Expo '74 was more than a World's Fair—it was a testament to what’s possible when a small group of people come together with a bold vision.

In our final episode, we explore how this landmark event transformed Spokane and continues to inspire ideas about sustainability, community, and the power of collective action to shape the future.

“And King Cole's image of the heart of a city is so important. The downtown is so important. He not only resuscitated the downtown, but arguably he resuscitated the hearts of a lot of folks living in Spokane, feeling that there could be a brighter future, that good things could happen.”

- Bill Youngs, historian, professor, and author of “The Fair and The Falls” 

For over 10,000 years, the Spokane River shaped the identity of the Spokane Tribe—but centuries of disruption took their toll. In Episode 6, we uncover how the 1974 World’s Fair ignited a powerful movement for the Tribe to reclaim their heritage, heal the river, and redefine their future.

"When Expo ‘74 made a big deal about the first environmental Expo, our chairman, Alex Sherwood, in the ‘70’s said, your people have been polluting our river since you got here. And Expo did do a lot on the surface to clean it up, but our people knew what it was like before.”

- Margo Hill, professor and former Tribal attorney and judge

Expo ‘74 was a pioneering World’s Fair due in large part to its groundbreaking environmental theme, which channeled the rapidly growing eco-consciousness of the late 1960’s and early ‘70’s.

But beyond bold messaging, how did this theme materialize in 1974? Where did the Fair's environmental commitments hit their mark, and in what areas did reality fail to match the rhetoric? And what did this mean for Spokane? 

“It's the first time a World's Fair has an environmental theme. It's the first time a World's Fair is not focused on something that's architectural. The architectural theme of the fair is the river, is cleanup, is urban renewal, is kind of restoring back, and there are critiques to that.”

- Anna Harbine, archivist at The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture

1974 proved a watershed year for America - the Vietnam War was on its dying breath, the Watergate scandal rocked the nation's faith in government, the Civil Rights Movement raged on, and the Cold War persisted.

Episode four zooms out from Spokane to examine how geopolitical dynamics, pivotal national events, and cultural shifts shaped this global Fair.

“Expo 74 opens at this weird time. This is at a period of just rapid and drastic social change. I mean, the seventies are kind of this, to co-opt the Beatles, Helter Skelter period. There's all kinds of things happening.”

- Anna Harbine, archivist at The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture

The pursuit of progress can be both noble and complex. What was lost and which communities were forgotten to make way for Expo ’74 and Spokane’s urgent renewal? 

“Because the buildings no longer exist, it's harder to see the history of the people who helped Spokane grow and prosper in the early 20th century. It may not have been pretty, but it was an important part of making Spokane what it was then, and therefore, what it is today.”

- Steven Bingo, archivist at Eastern Washington University

How does a relatively small and unassuming city facing economic hardships, defy expectations and host a World’s Fair?

Episode 2 chronicles the remarkable journey of King Cole and the small group of locals who persisted against all odds to make it happen.

“At the time that was seen as crazy. Spokane was a very small city. It would've been the smallest city at the time to ever host a World's Fair. And for many it was seen as not doable, not feasible.”

- Anna Harbine, archivist at The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture

In episode 1, we trace the rise and fall of a once-mighty city in the American West, and how the struggle was a crucial turning point in its rebirth. 

From this desperation, an impossible dream was born—one that would change the city's fate forever.

“Having the river, harnessing the river, losing the river in that process, having a city, losing the city through expansion into the suburbs, and then somehow with Expo, recovering the river and recovering the city, I think, is an extraordinary story in itself.”

- Bill Youngs, historian and author of “Fair and The Falls”