Defining moments in our lives — such as the recent terrorist tragedy or the assassination of President John F. Kennedy — are thankfully balanced with those wonderful moments such as a wedding, birth of a baby or first kiss.
On my list of top 20 moments, I would have to place attending the Century 21: Seattle World’s Fair in 1962. As an impressionable 12-year old, it was a dandy outing. Seattle sparkled. I would be surprised if anyone who lived here at that time didn’t visit the six-month spectacular.
You have until Oct. 8 to see an exhibit of Century 21 memorabilia at the Edmonds Historical Museum, 118 Fifth Ave. N. It’s open from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. When I heard about the exhibit, I beelined to get an early taste of next year’s 40th anniversary hoopla.
In June, I thumbed through a priceless scrapbook made by Clarence Dosie of Marysville that was jammed with newspaper clips about the World’s Fair. Historians working on the anniversary of the exposition should connect with Dosie.
At the museum, Roger Oliver, a museum volunteer, has displayed his 1962 World’s Fair identification card. He worked at one of the concession stands. Though the Food Circus, with 52 booths, served Mongolian steak and Belgium waffles, I loved to munch on the hot dogs from a vending machine near the 19 Gayway rides. The hot dog itself was nestled in the middle of a bun shaped like a boat.
I never knew why such a good bun idea never caught on after the fair.
My brother, sister and I got to go on the 25- to 50-cent rides. Adults could slip off to see Gracie Hansen’s burlesque program on Show Street. She offered a naughty but nice extravaganza, and I sure wondered what the grown-ups got to see.
The centerpiece of the $100 million festival was, of course, the Space Needle. Souvenirs shown at the Edmonds Museum include many Space Needle items, such as a cigarette snuffer and ashtrays. The ride to the top cost $2 for adults. It was fun to see an original red cape worn by the all-female Space Needle elevator operators. They hired 24 young women to ride up and down. They averaged 5 feet 8 1/2 inches tall, in case you were wondering.
I learned at the museum that fair chairman Eddie Carlson dreamed up the vision of a rotating eatery while dining in a German restaurant on top of a tower. Who knew folks would want to eat in a high perch? He sketched what looked like a flying saucer on top of long legs. His creation was built for $3 million in 400 days. During the fair, carillon bells on the gold-colored needle could be heard 10 miles away.
There were 50 displays from other nations and foreign cities at the fair. Japan spent $3 million to create a Japanese village with 1,000 dolls. I’ll never forget walking through the home of the future. I remember seeing a clothes closet where the garments, while they hung inside, were automatically ironed. I’m still waiting for that innovation.
Who didn’t love the Bubbleator in the Coliseum? The silly see-through globe only went up 30 feet, but we waited hours to get on board. When your feet got sore, you could ride Fairliner shuttles on the grounds or leisurely swing from the 1,400-foot-long overhead Sky Ride. The Monorail was built for the fair.
Memorial Stadium, which was on the site long before the exposition, had a waterway moat inside. You could sit in the stands, where you now watch football or soccer, and see a water-ski performance go around and around the field. On a more serious note, you could visit the World of Science, Commerce and Industry, where there was a simulated rocket journey in the Spacearium.
OK, I’ll get to the most-famous event of the six-month run. Elvis Presley made a movie there called "It Happened at the World’s Fair." They actually waited to start filming until school started in September so screaming kids wouldn’t clog the streets.
Before I left the museum, I bought a toy from the gift shelf that I remembered playing with when I was a kid. I gave it to my 3-year-old friend, Chloe, who loves watching the action of the mechanical wonder. She reminds me that today’s children will face their own world of defining moments.
Kristi O’Harran’s column appears Tuesdays and Fridays. If you have an idea for her, call 425-339-3451 or send information to oharran@heraldnet.com.
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