50 years ago in Expo history: From a flood of support to just a flood, plans for the big fair were always interesting

Expo ’74 had already survived funding and other existential crises. Now a new crisis came flooding in.

Meaning, an actual flood.

The Spokane River was rising perilously, threatening to inundate the Expo ’74 site on today’s Riverfront Park.

“We’re sitting here wondering when the river is going to quit coming up,” said site development director Paul W. Creighton.

The river was expected to crest at 50,000 cubic feet per second in the next day or two. Most residents of Peaceful Valley had been evacuated.

Creighton admitted that there might be flooding in the amusement park section of the site, and one of the pedestrian bridges could be swamped.

But he was optimistic that there would be no serious damage to any buildings or much damage to the landscaping. Creighton even went further than that, saying it “might cause a little extra work here and there, but on the whole it’s helping us rather than hurting us.”

That’s because the sudden thaw and heavy rains allowed workers to get started on the landscaping and ground work earlier than they expected.

From 100 years ago: Silent movie star Nell Shipman and her husband, Bert Van Tuyle, arrived in Spokane with a tale of peril that rivaled any of their movies.

Van Tuyle had a medical emergency at Lionhead Lodge, their movie camp at the north end of Priest Lake, Idaho. Shipman had no choice but to load him onto a dogsled and make the treacherous 30-mile journey along the nearly impassable lake shore.

It took two freezing cold days. Deadfalls blocked the way; ice broke beneath their weight; bluffs had to be climbed. Both nearly died, and Van Tuyle was scheduled to have his foot amputated at Deaconess Hospital.