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61-558: The World Forestry Center has its roots in the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial American Pacific Exposition and Oriental Fair for which an enormous log cabin was built of huge native trees and advertised as the world's largest. Public interest in the Forestry Building , which was turned over to the State of Oregon , lasted long after the exposition ended, right up until it was destroyed by fire on August 17, 1964. The day after

122-412: A log cabin which was said to be the world's largest. It was constructed of 54 long unhewn logs, and contained exhibits of local forestry products, wildlife, and Native American photographs. The building was 206 feet (63 m) long, 102 feet (31 m) wide, and 72 feet (22 m) high (63 m x 31m x 22m), and cost nearly $ 30,000 The building stood until destroyed by fire in 1964 and inspired

183-456: A committee appointed by the government with the intent of sharing the burdens of planning. On this date, they chose a president, Jefferson Myers , who "made a speech ... urging hearty co-operation with the Lewis and Clark directors to bring about the best results. He later repeated these assurances of help to the directors." This seemed to go well, and their assistance helped guide the fair through

244-810: A cricket match at the fair between the Portland Cricket Club founded in 1876 and the Victoria Cricket Club founded in 1852. Consequently, the Pacific Coast tournament was played in Victoria until 1914. (David Sentance US Cricket Historian & author of Cricket in America 1710-2000) The fair, by all economic measures, was a major success. Over the entire run of the fair, the box office recorded almost 1.6 million paid admissions, an average of 11,600 visitors per day. Tickets to

305-497: A garbage incinerator , a landfill , a rail switching yard , wartime housing, and warehouses. Today the ground formerly occupied by the lake (and the fairgrounds itself) is still used for primarily industrial purposes, and has been designated an Industrial Sanctuary by the City of Portland. National Railway Historical Society The National Railway Historical Society ( NRHS ) is a non-profit organization established in 1935 in

366-776: A long time, most famously the Forestry Building, which was reinforced with a concrete foundation and converted into a forestry museum. It burned to the ground in August 1964. A replacement museum was built in Portland's Washington Park and is today known as the World Forestry Center . A few buildings from the fair remain standing today, including the Fairmount Hotel , the American Inn , and

427-400: A ride to the site for 10 cents. The site was sold for private development prior to the fair and was leased back to the city for the event. Numerous individuals were involved in the design and construction of the fairgrounds and buildings. The Olmsted Brothers design firm was hired to develop a plan for the grounds, for $ 5,000. The plan designed by John Charles Olmsted took advantage of

488-502: A simulated village, engaging in traditional activities. Some of these activities, such as preparation and consumption of dog meat , would be viewed as primitive to most visitors. Many exhibitors had to be turned away due to lack of space. In addition to the major exhibits and pavilions, the site also featured an amusement park , various sideshows , concerts, free motion pictures (a novelty in those days), blimp excursions, and numerous vendors selling food and other items. The site

549-405: Is currently national president . Its mailing address is: c/o John K Fiorilla, Esq., Capehart & Scatchard PA, P.O Box 5016, Mt.Laurel, NJ 08054. The NRHS is "a historical preservation charity", with its future focus on education and preservation. The Society holds an annual national convention, featuring exhibits and excursions using historic railroad locomotives and rolling stock. It publishes

610-465: Is estimated a million out-of-town guests came to Portland, resulting in millions of dollars (in 1905 figures) added to the economy. In addition, construction of the fairgrounds provided 1,000 construction jobs. Very little of the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition remains today. The vast majority of the structures were designed to be temporary and were torn down the following year, in 1906. A few structures were moved elsewhere and remained in use for

671-413: Is said, can be utilized to great advantage and made a scene of beauty." With this voting, "the Lewis and Clark Exposition had its site – a grove of trees, 180 acres (0.73 km ) of pasture, and 220 acres (0.89 km ) of waist-high stagnant water at the site's center." Guild's Lake had numerous other advantages. As the site was located on the edge of settlement in Portland, it was easily accessed by

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732-552: The Balch Creek watershed. Guild's Lake was a site "everyone in Portland was vaguely aware of ... [though] no one on the site selection subcommittee could remember whether it evaporated during the dry season." Inspections showed it remained at a depth of 2.5 feet (0.76 m) through the summer, and therefore would be an appropriate site. By September 4, 1902, the Oregon Journal reported: "the fair officials are hot on

793-583: The Lewis and Clark Exposition , and officially known as the Lewis and Clark Centennial and American Pacific Exposition and Oriental Fair , was a worldwide exposition held in Portland, Oregon , United States in 1905 to celebrate the centennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition . While not officially considered a World's Fair by the Bureau of International Expositions , it is often informally described as such;

854-620: The National Cash Register Building (now the McMenamins St. Johns Theater and Pub). About half a million pink hybrid tea rose bushes, all "Mme Caroline Testout," were planted along the streets of Portland for the Lewis and Clark Exposition. Many of these remain today. Many people moved to Portland following the fair, which is why many houses around Portland were built in the years that followed. There were also many street paving and sidewalk projects in

915-619: The National Park Service and Amtrak and other organizations and companies in the rail industry. In 2008, participants toured Steamtown's roundhouse and shops, operating some of the shop machinery. The youth also visited Amtrak's massive Wilmington, Delaware , maintenance facility, where they went inside locomotives and met with Amtrak employees to learn about railroad careers. One participant wrote afterwards in Trains magazine that, "The experience truly increased my respect for

976-525: The National Railway Bulletin , a bimonthly membership newsletter containing articles, photos, and news about railroads, both past and present, as well as coverage of local chapter activities. The organization began a "Railway Heritage Grants Program" in 1991, to provide financial grants to "organizations that educate, publish, and preserve railroad history to benefit future generations", according to an NRHS news release. As described by

1037-647: The Smithsonian Institution ; numerous famous artists such as Claude Monet were featured. Some of the exhibits were controversial (and by modern standards, offensive), such as an exhibit of Philippines Igorot tribespeople; displayed in order to convince the American populace of the legitimacy of the recent U.S. conquest of the Philippines, taken from Spain in the recently concluded Spanish–American War . The exhibit included Igorots living in

1098-625: The Stimson Lumber Company as their locomotive No. 1. "Peggy" worked in the forests of Belfair, Washington and then in Gaston, Oregon . The locomotive survived the fires of the Tillamook Burn and was retired from active service in 1950. "Peggy" was donated to the City of Portland in 1955 and was first displayed at the original Forestry Building, which was custom built in 1905 for the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition . She

1159-654: The United States to promote interest in, and appreciation for the historical development of railroads . It is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , and organized into 16 regions and 170 local chapters located in the United States , Canada , and the United Kingdom . The NRHS sponsors the popular RailCamp summer orientation program in partnership with Amtrak and the National Park Service , offering high school youth hands-on experience in

1220-895: The Western Forestry Center as a replacement. It also inspired the lobby of the Glacier Park Lodge in Montana. The fair was lit up by night with incandescent lights , as well as large searchlights on the Government Building. These were designed by Thomas H. Wright , working for Portland General Electric . In addition, numerous statues adorned the grounds. Several of the statues remain today, including Alice Cooper 's Sacajawea and Jean-Baptiste which now stands in Washington Park. Over 100 thousand light bulbs were used to outline

1281-651: The eastern U.S. On display at the World Forestry Center’s grounds is a steam locomotive nicknamed "Peggy" and a log on railroad disconnect trucks. This locomotive is a Class B-42 Shay locomotive used as a logging workhorse in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. Built in 1909 by Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio, she was shipped to a distributor in Seattle and was a few years later purchased by

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1342-515: The "National Railway Historical Society". Leon Franks of the Lancaster club was elected the first chairman of the NRHS and William P. Hamilton III of Trenton was the first NRHS president. The NRHS has around 10,000 members as of October 2015 and is one of the largest rail historical societies in the U.S. The NRHS is a non-profit section 501(c)(3) organization. Al Weber of St Louis, Missouri ,

1403-759: The Commission that came with it), the Board of Directors then began the process of choosing a site on which to hold this fair. There were a number of locations considered, on both the east and west sides of the Willamette River. The three main sites on the eastern side were University Park, now the site of the University of Portland ; City View Park, now Sellwood Park and Oaks Park ; and Hawthorne Park, now an industrial area. The western sites considered were City Park, now Washington Park ; and Guild's Lake in

1464-815: The Johnson-Swanson Tree Farm—and the World Forest Institute which was established in 1989. The primary program is the International Fellowship Program. In 1989, the World Forestry Center established the World Forest Institute to meet a growing demand for forestry information. As the forestry sector becomes increasingly complex, there is a greater need for international collaboration and exchange of information on forest trade, regulation, management, and forest resources. The World Forest Institute

1525-496: The Lewis and Clark Athletic Games and Championship Contests. The largest exhibit by a foreign nation was Italy 's, whose pavilion contained a large collection of marble statues. Germany and France also spent enormous sums on their exhibits, the latter providing a replica of the drawing room of King Louis XIV . Japan spent $ 1 million (a significant sum in 1905) on its exhibit, including numerous cultural artifacts such as porcelains, silks, and lanterns. States with exhibits at

1586-526: The NRHS, projects assisted by the Railway Heritage Grants Program "range from refurbishing historic railroad stations and restoring vintage steam locomotives for operating and museum display, to the cataloging and storage of historic railroad archives". The NRHS conducts two week-long "Railcamps" each summer for high school-age youth. The program offers firsthand experience of rail history and operations, offered in partnership with

1647-579: The Union has ever given to an exposition held within its borders." He was also specifically grateful for the City of Portland's assistance, and noted that their "cordial and enthusiastic backing" was invaluable to the success of the Fair. These praises of Portland were repeated by the State Commission, further supporting the city's great assistance. After gaining the necessary financial backing (and

1708-468: The Union, with 300 billion feet ..." Oregon's shipping was growing, too, fueled by a $ 1.5 million project to dike and dredge the Columbia River . During this time, Oregon's population grew from 13,294 in 1850 to 413,536 in 1900, a 3,000-percent growth, compared to the 1000-percent growth of the nation as a whole. Despite all these positive factors, though, Oregon was not unaffected by

1769-478: The area's focus was on other issues, his proposal went unnoticed for a few years. The idea of a fair came up again occasionally, but no concentrated effort was made for various reasons. It was not until mid-1900 that this sort of action began, when "J.M. Long of the Portland Board of Trade put together a provisional committee" to begin planning some sort of fair. Soon, a permanent board was conceived, and

1830-595: The arrival of the railroads. Three transcontinental railroads used Portland as their Pacific coast terminus – the Northern, Southern, and Union Pacific Railroads . Meanwhile, Portland's wheat and flour industries were growing at an amazing rate, and Portland held "the largest flour mill on the Pacific coast." The unparalleled timber industry continued to grow, as "Oregon is second [in wooded area], with 54,300 square miles" and "in quantity of standing lumber, Oregon leads

1891-471: The buildings were in the style of the Spanish Renaissance and decorated with architectural flourishes such as domes , cupolas , arched doorways and red-colored roofs. The buildings, not intended to be permanent, were largely constructed of plaster over wooden frames, which resulted in rather low construction costs (79 cents per foot). The major exception to this was the Forestry Building,

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1952-477: The buildings, bridges, and statues; the result was a spectacular nighttime view. Some exhibits took up to three years to assemble. The exposition opened on June 1, 1905, and ran until October 15, 1905, a four and a half month span. It included exhibitions from 21 nations and 16 U.S. states, as well as numerous branches of the federal government, and private organizations. The Multnomah Athletic Club , an amateur club from Portland, Oregon , assisted in organizing

2013-788: The country. The institute won the 2012 Portland Mayor's International Business Award from the Oregon Consular Corps. This award recognizes businesses that contribute to a global environment in Oregon. The World Forestry Center campus also accommodates three other buildings: Julian N. Cheatham Hall, Harold A. Miller Hall and Harry A. Merlo Hall, which houses the administrative offices and the World Forest Institute. The Leadership Hall of Fame commemorates people who have made important contributions to forestry . The photographs and biographies of nearly 200 forestry leaders are displayed in three chests constructed of select Black Walnut from

2074-470: The exact amounts of which I am unable to give. Thus the fair received funding to hold the exposition. The bill that appropriated the funds also created a special commission to oversee the organization of the fair. As this Commission reported: "The Lewis and Clark Exposition was held jointly, under the authorization of the act creating this Commission, by the Commission and the Lewis and Clark Exposition Corporation." First assembling on May 30, 1903, they were

2135-420: The exposition attracted both exhibits and visitors from around the world. During the exposition's four-month run, it attracted over 1.6 million visitors, and featured exhibits from 21 countries. Portland grew from 161,000 to 270,000 residents between 1905 and 1910, a spurt that has been attributed to the exposition. Since its founding in 1845, Portland had evolved into a major economic center, largely fueled by

2196-495: The exposition were: Alaska , Arizona , California , Colorado , Idaho , Illinois , Louisiana , Maine , Massachusetts , Missouri , Montana , Nebraska , New York , North Dakota , Oregon , Oklahoma , Utah , Washington , and Wyoming . Each attending state was granted a day to publicize its exhibit, often attended by visiting dignitaries. There were extensive exhibits on topics such as agriculture, technology, and music. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir sent an exhibit, as did

2257-469: The exposition, with 966,000 getting in for free and 1,588,000 paying visitors. 135,000 visitors were from east of the Mississippi River . Unusual for such expositions, the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition was profitable, turning a gross profit of nearly $ 85,000. Capital investors received a 21% return on their investments. In addition, the impact on the local economy was significant. It

2318-447: The fair and the economic prosperity it could provide. In addition, approximately 3,000 average citizens purchased stock certificates both as investment opportunities and to support what they viewed as a worthwhile venture. These individual investments eventually paid off greatly. Seeing the potential benefits of the fair's success, the state legislature began planning appropriations for the fair. Although they "had [little] interest in

2379-470: The fair cost 50 cents for adults, a quarter for children. Forty-thousand visitors attended on the opening day; 50,000 attended on the Fourth of July , and on the anniversary of Portland's incorporation, the daily attendance record of over 85,000 visitors was set. The vast majority (nearly 75%) of visitors were from the Pacific Northwest, with almost half being local residents. In all 2,554,000 people visited

2440-423: The fire, a group of civic and industry leaders conceived The Western Forestry Center. A new, more fire-resistant forestry building designed by Oregon architect John Storrs was built in Washington Park. It opened to the public on June 5, 1971. On June 30, 2005, after a $ 7 million (~$ 10.5 million in 2023), 6-month renovation, the 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m) museum reopened with new interactive exhibits about

2501-401: The forest industry, or an NGO, and carry out applied research projects of interest to their sponsors. In addition to completing a practical research project, the program works to get Fellows a broad exposure to natural resource management in the U.S. so that when they return to their home countries they have a basic understanding of the owners and managers of land and natural resources throughout

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2562-507: The governmental hurdles inherent with the planning of such a venture. After the closing of the fair, Henry Reed, Secretary for the Exposition Corporation, created a hefty volume documenting the whole process of planning and running the event. He, too, spoke highly of the government's involvement, and wrote that "The State of Oregon gave more solid help ... to the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, than any other state of

2623-572: The head of the Portland General Electric Company, Henry W. Goode, became the president of the Board of Directors. Others included I. N. Fleischner, First Vice-President; Oskar Huber, Director of Works; Colonel Henry E. Dosch , Director of Exhibits; Henry E. Reed, Secretary; and J. A. Wakefield, Director of Concessions and Admissions. These were some of Portland's most wealthy and powerful men, working together to create an event of unmatched grandeur and power. Although

2684-667: The historical heroes and their 2,000-mile (3,200 km) trek ... they [shared] the vision of Pacific trade that had motivated the exploration and settlement of the Oregon Country." Thus, the Legislature passed "An Act Celebrating the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Exploration of the Oregon Country," which appropriated a sum of approximately $ 500,000 for the fair. After the Fair's completion, it

2745-675: The men and women who ... care for these huge machines." Typically, local NRHS chapters concentrate on railroad history in their specific geographic area. For example, Mid-Atlantic Region chapters are particularly interested in such lines as the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad , the Pennsylvania Railroad , the Western Maryland Railway , and the Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad , all of which once operated in

2806-460: The nationwide Long Depression , which had particular effect in 1893. Jobs were lost across the country as railroads grew too fast on a weak banking system and agricultural values fell. The state's elite business leaders all attempted to devise plans to boost the economy. Dan McAllen, a dry goods merchant, suggested in 1895 "that Portland mark the new century and pull itself out of its economic slump by holding some sort of international fair." Since

2867-481: The populace. Two local trolley lines (the Portland Railway and City Suburban Railway) ran to within one block of the proposed entrance. Guild's Lake also had the advantage of being located adjacent to the recently constructed Vaughn Street Park , a baseball stadium that would prove rather useful during the operation of the fair. The site was also accessible from the river, and steamers provided visitors

2928-438: The railroad industry. The NRHS was formed in Baltimore, Maryland , on August 18, 1935, when railfans from Lancaster, Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, Trenton, New Jersey , and New York City gathered there for a farewell excursion on the then soon-to-be-abandoned Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway . Officers from railfan clubs in those cities decided to merge and form a national organization, which they dubbed

2989-584: The region. In addition to the study and preservation of railroad artifacts, NRHS chapter activities may include periodic excursions using historic railroad equipment, such as steam locomotives . Some chapters are involved in restoration of rail equipment and structures . Others operate rail museums or own locomotives, such as the Central New York Chapter's two former Pennsylvania Railroad EMD E8 diesel locomotives . A few chapters even own and operate entire short-line railroads , such as

3050-474: The scenic views available from the site, including Mount St. Helens and the river. (Olmsted also developed a plan for Portland's park system during the same visit.) Ion Lewis , of the firm Whidden & Lewis , supervised a board of seven architects responsible for designing the fair's buildings. The six other architects were Edgar M. Lazarus , Emil Schacht , Justus F. Krumbein , David C. Lewis , Richard Martin, Jr. , and Henry J. Hefty . The majority of

3111-635: The sustainability of forests and trees of the Pacific Northwest and the world. The World Forestry Center's mission is to "educate and inform people about the world's forests and trees, and their importance to all life, in order to promote a balanced and sustainable future." The center achieves its mission with three programs: the Discovery Museum, two donated working forests—the Magness Memorial Tree Farm and

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3172-595: The trail of a site and it is confidently predicted that 'something will be doing' shortly." The next day, they reported the committee narrowed its choices to "two tracts ... Willamette heights on the west side and Hawthorne Park, with a portion of the Ladd tract, on the east side," and that Willamette Heights was to be chosen, as "It is claimed that the natural advantages offered by the Willamette Heights outweigh all other considerations and that ... Guild's Lake, it

3233-539: The true motivation for the fair came from an economic and business standpoint, it was still crucial to have a theme for publicity and décor. The theme for the Portland fair came from the advice of the Oregon Historical Society . They suggested that the centennial anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition 's stay in Oregon would be a perfect event to commemorate. As the directors wanted to include their dreams of economic growth as well, they combined

3294-454: The two ideas into a title that "summed up the dual goals of historic commemoration and regional boosterism: 'The Lewis and Clark Centennial and American Pacific Exposition and Oriental Fair.'" In addition, a motto was decided on, to focus the festivities and bolster publicity: "Westward The Course of Empire Takes Its Way." Once a theme was set, the men began securing exhibits and getting support for their investments. Getting government backing

3355-478: The years that followed the fair, and many of the sidewalks in Portland (East Portland especially) are dated from 1910 to 1920. Guild's Lake , a cutoff meander of the Willamette River around which the fairgrounds were built, was slowly filled in by industrial developers (and the Port of Portland ) in the years after the fair; by the 1920s the lake had vanished entirely. Over the years, the grounds have been used for

3416-411: Was created through the vision and support of Harry A. Merlo , a pioneer of the forest products industry, and an early visionary of the globalization of the forestry sector. The fellowship program brings young forestry and forest products professionals from around the world to work at the World Forest Institute for 6 to 12 months. Fellows are commonly sponsored by their employer, government institutions,

3477-560: Was crucial due to the personal investments already made: "The Ladd and Tilton Bank [invested] $ 20,000, the Northern Pacific Railroad another $ 20,000, and brewer Henry Weinhard $ 10,000." Many of the substantial investments were from hotels (the Imperial Hotel Company purchased 50 shares worth $ 5,000), restaurants, streetcar companies, and retailers – all groups with much to gain from the success of

3538-542: Was damaged in the 1964 fire that destroyed that original Forestry Building and was then moved to "Oaks Pioneer Park" in southeast Portland for storage, the site of other locomotives owned by the City of Portland. The Pacific Northwest Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society rebuilt the cab and wood sills between 1969 and 1971, in preparation for the locomotive's 1972 relocation to the World Forestry Center in Washington Park. "Peggy"

3599-480: Was placed under a roof there in 2003. Parking at the World Forestry Center costs $ 2 per hour, to a maximum of $ 8 per day. The Washington Park light rail station provides regional public transit access to the World Forestry Center. Additionally, TriMet bus route 63-Washington Park provides daily service to the World Forestry Center via Washington Park. Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition The Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition , commonly also known as

3660-674: Was reported that The money expended by the two departments amounted to about four hundred thousand dollars each, the State appropriating that expended by the Commission, while the stockholders of the Corporation subscribed about an equal amount. The proceeds from the Exposition were expended entirely under the direction of the Corporation. The government of the United States appropriated $ 475,000 and about an equal value in exhibits,

3721-438: Was the finish line for a transcontinental automobile race (" Hell Gate to Portland") by two drivers sponsored by Olds Motor Works . The Amateur Athletic Union 's National Track and Field Championships were held in Portland at Vaughn Street Park . Portland's Pacific Coast League baseball team, known then as the "Giants" , played the 1905 season at a different venue in Portland. The Multnomah Amateur Athletic Club organized

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