I have always questioned the story. I remember asking my 5th grade teacher-- why would they go through all of that trouble just to tear down everything immediately after? She was of the same mindset and said that the maintenance upkeep was probably too much. I never was satisfied with that answer. In fact, in 2005, I was at the site of the StL World Expo walking along a hillside near a dried up creek and found the hand of a statue partially sticking out of the dirt. This hand is solid with a porcelain glaze - definitely not a temporary fixture. I don't buy the narrative for a second.