Lately, I've been a little nostalgic for Expo '74 history, especially after the passing of King Cole and interviewing Dr. Bill Youngs on KYRS, author of The Fair and The Falls.



So get ready for a blast from the past with this video. Once you get over the bellbottom shots and cheesy music, there’s something of merit with this footage, especially to a young punk like me who wasn't there. Example: The “huge industrial eyesore” that was transformed into beautiful Riverfront Park. And there’s a tendency to diss Expo 74. Even the brilliant (but now sadly defunct) MetroSpokane stated its intention with a banner reading “because Expo ‘74 happened a long time ago” as a way of tearing down the past, looking forward. Yet there’s no denying it changed the way we look at the Spokane River, the heart of the city, and there was a lot of energy, optimism and foresight that drove the community in those days.

Video after the jump.

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