Comments on: Lewis & Clark Centennial Exposition, 1905

By: Jeanette

Jeanette — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 00:33:02 +0000

My Great-granduncle, Charles Camp, had a large exhibit in the Palace of Agriculture representing Wyoming. He had photographs, stereopticons and silver nitrate films of cattle round-ups, irrigation systems and bucking bronco exhibitions as well as other related items illustrating life on the Wyoming plains.

Charles stayed at 367 20th Street while he built and ran his exhibit. We have a metal coin that he had stamped with the address. His wife stayed at a boarding house on Savier street during the Expo. We also have the medal he received for his exhibit.

Chuck, does your souvenir book have any interior shots of the Palace of Agriculture? Have you scanned the pages and posted them anywhere online? I paid the OHS for a scan of the Camp exhibit. It is from a small booklet and the off set printing dots don’t allow for much detail.

By: rod taylor

rod taylor — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 04:58:53 +0000

Here’s a view of the interior of the Forestry Center.

http://oregondigital.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/archives&CISOPTR=302&CISOBOX=1&REC=18

The feeling one got was of being in a old growth forest as this view illustrates

By: Christopher Tyle

Christopher Tyle — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 08:24:12 +0000

When I was in elementary school we did a field trip to the Forestry Center. A really amazing place. It was so sad when it burned. I lived on the edge of Rocky Butte and we could see the smoke from there – it could be seen all over Portland. But as I recall that summer was very hot, with no rain. That day it burned was really hot – likely in the 90s.

By: chuck

chuck — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 21:23:16 +0000

I’m glad to see that the old Fairmont is still standing. I used to live on NW 25th & Upshur. The hotel was a rundown apartment building at the time (1969-70) but we were aware that it had been built to accommodate fairgoers.

By: Eric C

Eric C — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 19:27:19 +0000

The Fairmont Hotel (Apartments) are still standing. Although not a part of the actual Expo, they were built near the grounds (1920 NW 26th) specifically for the event:
http://beamdevelopment.com/location/historic-fairmont-hotel

By: Jane

Jane — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 06:05:26 +0000

Agree with you Eric! Chuck, the McMenamin’s Pub in St John’s is the National Cash Register Bldg. Also, my husband’s big Irish family had a beautiful home at 24th and Wilson. Now gone! I never realized how close it was to the Exposition.

By: chuck

chuck — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 01:17:45 +0000

The Forestry Building was, I believe, the only Expo building still standing burned before I ever got a chance to see it.
There are so few reminders of this beautiful event today.
I have a wonderful (warn) souvenir book from the fair.

By: Jo

Jo — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 20:07:39 +0000

Just wanted to say this is the greatest blog about pdx. Love seeing the old sites.

By: stiefve

stiefve — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 16:29:12 +0000

Beautiful! Thanks for posting.

By: Eric C

Eric C — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 16:18:00 +0000

Awesome photo. I have never seen the Centennial grounds shot from this angle before. No jokes, I could look at photos of the Expo all day. Thank you for posting this!

By: Brian

Brian — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 15:11:28 +0000

Great picture! But doesn’t this look more north than east, however (N-NE I’d say). The long fence seen bordering the fairgrounds is on the north side of Upshur and it thus running due east-west.

Also, the red-roofed house on the far right about 1/4 of the way up (on this side of the fence — not the one the fairgrounds) is also still there at 2752 NW Upshur.