Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center
| Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center | |
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Expo Center in 2011
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| Address | 2060 North Marine Drive Portland, Oregon 97217 |
| Location | Portland, Oregon |
| Coordinates | 45°36′21″N 122°41′22″W / 45.60594°N 122.689369°WCoordinates: 45°36′21″N 122°41′22″W / 45.60594°N 122.689369°W |
| Owner | Metro |
| Operator | Metropolitan Exposition and Recreation Commission |
| Opened | 1920s Alexander Chalmers, Centerville/Forest Grove, breeder of Shorthorn Cattle; Frank Brown, Carlton, breeder of Shropshire Sheep and Shorthorn Cattle; Herb Chandler, Baker, breeder of Hereford Cattle; A.C. Ruby, Portland, breeder of Clydesdale Horses; O.M. Plumber, a Portland businessman; and W.B. Ayre, Portland, a wealthy lumberman as a group formed the Pacific International Livestock Show in Portland. The first year of the show (approx.. 1920), the stock, including cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, and so on, were housed in the beef cattle covered pens. In addition, two huge exhibition tents were erected for the judging of the stock. Later on, a building was constructed adjacent to the North Portland stockyards, which was next to Swift & Co. slaughter and processing plant. Subsequent shows were held in this building, which still stands (as of 1979). It is now owned by the Multnomah County Fair Association. The show later had a side line of holding huge auctions of livestock for breeding purposes. Source: Earl John Chalmers, William Chalmers – 1750-1979 |
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Former names
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Pacific International Livestock Exposition |
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Meeting-room seating
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Hall A: 2,726 Hall B: 2,700 Hall C: 4,736 Hall D: 7,000 Hall E: 9,000 |
| Enclosed space | |
| • Total space | 330,000 square feet (30,700 m2) |
| Website | |
| expocenter.org | |
The Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center, usually referred to as the Expo Center, is a convention center located in the Kenton neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, United States. Opened in the early 1920s as a livestock exhibition and auction facility, the Expo Center now hosts over 100 events a year, including green consumer shows, trade shows, conventions, meetings and other special events. Located on the north side of Portland near Vancouver, Washington, it includes the northern terminus for the Yellow Line of Portland's light-rail transit system and has connections to Trimet Bus Line 11-Rivergate/Marine Dr.
The complex was originally built in the early 1920s as the Pacific International Livestock Exposition, and operated as a livestock exhibition, cattle grading, and auction facility.“Alexander Chalmers, Centerville/Forest Grove, breeder of Shorthorn Cattle; Frank Brown, Carlton, breeder of Shropshire Sheep and Shorthorn Cattle; Herb Chandler, Baker, breeder of Hereford Cattle; A.C. Ruby, Portland, breeder of Clydesdale Horses; O.M. Plumber, a Portland businessman; and W.B. Ayre, Portland, a wealthy lumberman as a group formed the Pacific International Livestock Show in Portland. The first year of the show (approx.. 1920), the stock, including cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, and so on, were housed in the beef cattle covered pens. In addition, two huge exhibition tents were erected for the judging of the stock. Later on, a building was constructed adjacent to the North Portland stockyards, which was next to Swift & Co. slaughter and processing plant. Subsequent shows were held in this building, which still stands (as of 1979). It is now (1979)owned by the Multnomah County Fair Association. The show later had a side line of holding huge auctions of livestock for breeding purposes. (cite book|Source:Earl John Chalmers, William Chalmers – 1750-1979 on file at the Oregon Historical Society and The Washington County Historical Society.) Later the show included horse show and rodeo venues.
From May 2 to September 10, 1942, the Center suspended livestock exposition operations and served as a Civilian Assembly Center under President Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066, which authorized the eviction and confinement of Japanese Americans living on the West Coast during World War II. 3,676 people of Japanese descent were confined in the hastily converted animal corrals for a period of five months, while they awaited transfer to more permanent camps in California, Idaho and Wyoming.Torii Gate, an installation piece by Portland artist Valerie Otani, acts as a memorial honoring the people held at the Portland Assembly Center in 1942.
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