In 1959, the Portland Expo Center was selected as the location of the Oregon Centennial Exposition and International Trade Fair to commemorate one hundred years of statehood. 1959: Oregon Centenntial Exposition and International Trade Fair Portland artist Valerie Otani created Voices of Rememberance (in the form of a traditional Japanese torii gate most commonly found at the entrance of a sacred space) to honor those incarcerated at the Portland Assembly Center and to serve as a reminder of this sad chapter in our nation’s history. Many hailed from surrounding agricultural areas and some descendants continue to operate farms throughout the Willamette Valley and Eastern Oregon today. Throughout five months, families and individuals endured living conditions similar to the livestock before them. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, allowing the exclusion of any person from a designated military area, and local leaders transformed the complex into the Portland Assembly Center in order to house 3,676 detained Japanese‐Americans before their transfer to internment camps in Idaho and California. 1942: Portland Assembly Centerĭuring World War II, the Portland Expo Center temporarily ceased operation as a livestock exposition facility. In the 1930s it was the largest livestock exhibition center on the West Coast. To this day, Halls A and B continue as 84,000 square feet of rentable space.Įxpo served the North Portland Stockyards and nearby meat processing plants through the 1950s as a livestock exposition center, cattle grading center, auction facility and venue for first‐class rodeos. Three years later, the complex of buildings burned to the ground but was rebuilt in 1925. While the facility began operating in the capacity as an exposition hall in 1965, the complex of buildings was originally constructed as livestock exhibition halls under the auspices of the Pacific International Livestock Association in 1921. 1920s – 1950s: Pacific International Livestock Association The Portland Expo Center continues to provide a diverse array of events and experiences for today through its combination of old and new buildings conveniently located along Interstate 5 and the region’s light rail system. From its utilitarian beginnings as a livestock exhibition hall to the sprawling swap meets and high‐action roller derbies of today, Expo has grown and changed form with function throughout the years, but has always maintained the indispensible role it plays to serve both the Portland community and the Pacific Northwest region. The Portland Expo Center has a rich cultural past that has touched the lives of many Portlanders and visitors throughout its history.
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