50 years ago in Expo history: Would President Ford show up for the fair’s closing ceremony? There were conflicting signs

Expo ’74 officials were still dreaming that a certain big name would appear at the closing ceremonies on Nov. 3: President Gerald Ford.

One optimistic sign: The president’s staff announced an itinerary that would include a swing through the Pacific Northwest, with a stop in Portland on Nov. 1.

Yet there were even more reasons to be pessimistic. The same itinerary showed Ford back in the nation’s capital on Nov. 2. Also, Ford’s staff had never hinted, much less confirmed, that Ford intended to attend Expo’s close. The staff had, however, floated a more likely possibility: that someone else of cabinet rank would come to Spokane.

Expo officials believed that a presidential visit would boost attendance on closing day to 80,000 or even 100,000, making it the largest day of the entire fair.

From 100 years ago: The Spokane Chronicle ran a jailhouse photo of two of the Craigmont bank robbers who were involved in a fatal shoot-out near Lewiston.

Earlier, one of the men confessed to reporters that he was in the getaway car when one of the other robbers shouted, “There they are, boys!” referring to the police. He said he jumped out of the car and fled, but never knew one of the officers had been shot until he was arrested.

Also on this day

(From onthisday.com)

1929: Dow Jones drops 12.8% as “Black Thursday” marks start of stock market crash.

1954: President Dwight D. Eisenhower pledges U.S. support to South Vietnam.

1962: Cuban Missle Crisis: Soviet ships approach but stop short of U.S. blockade of Cuba.