50 years ago in Expo history: Editors at Spokane Daily Chronicle say 1974 will be Spokane’s most important year to date

1974 was destined to be “one of the most important years ever in Spokane history.”

At least, that’s what the editors of the Spokane Daily Chronicle predicted on New Year’s Day 1974.

The reason, of course, was that 1974 would be the year of Expo ’74, Spokane’s World’s Fair. The editors believed – or hoped – that most of the problems plaguing Expo were “now behind it.”

Plenty of work remained to be done. The most important challenge now was to create “a whirlwind advertising and public relations campaign, to let the world know that it is having a fair way off in the Northwest corner of the United States.”

That campaign got off to an excellent start earlier in the day, when the Expo float won the Queen’s Trophy at the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena – an event witnessed live by more than a million people and on television by an estimated 110 million.

The float’s theme was “Happiness Is … a World’s Fair.” The float featured a formal garden, carpeted with ferns and displaying the logo of Expo ’74.

From 100 years ago: Spokane had its coldest New Year’s Day on record – 7 degrees below zero – but it didn’t stop four boys from cavorting in the Spokane River.

They found a spot where the water was still flowing and jumped in. Then they warmed themselves next to a bonfire they made on the icy river bank.

“We wanted to swim and a little cold weather doesn’t bother us,” said one of the boys, through chattering teeth.