Seattles Suburbs History. Essays - Century 21 Exposition

Seattle's Suburbs History. Preamble Learning about what has changed has made us realize more than ever how constant change is. The way we see things around us is not the way they always have been and more important, are only an intermediate stage to where ever they will be tomorrow. Talking to people who saw what has changed to get here allows us to see the direction we have come, and finally the direction we are going. Outlined in this paper are six different angles viewing different parts of the past that collectively help us to find that direction. World's Fair Three of the prime events that attracted people to Washington in the 20th Century were the World's Fairs. The first of Washington's World Fairs was the Alaskan-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in 1909, which was located on the 250 acre University of Washington campus. The fantastic buildings, most of which still stand today, were designed by the famous Olmstead Brothers' landscape and architecture firm for the $150 million project. Among the celebrities at the exposition were President Howard Taft and industrialist Henry Ford. The Alaskan-Yukon-Pacific exposition opened on June 1st and closed on October 15th . However, no A-Y-P structure was as prominent as the futuristic Seattle Space Needle of the Century 21 World's Fair in Seattle in the year 1962. This, along with the wondrous monorail and Pacific Science Center were all leftover from the great fair. Lasting for almost six months, the '62 Seattle World's Fair attracted approximately ten million visitors, and, as Jack Crawford put it, "It was one busy place." Among the exhibits were the various ethnic and state booths, the hydroelectric waterfall, and the great fountain made from plumbing parts, which has just recently been remodeled. All during the fair, various acts played in the Seattle Opera House. Inside the future exhibit was the famous Bubble-ator elevator, which now resides down in sunny Redondo, California as greenhouse. A lot of wonderful memories were produced at this illustrious event; Gene Duarte recalls, "I remember hearing East Indian music for the first time and falling down on the floor laughing. I was se! ven, and it was the funniest thing I had ever heard." As civic boosters had had hoped, it brought national attention to Seattle, and in spite of early problems, the 1962 Seattle World's Fair became a financial success. Twelve years later, Spokane held EXPO '74 for which the city tore down old buildings and cleaned up the pollution, the theme being the environment. 'Nam 'Nam. What most people seem to remember about the Vietnam War here in Seattle were the big protests. The protesters opposed military escalation and fought to bring the GI's home. Kathy Duarte-Wilson remarks, "People were very scared of being drafted. We wore POW bracelets in honor of those who went to war. They were almost a fad. Then there were the flower children," she laughs, "I remember wanting to be one when I grew up." Some GI's were pulled out of Vietnam when President Nixon's first troop reduction order was acted upon in July of 1969 at McChord Air Force Base. Two days later there was a combination military parade, welcome home celebration, plus antiwar protest filling the streets of Seattle. The antiwar campaign really heated up in the May of 1970. Days of protesting went on against the bombing of Cambodia and the killings of four student demonstrators by national guardsmen in Kent State University in Ohio and two killed by state police in Jackson State College in Mississippi. Ten thousand protesters blocked Interstate-5 in Seattle in a march from the University of Washington to the federal courthouse down town. Boeing Depression When asked about a time remembered for hardship and kindness, the Boeing depression is often the top of the list. When the Boeing company went through hardship the entire state felt the repercussions. When nearly ? of all the people in the region worked for Boeing, layoffs created vast unemployment causing a severe regional depression. "Last one out of Seattle, please turn out the lights" read the sign off the side of the highway, echoing much of the feelings of the region's population. The utter lack of jobs and opportunity lead to a large migration of people away from western Washington,