Finest hour: It was only 30 years ago
The fact that someone is creating a new “Partridge Family” TV show tells us we’re still smack dab in the middle of our Starsky and Hutch ‘70s nostalgia tour. Dig it, mama.
Why dig it? Because Spokane enjoyed perhaps its finest moment hosting the World’s Fair in 1974, a mere 30 years ago. It’s particularly great because Spokane shone as the Kan-do city (hey, is that slogan taken?) during a time when the country was going through a tough, awkward, ever-growing cynical time. (Top 10 songs in 1974 included “The Streak,” “Having My Baby,” “Kung Fu Fighting,” and “Billy, Don’t Be a Hero.” The country was in crisis!)
Spokane is remembered for being the smallest city to ever put on a World’s Fair. But it is also the only World’s Fair opened by a U.S. president who resigned three months later. (Scheduled to perform at Expo on Aug. 8, the day Richard M. Nixon resigned, was the “King Family,” a four-sister vocal group who hit its peak in 1965-69 with a TV show. Did their set go on that day? Did they allude to Nixon? Did they dedicate a song to him? Perhaps someone who was there can enlighten us.)
Spokane’s World’s Fair was the first fair on the environment. You have to love the ‘70s – the theme was “Celebrating Tomorrow’s Fresh New Environment.” At the time, people chuckled at the irony of this city with the polluted river hosting such a fair. (It was even more polluted back then.) And environmentalists rightly protested the no-bad-news “Disneyfied” approach to the environment at the fair. Nevertheless, it was a groundbreaking theme with that feel-good title. You could never have that title today. Not jargony enough. It would require several more words and a colon, like four out of five nonfiction book titles: “Assessments of Environmental Impacts: Dialogues in Biodiversity.” Not groovy at all.
Think you know your Expo ‘74 trivia? Take this quick quiz.
1) Which of these sporting events didn’t happen?
A. The New England Patriots played the Denver Broncos at Albi Stadium.
B. The Russian basketball team played the U.S. College All Stars.
C. The Canadian Curling Team swept up the grounds when the fair ended.
2) One of the biggest attractions at the fair was the “Ride Over The Falls,” our little blue gondolas that can still be found at Riverfront Park. In 1999, how long did a man who recently moved to Spokane spend in one of the very cold gondolas after the operator closed up and went home for the night?
A. 15 minutes
B. More than 2 hours
C. 24 hours
3) Who didn’t perform daily at the fair?
A. Frenchie the Clown
B. Liberace
C. Up With People (You meet ‘em wherever you go.)
4) What was the official candy of Expo ‘74?
A. Bit o’ Expo
B. Fresh New Peeps
C. Aplets and Cotlets
5) Spokane school children helped clean the city before Expo by collecting 456 of what?
A. Railroad tracks
B. Prostitutes
C. Abandoned cars
Answers: 1)C 2)B 3)B 4)C Though many argue that Aplets and Cotlets are not, in fact, candy. 5)C.
More Expo ‘74 tidbits:
“ The General Motors Pavilion demonstrated the “Air Cushion Restraint System” – what we know today as the airbag.
“ The Canadian Pavilion on Cannon Island had a park with more than 45 varieties of trees. They imported squirrels, chipmunks, and other creatures. Hey, are all those marmots Canadian?
“ An average seven hour stay at the fair cost approximately $10. That included parking, admission, food and drink, merchandise and show. To convert to 2003 dollars: divide the amount by .288
“ The popular Jet Star II rollercoaster covered 2,000 feet of track, at up to 55 mph. The ride is still in use – at Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Utah.