The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1904-08-18
THE 1905 FAIR
AT PORTLAND

th1 VMA Z L4I ~ W.
By an official act Of the United States
congress, followed by an invitation
issued by the Honorable John Hay,
secretary of state OF the United States,
there will be held during 1905, in the
state OF Oregon, at Portland, one of the
prominent cities Of America, an impor-
tant International exhibition, known as
the "Lewis and Clark Centennial and
Oriental Fair"
This Centennial will extend through
period of four and one-half months,
commencing June |, 1905, and ending
October Is, 1905. 1t will commemorate
the exploration OF the great Pacific
Northwest territory to the shores of the
Pacific in 1905. 1t is the first inter-
national exhibition held west of the
Rocky mountains, and is designed fitly
to mark an epoch of growth and devel-
ment, which, great as it has been, is
destined to be greater still as "West-
ward the course OF empire takes its
way"
ii
The "0regon Country" Gas that Sec
ton of America was then called) short
ly after became part of the United
States, and was subsequently divided
into the present states of Oregon, Wash
ington and Idaho, as well as extensive
parts of Montana and Wyoming, adding
over 800, 900 square miles of rich min
eral, and fertile agricultural lands to
the national domain, and its settlement
and development have contributed
much to national wealth and prosperity.
III
The expedition which explored this
"No Mans Land" was sent out under
the leadership of Captains Meriwether
Lewis and William Clark, by President
Thomas Jefferson, in 1903, and reached
the mouth of the Columbia river in
1906. The perilous journey, some three
thousand miles overland, was accom-
plished under most trying circum.
stances. 1t has been aptly called "a
new Xenophon march to an unknown
sea-" The expedition was composed Of
thirty-three men. Their way through
the wilderness was beset with obstacles
and dangers that gave pause to the
hardest. 1t is the epic of national ex-
ploratiOns.
Captains Lewis and Clark We're the
first Americans who reached the Pacific
coast overland, and it is the centenary
Of this momentous event that will be
celebrated at Portland in 1905, for the
acquisition OF this vast
region ga .e the United States its first
footing on the Pacifc's shores and
opened the way to our great continental
development.
As this acquisition was one of the
most important events in American
history, because of the influence exerted |
towards making the United States |
great nation in territorial extent, the
American people in general, and those
Of the Pacific coast in particular, sup
ported by the government, have deter
mined that this centennial shall be
fittingly celebrated. When its gates
are officially opened, it will represent
an expenditure approximating $1,000
BOO, and will occupy some 400 pictur-
nsque acres in the beautiful suburbs of
Portland, overlooking Guilds lake and
The Willamette river.
VI
The city of Portland, numbering 1876
300 inhabitants, is an ideal western
American city. 1t is situated 40 miles
from the Pacific ocean, on the William
1tte river at, practically, its confluence
with the famous Columbia. 1t is a
common sight to behold the heaviest
draught vessels of all nationalities
noored in the city's magnificent harbor.
Portland holds extensive commercial
Intercourse with the whole world, her
chief export commodities being lumber,
Hour, grain and the products of innum-
,rable salmon canneries located on the
Columbia. Portland does wholesale
business of $175, 0,000 annually. Its
actories produced $40, 100000 in value
asst year, and it is the first wheat port
If the Pacific coast, and the only fresh
water harbor.
VII
The Centennial will provide ten COM
nodious exhibit palaces and thereby
urnish ample space, free of charge, for
Ill displays, governmental and other
wise, that are offered. Desirable build
ng sites will be allotted, gratis, to those
wishing to erect special pavil-
ons of their own. The main palaces
will be Foreign Exhibits, Liberal Arts
md Industrial Palace, Horticultural
,alace, Agricultural Palace, Electricity
md Machinery Hall, Mining Palace,
Alaskan Building, Government Exhib-
is Palace, Hawaiian Building and
oceanic Building, Arrangements have
,een made with the transportation
so that exhibits at st. Louis
n 1904 may be displayed at Portland
n 1905, with little or no extra cost of
transportation, through the opportun-
ty offered by the free r.turn freight
ates established on goods sent to. the
Worlds Fair for exhibit purposes. As
'ortland is the termini of four great
ranscontinental railways, and, as the
willamette river is one of the bound
ries of the Centennial site, thus
nabling ocean steamers to discharge
argoes directly~on the grounds, it is
manifest that the facilities for expe-
itiously and economically conveying,
and maintaining exhibits at
'ortland are unparalleled.
VIII
The United States government Off {
tally participates in the Centennial
With complete exhibits representative {
1 every division OF governmental
JUNCTION and resource. The following
tates have prepared by making appro- I
'rations for the purpose, to participate:
Iew York, Massachusetts, Virginia, I