50 years ago in Expo history: Boosters worried about the nationwide gas shortage hindering fair attendance, but one of them came up with a crafty solution

A new problem was worrying Expo ’74 officials.

The gasoline shortage that plagued the U.S. was expected to potentially make it hard for tourists to arrive from far-flung states by car.

A. George Chambers suggested a solution: Drive to Spokane through Canada.

Chambers was worried that the gas crisis might cut Expo attendance by about 100,000 visitors.

Chambers, Expo’s director of advertising and promotion, made these remarks at a news conference in Edmonton, Alberta. This audience presumably was not particularly alarmed about the prospect of tourists driving through Canada and spending money.

From 100 years ago: Mrs. Geneva Miller, of Spokane, was arrested on bigamy charges because she had at least three, and maybe four, husbands.

Miller also went by three aliases: Mrs. Riley Cummings, Mrs. Lucius Hampton and Mrs. Lynch. That’s because she was never divorced from Miller, Cummings or Hampton, and authorities were now suspicious that there was a Mr. Lynch somewhere in her past.

She was arrested after one of her “husbands” filed a complaint when he found out about the others.

Miller was residing at a Spokane sanitarium, where she was being treated for an undisclosed illness.

Also on this day

(From onthisday.com)

1803: The U.S. Senate approves Thomas Jefferson’s nomination of James Monroe and Robert Livingstone to negotiate purchase of New Orleans from France.