Carl Abbott

The Great Extravaganza: Portland and the Lewis and Clark Exposition - The Great Extravaganza Carl Abbott

The entrance to the Lewis & Clark Exposition (LCE) of 1905 was Portland's gateway to the 20th cent., a dividing line between the old Oregon & the new. Portland's entrepreneurs & Oregon's politicians joined forces to create a temporary monument that would silence all skeptics. Built in NW Portland, accented by the backdrop of the Willamette River & the distant majesty of mounts St. Helens & Hood, this monument consisted of gleaming white exposition buildings filled with international exhibits, elegant promenades, & extraordinary carnival attractions. It was a spectacle designed to tempt even the most jaded fairgoer. This beautifully illustrated history shows why this exposition is still remembered as the Great Extravaganza.