Manufacturer: Syracuse China
User: Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition
Date of plate: 1909

The Rainer Vista

Governor James Smith and other AYPE officials with Igorrote villagers Univ. of Wash. Special Collections Division

Logo of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition

Legacy Building from the Exposition - now the Architecture Building at the University of Washington

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Notes: This service plate is from the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition – the World's Fair that was held in Seattle, Washington, in 1909. The fair celebrated and publicized the development of the Pacific Northwest, which included at that time (before their statehood) the Alaska Territory, the Hawaiian Islands and their development, and the Yukon Gold Rush area.

From Wikipedia: "The fairgrounds were hosted on an undeveloped portion of the present-day campus of the University of Washington.

J. E. Chilberg – President of the Exposition

"Among … early proponents of the exposition was John Edward Chilberg, one of a line of prominent Seattle merchants in the Chilberg family, who was president of the Alaska Club, and was then given the title of president of the Exposition.

^"Edmond S. Meany proposed that the exposition be held on the then largely forested campus of the University of Washington, which in 1905 had exactly three buildings and little deliberate landscaping. At the time, this was considered rather far from the center of town, but Meany eventually sold the others involved on the idea that the forested campus could, itself, be an attraction for out-of-town visitors and that the trolley ride from downtown would not be an obstacle to attendance. Of course, he was also highly aware of what the landscaping and structures could do for the campus."

The fair opened on June 1, 1909, and more than 80,000 people attended opening day. By the close of the fair on Oct. 16, more than 700,000 people had visited. The fair was originally going to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Klondike Gold Rush in 1907 but had to be scheduled for 1909 because the Jamestown Exposition was being held that year.

For additional information, readers will find this Wikipedia article to be interesting, thorough, and with lots of photos.

Thanks to the Images of Old Hawaii website, we know the image in the service plate's depicts Hawaii's coat of arms, with the "two royal twins, Kamanawa and Kame'eiamoku. … The phoenix, symbol of death and resurrection, symbolizes the change from the monarchy to a democratic form of government. … The motto reads: 'Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono' – 'The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.'"

Source:
Wikipedia: history of the exposition
Images of Old Hawaii.com

Contributors:
Susan Phillips: plate photos
Ed Phillips: author