its Way.”
Funding
Once a theme was set, the men began securing exhibits and getting support for their investments. Getting government backing was crucial due to the personal investments already made: “The Ladd and Tilton Bank [invested] $20,000, the Northern Pacific Railroad another $20,000, and brewer Henry WeinhardHenry Weinhard
Henry Weinhard was a German-American brewer in the state of Oregon. After immigrating to the United States in 1851, he lived in Philadelphia, Cincinnati, and California before settling in the Portland, Oregon, area...
$10,000….” Many of the substantial investments were from hotels (the Imperial Hotel Company purchased 50 shares worth $5,000), restaurants, streetcar companies, and retailers – all groups with much to gain from the success of the fair and the economic prosperity it could provide. In addition, approximately 3,000 average citizens purchased stock certificates both as investment opportunities and to support what they viewed as a worthwhile venture.
Political action
Seeing the potential benefits of the fair’s success, the state legislatureOregon Legislative Assembly
The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the House of Representatives, with 60 members elected to...
began planning appropriations for the fair. Although they “had [little] interest in the historical heroes and their 2000 miles (3,218.7 km) trek… they [shared] the vision of Pacific trade that had motivated the exploration and settlement of the Oregon Country.” Thus, the Legislature passed “An Act Celebrating the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Exploration of the Oregon Country,” which appropriated a sum of approximately $500,000 for the fair. After the Fair’s completion, it was reported that
The money expended by the two departments amounted to about four hundred thousand dollars each, the State appropriating that expended by the Commission, while the stockholders of the Corporation subscribed about an equal amount. The proceeds from the Exposition were expended entirely under the direction of the Corporation. The government of the United States appropriated $475,000 and about an equal value in exhibits, the exact amounts of which I am unable to give.
Thus the fair received funding to hold the exposition.
The bill that appropriated the funds also created a special commission to oversee the organization of the fair. As this Commission reported: “The Lewis and Clark Exposition was held jointly, under the authorization of the act creating this Commission, by the Commission and the Lewis and Clark Exposition Corporation.” First assembling on May 30, 1903, they were a committee appointed by the government with the intent of sharing the burdens of planning. On this date, they chose a President, Jefferson Myers, who “made a speech… urging hearty co-operation with the Lewis and Clark directors to bring about the best results. He later repeated these assurances of help to the directors.” This seemed to go well, and their assistance helped guide the fair through the governmental hurdles inherent with the planning of such a venture.
After the closing of the fair, Henry Reed, Secretary for the Exposition Corporation, created a hefty volume documenting the whole process of planning and running the event. He, too, spoke highly of the government’s involvement, and wrote that “The State of Oregon gave more solid help… to the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, than any other state of the Union has ever given to an exposition held within its borders.” He was also specifically grateful for the City of Portland’s assistance, and noted that their “cordial and enthusiastic backing” was invaluable to the success of the Fair. These praises of Portland were repeated by the State Commission, further supporting the city’s great assistance.
Finding a site
After gaining the necessary financial backing (and the Commission that came with it), the Board of Directors then began the process of choosing a site on which to hold this fair. There were a number of locations considered, on both the east and west sides of the Willamette River. The three main sites on the eastern side were University Park, now the site of the University of PortlandUniversity of Portland
The University of Portland is a private Roman Catholic university located in Portland, Oregon. It is affiliated with the Congregation of Holy Cross and is the sister school of the University of Notre Dame. Founded in 1901, UP has a student body of about 3,600 students...
; City View Park, now Sellwood Park and Oaks Park
Oaks Amusement Park
Oaks Park is a small amusement park located south of downtown Portland, Oregon USA, near the Sellwood Bridge. The park includes midway games, about two dozen rides that operate seasonally, a skating rink that is open all-year, and picnic grounds.- Rides :...
; and Hawthorne Park, now an industrial area. The western sites considered were City Park, now Washington Park; and Guild's Lake
Guild's Lake
Guild's Lake was historically a flood-prone lowland near the confluence of Balch Creek with the Willamette River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Indigenous Multnomah people established villages on nearby Sauvie Island but not in the swampy area along the Balch Creek side of the river in what later...
in the Balch Creek
Balch Creek
Balch Creek is a tributary of the Willamette River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Beginning at the crest of the Tualatin Mountains , the creek flows generally east down a canyon along Northwest Cornell Road in unincorporated Multnomah County and through the Macleay Park section of Forest Park, a...
watershed. Guild’s Lake was a site that “everyone in Portland was vaguely aware of… [though] no one on the site selection subcommittee could remember whether it evaporated during the dry season.” Inspections showed that it remained at a depth of 2.5 foot (0.762 m) through the summer, and therefore would be an appropriate site. By September 4, 1902, the Oregon Journal
Oregon Journal
The Oregon Journal was Portland, Oregon's daily afternoon newspaper from 1902 to 1982. The Journal was founded in Portland by C. S. Jackson, the publisher of Pendleton, Oregon's East Oregonian newspaper, after a group of Portlanders convinced Jackson to help in the reorganization of the Portland...
reported that “the fair officials are hot on the trail of a site and it is confidently predicted that ‘something will be doing’ shortly.” The next day, they reported that the committee had narrowed its choices to “two tracts… Willamette heights on the west side and Hawthorne Park, with a portion of the Ladd tract, on the east side,” and that Willamette Heights was to be chosen, as “It is claimed that the natural advantages offered by the Willamette Heights outweigh all other considerations and that … Guild’s Lake, it is said, can be utilized to great advantage and made a scene of beauty….” With this voting, “the Lewis and Clark Exposition had its site – a grove of trees, 180 acre (0.7284348 km²) of pasture, and 220 acre (0.8903092 km²) of waist-high stagnant water at the site’s center.”
Guild's Lake had numerous other advantages. As the site was located on the edge of settlement in Portland, it was easily accessed by the populace. Two local trolley
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
lines (the Portland Railway and City Suburban Railway) ran to within one block of the proposed entrance.
Guild's Lake also had the advantage of being located adjacent to the recently-constructed Vaughn Street Park
Vaughn Street Park
Vaughn Street Park was a baseball park located in Portland, Oregon. It opened in 1901, and was torn down in 1956. Its primary tenant was the Portland Beavers Pacific Coast League team...
, a baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
stadium which would prove rather useful during the operation of the fair. The site was also accessible from the river; and steamers
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
provided visitors a ride to the site for 10 cents.
The site had been sold for private development prior to the fair, and was leased back to the City for the event.
Design and construction
John Charles Olmsted
John Charles Olmsted , the nephew and adopted son of Frederick Law Olmsted, was an American landscape architect. With his brother, Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., he founded Olmsted Brothers, a landscape design firm in Brookline, Massachusetts. The firm is famous for designing many urban parks,...
, whose uncle was Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted was an American journalist, social critic, public administrator, and landscape designer. He is popularly considered to be the father of American landscape architecture, although many scholars have bestowed that title upon Andrew Jackson Downing...
, was hired to develop a plan for the grounds, being paid $5,000. His plan took advantage of the scenic views available from the site, including Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens is an active stratovolcano located in Skamania County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is south of Seattle, Washington and northeast of Portland, Oregon. Mount St. Helens takes its English name from the British diplomat Lord St Helens, a...
and the river. Numerous other local architects, including Ion Lewis
Ion Lewis
Ion Lewis was a founding member of Whidden & Lewis, a prominent architectural firm in Portland, Oregon, United States around the beginning of the 20th century. The firm was formed with partner William M. Whidden...
of the firm Whidden & Lewis, were commissioned to design the fair's buildings; the majority of the buildings were in the style of the Spanish Renaissance
Spanish Renaissance
The Spanish Renaissance refers to a movement in Spain, emerging from the Italian Renaissance in Italy during the 14th century, that spread to Spain during the 15th and 16th centuries...
, and decorated with architectural flourishes such as dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
s, cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
s, arched doorways and red-colored roofs. The buildings, not intended to be permanent, were largely constructed of plaster
Plaster
Plaster is a building material used for coating walls and ceilings. Plaster starts as a dry powder similar to mortar or cement and like those materials it is mixed with water to form a paste which liberates heat and then hardens. Unlike mortar and cement, plaster remains quite soft after setting,...
over wooden frames, which resulted in rather low construction costs (79 cents per foot).
The major exception to this was the Forestry Building, a log cabin
Log cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
which was said to be the world's largest. It was constructed of 54 long unhewn logs, and contained exhibits of local forestry products, wildlife, and Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
photographs. The building was 206 feet (62.8 m) long, 102 feet (31.1 m) wide, and 72 feet (21.9 m) high (63 m x 31m x 22m), and cost nearly $30,000 The building stood until destroyed by fire in 1964 and inspired the Western Forestry Center
World Forestry Center
The World Forestry Center is an American nonprofit educational institution in Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located near the Oregon Zoo in Washington Park, the center was established in 1964 as the Western Forestry Center.-History:...
as a replacement.
In addition, numerous statue
Statue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
s adorned the grounds. Several of the statues remain today, including Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper (sculptor)
Alice Cooper was an American sculptor.Born in Glenwood, Iowa, and based in Denver, Colorado, Cooper studied under Preston Powers then at the Art Institute of Chicago with Lorado Taft and the Art Students League of New York through about 1901.Cooper is best known for her bronze figure of Sacajawea...
's Sacajawea which now stands in Washington Park. Over 100 thousand light bulbs were used to outline the buildings, bridges, and statues; the result was a spectacular nighttime view.
Some exhibits took up to three years to assemble.
Exposition
The exposition opened on June 1, 1905, and ran until October 15, 1905, a four and a half month span. It included exhibitions from 21 nations and 16 U.S. states, as well as numerous branches of the U.S. government, and private organizations.Exhibits
The largest exhibit by a foreign nation was that of ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, whose pavilion contained a large collection of marble statues. Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
also spent enormous sums on their exhibits, the latter providing a replica of the drawing room of King Louis XIV. Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
spent $1 million (a significant sum in 1905) on its exhibit, including numerous cultural artifacts such as porcelains, silks, and lanterns.
States to have exhibits at the Exposition were: Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, New York, North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, Washington, and Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
. Each attending state was granted a day to publicize its exhibit, often attended by visiting dignitaries.
There were extensive exhibits on topics such as agriculture, technology, and music. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Mormon Tabernacle Choir
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, sometimes colloquially referred to as MoTab, is a Grammy and Emmy Award winning, 360-member, all-volunteer choir. The choir is part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . However, the choir is completely self-funded, traveling and producing albums to...
sent an exhibit, as did the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
; numerous famous artists such as Claude Monet
Claude Monet
Claude Monet was a founder of French impressionist painting, and the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement's philosophy of expressing one's perceptions before nature, especially as applied to plein-air landscape painting. . Retrieved 6 January 2007...
were featured. Some of the exhibits were controversial (and by modern standards, offensive), such as an exhibit of Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
Igorot
Igorot
Cordillerans are the people of the Cordillera region, in the Philippines island of Luzon. The word, Igorot is a misnomer term invented by the Spaniards in mockery against the Nortnern Luzon tribes. The word ‘Igorot’ also as coined and applied by the Spaniards means a savage, head-hunting and...
tribespeople; displayed in order to convince the American populace of the legitimacy of the recent U.S. conquest of the Philippines, taken from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in the recently-concluded Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
. The exhibit included Irogots living in a simulated village, engaging in traditional activities (some of which, such as preparation and consumption of dog meat
Dog meat
Dog meat refers to edible parts and the flesh derived from dogs. Human consumption of dog meat has been recorded in many parts of the world, including ancient China, ancient Mexico, and ancient Rome. According to contemporary reports, dog meat is consumed in a variety of countries such as...
, would be viewed as primitive to most visitors).
Many exhibitors had to be turned away due to lack of space.
Other attractions
In addition to the major exhibits and pavilions, the site also featured an amusement parkAmusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
, various sideshow
Sideshow
In America, a sideshow is an extra, secondary production associated with a circus, carnival, fair or other such attraction.- Types of attractions :There are four main types of classic sideshow attractions:...
s, concerts, free motion pictures (a novelty in those days), blimp
Blimp
A blimp, or non-rigid airship, is a floating airship without an internal supporting framework or keel. A non-rigid airship differs from a semi-rigid airship and a rigid airship in that it does not have any rigid structure, neither a complete framework nor a partial keel, to help the airbag...
excursions, and numerous vendors hawking food and other items to visitors. The site was the finish line for the nation's first transcontinental automobile race, ending on June 21, and the National Track and Field Championships were held next door at Vaughn Street Park
Vaughn Street Park
Vaughn Street Park was a baseball park located in Portland, Oregon. It opened in 1901, and was torn down in 1956. Its primary tenant was the Portland Beavers Pacific Coast League team...
. (Portland's baseball team
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
, then called the "Giants", played the 1905 season at a different venue in Portland).
Economic effect
The fair, by all economic measures, was a major success. Over the entire run of the fair, the box office recorded almost 1.6 million paid admissions, an average of 11,600 visitors per day. Tickets to the fair cost 50 cents for adults, a quarter for children. Forty-thousand visitors attended on the opening day; 50,000 attended on the Fourth of July, and on the anniversary of Portland's incorporation, the daily attendance record of over 85,000 visitors was set. The vast majority (nearly 75%) of visitors were from the Pacific Northwest, with almost half being local residents. In all 2,554,000 people visited the exposition, with 966,000 getting in for free and 1,588,000 paying visitors. 135,000 visitors were from east of the Mississippi RiverMississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
.
Unusual for such expositions, the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition was profitable, turning a gross profit of nearly $85,000. Capital investors received a 21% return on their investments. In addition, the impact on the local economy was significant. It is estimated that a million out-of-town guests came to Portland, resulting in millions of dollars (in 1905 figures) added to the economy. In addition, construction of the fairgrounds provided 1,000 construction jobs.
Legacy
World Forestry Center
The World Forestry Center is an American nonprofit educational institution in Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located near the Oregon Zoo in Washington Park, the center was established in 1964 as the Western Forestry Center.-History:...
. A few buildings from the fair remain standing today, including the Fairmount Hotel
Fairmount Hotel (Portland, Oregon)
The Fairmount Hotel is a historic, former hotel located in Portland, Oregon, United States, built in 1905. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places....
, the American Inn, and the NCR Building (now the St. Johns Theater and Pub).
More significantly, Guilds Lake (the picturesque lake around which the fairgrounds were built) itself is no more. The lake, a cutoff meander
Meander
A meander in general is a bend in a sinuous watercourse. A meander is formed when the moving water in a stream erodes the outer banks and widens its valley. A stream of any volume may assume a meandering course, alternately eroding sediments from the outside of a bend and depositing them on the...
of the Willamette River, was slowly filled in by industrial developers (and the Port of Portland
Port of Portland (Oregon)
The Port of Portland is the port district responsible for overseeing Portland International Airport, general aviation, and marine activities in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area in the United States....
) in the years after the fair; by the 1920s the lake had vanished entirely. Over the years, the grounds have been used for a garbage incinerator, a landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
, a rail switching yard, wartime housing, and warehouses. Today the ground formerly occupied by the lake (and the fairgrounds itself) is still used for primarily industrial purposes, and has been designated an Industrial Sanctuary by the City of Portland.
See also
- Harvey W. ScottHarvey W. ScottHarvey Whitefield Scott was an American pioneer, newspaper editor, and historian.Scott was born in on a farm in Illinois and migrated to Oregon with his family in 1852, settling in Yamhill County. He and his family moved near Olympia, Washington in 1853. At age 18, he fought in the American Indian...
, president of the Exposition, 1903–1905. - Frederick Law OlmstedFrederick Law OlmstedFrederick Law Olmsted was an American journalist, social critic, public administrator, and landscape designer. He is popularly considered to be the father of American landscape architecture, although many scholars have bestowed that title upon Andrew Jackson Downing...
, park planner, did planning for the Exposition.
External links
- Oregon Historical Society
- Oregon Bluebook: Lewis and Clark Exposition Exhibit Home Page
- Extensive postcard collection at PdxHistory.com
- High Resolution Images on the Oregon State UniversityOregon State UniversityOregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
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