male ▁Island , ▁they ▁executed ▁on ▁a ▁proposal ▁to ▁host ▁the ▁first ▁environment ally ▁them ed ▁World ' s ▁Fair ▁in ▁Ex po ▁' 7 4 ▁on ▁May ▁ 4 , ▁becoming ▁the ▁smallest ▁city ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁to ▁host ▁a ▁World ' s ▁Fair . ▁This ▁event ▁transformed ▁Sp ok ane ' s ▁dow nt own , ▁removing ▁a ▁century ▁of ▁rail road ▁infrastr ucture ▁and ▁re - in vent ing ▁the ▁urban ▁core . ▁After ▁Ex po ▁' 7 4 , ▁the ▁fair ground s ▁became ▁the ▁ ▁River front ▁Park . ▁ ▁The ▁growth ▁witness ed ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁was ▁interrupted ▁by ▁another ▁U . S . ▁re cess ion ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁in ▁which ▁silver , ▁tim ber , ▁and ▁farm ▁prices ▁dropped . ▁The ▁period ▁of ▁decl ine ▁for ▁the ▁city ▁last ed ▁into ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁and ▁was ▁also ▁marked ▁by ▁a ▁loss ▁of ▁many ▁steady ▁family - w age ▁jobs ▁in ▁the ▁manufact uring ▁sector . ▁At ▁this ▁time , ▁market ▁forces ▁began ▁to ▁impact ▁the ▁local ▁Kaiser ▁Al umin um ▁plant ▁and ▁lay offs , ▁p ension ▁cut s , ▁a ▁ 1 9 9 8 - 1 9 9 9 ▁labor ▁strike , ▁and ▁eventually ▁bank rupt cy ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁followed . ▁Although ▁this ▁was ▁a ▁t ough ▁period , ▁Sp ok ane ' s ▁economy ▁had ▁started