This view of the U.S. Pavilion for Expo '74 with the turbulent Spokane River in the background was taken from a hovering helicopter by Walter C Hodges, Expo '74 photographer in 1974. Immediately to the right of the high steel mast and ring which will support the translucent canopy over the pavilion is the steel gridwork for the IMAX theater. At far left is the Federal Action Center, most of which is underground, its roof and sides to be covered by earth and landscaping. (The Spokesman-Review photo archive / sr)
Qualifications as a tightrope walker appear in order for this construction worker as he works on the federal pavilion's massive canopy on the Expo '74 grounds. The canopy will be suspended by the cables shown above. (The Spokesman-Review photo archive / sr)
Tension ring - 55 feet in diameter and weighing 80,000 pounds - is installed on mast of U.S. Pavilion at Expo '74. The ring will be rigged with cables fastened to base buildings and will support canopy the size of football field covering federal exhibit. Dix Steel, Spokane, made ring. (The Spokesman-Review photo archive / sr)
Canopy going up for U.S. Pavilion. Erection of the off-white translucent canopy which will cover the US Pavilion at Expo '74 began in 1974. The entire pavilion and exhibit courtyard covering four acres will be covering four acres will be covered by the canopy which will be held in place by four miles of steel cable suspended from a steel ring atop a 150-foot steel mast. (The Spokesman-Review photo archive / sr)
Workmen put finishing touches on spreading and anchoring federal pavilion's 12-ton translucent vinyl canopy in 1974. The cover, secured by a network of steel cables, is the size of three football fields. (The Spokesman-Review photo archive / sr)
Construction was well underway on the U.S. Pavilion which became the landmark structure at Expo 74 in Spokane. The Flour Mill and Spokane Coliseum are in the background. File The Spokesman-Review (The Spokesman-Review photo archive / sr)
Havermale and Cannon Islands have a completely new face for the first time since railroads came to Spokane near the turn of the century. The white-canopied U.S. Pavilion shows in center foreground, near the Washington-Stevens couplet in 1974. On the south bank of the Spokane River at upper left, is the Washington State Pavilion. Directly across from the state pavilion is the USSR Pavilion. Numerous pedestrian bridges can be seen, Cannon Island, lower right, shows British Columbia Pavilion and circular area where Alberta's outdoor amphitheater is being constructed. Howard Street bridge, adjacent to Cannon Island, will feature a bazaar of shops. From the vantage point of this picture, the viewer is looking southward. (The Spokesman-Review photo archive / sr)
A star shell bursts behind the United States Pavilion during a fireworks display at the Expo 74' World's Fair. The Pavilion, whose theme is "Man and Nature, One and Indivisible," prominently features the worlds of a Suquamish Indian chief who rebukes a delegation of white settlers who wanted to buy his land more than a century ago. (The Spokesman-Review photo archive / SR)
The many flowerbeds at Expo add splashes of color and beauty in every part of the grounds. Colors of the flowers are coordinated with the butterflies and directional guideposts to helpvisitors find their way around the fairgrounds. These yellow marigolds greet visitors at the nearby U.S. Pavilion and riders on the overhead Sky Float in 1974. (The Spokesman-Review photo archive / sr)
The bright lights of the world's fair create a riot of color in the heart of Spokane against a backdrop of nighttime sky. This view, looking northeast, focuses on Havermale Island, with the shimmering canopy of the United States Pavilion rising like the glowing cone of a live volcano from the center of the 100-acre fairgrounds in 1974. (The Spokesman-Review photo archive / PHOTO ARCHIVE)
U.S. Pavilion in Riverfront Park in 1974. (The Spokesman-Review photo archive / SR)
U.S. Pavilion during Expo 1974. (The Spokesman-Review photo archive / SR)
A 1979 photo showing the damage to the covering of the U.S. Pavilion in Riverfront Park. The Pavilion is the landmark structure from Expo 74. (The Spokesman-Review photo archive / sr)
The U.S. Pavilion ruled - mainly because its vinyl canopy could be seen from anywhere in the park. Made from 100,000 square feet of fabric and supported by 4.6 miles of steel cables, the pavilion “appears to grow out of the earth,” as the fair described.
Forty-six years ago – with just 72 days before the World’s Fair officially kicked off in Spokane – Tim Welsh climbed to the top of the incomplete U.S. Pavilion, popped the collar of his thick flannel jacket against the February chill and smiled for the camera. “All those cables you see, I measured every one of them. I did most of the surveying and layout of the project,” said Welsh, who was project engineer on the U.S. Pavilion for Expo ’74.