The Great Extravaganza details the Lewis and Clark Exposition of 1905
from its planning stage, through the heady days of the fair, and into
the decade of growth and prosperity that followed. Abbott captures the
progressive sentiments that motivated early twentieth-century developers
and politicians and the part the Exposition played in the development of
Portland.
Now in its third edition since its original publication in 1981, The
Great Extravaganza includes a new introduction by Carl Abbott along
with historic photographs that give readers a tour of the extensive
fairgrounds, the grand exhibit halls, and the dozens of attractions that
drew a million and a half people to Portland during the summer and early
fall of 1905.