In 1974, Spokane hosted the world’s fair, Expo ’74. The city council sought advice from Seattle, who had previously hosted a fair in 1962. They were encouraged to pursue the idea of a world’s fair and received pledges of $1.3 million in start-up funds from Spokane businesses and nearly $12 million in state tax dollars from the Washington Legislature to build the Washington State Pavilion, which later became the Spokane Opera House and Convention Center.
To prepare for the fair site, the Spokane City Council implemented an unpopular business and occupation tax that raised $5.7 million to tear out the railroad tracks. President Richard M. Nixon officially sanctioned Expo ’74 in October 1971, and a Spokane delegation received unanimous approval from the Bureau of International Expositions in Paris as an official “special exposition.”
Washington’s Congressional delegation was instrumental in securing an $11.5 million appropriation to build the U.S. Pavilion, and city officials successfully negotiated with Spokane’s three railroads to donate 17 acres of land valued at millions of dollars and relocate their routes away from downtown.
King Cole was tasked with attracting participants from around the world and was successful in securing commitments from countries such as Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Canada, Australia, Iran, West Germany, and the Philippines. Corporate pavilions were also secured from companies like Ford, General Motors, General Electric, Eastman Kodak, Boeing
