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Duncan Gardens: Manito Park Tour
John W. Duncan was the second park superintendent from 1910 to 1942. The garden is now named for him. It was his vision that created the gardens we see today.
Duncan came to Spokane from the…
Ice Skating in the Little Spokane River Valley
In a time when distractions were less a part of our daily lives, outdoor recreation was a top priority for most folks in the Spokane area. Ice skating was one of the most popular activities outdoors,…
The Bing Crosby Theater
The Clemmer Theatre, now known as the Bing Crosby Theater, was built in 1915 by Edwin W. Houghton. The building was first used as an 800-seat movie theater. The theater was very luxurious with…
"Dutch" Jake Goetz, Harry Baer and the Coeur d'Alene Hotel
"Dutch" Jake Goetz and his partner Harry Baer embodied the gold rush and pioneer attitude. After receiving two hundred thousand dollars in 1888 for their role in discovering the Bunker Hill mine,…
"From This Earth" Northwest Mining Association Statue
Spokane artist Glenn Emmons was the artist chosen by the Northwest Mining Association to sculpt what Spokesman Review writer Lorie Hutson dubbed, the "larger-than-life bronze statue" that they donated…
"Hole-in-the-Ground: Remote, Secluded - Intriguing!"
Welcome to Hole-in-the-Ground, where you will notice one of the most peculiar geological formations in the region. As part of the channeled scablands, Hole-in-the-Ground was created by the powerful…
"The Big Blowup:" The 1910 Fires and their Aftermath
The summer of 1910 was hot and dry in the northwestern United States. And on August 20-21 the nation would feel the fury and reach of nature's wrath.
Fires on the scale of 1910's were not unheard of…
"The World's Largest Stage"
: Spokane's Golden Age Auditorium Theater
It was the "crown jewel" of a small town that had burned to the ground just one year before...
“She Said She Had Always Wanted to Be a Whore”: The Unusual Divorce of W.P. and Kate Horton
This couple endured what could possibly be the shortest marriage in frontier Washington history—all because one person chased their lifelong dream.
“Uncle Dan” Drumheller, Spokane’s beloved Murderer?: How a Spokane icon got away with murder--perhaps?
Charged with the Murder of an Indian man in 1883, Dan Drumheller was never found guilty—but there's more to the story than meets the eye.
“We’re not invisible”: Community Center Supports Urban Indians
Frustrated by rising unemployment and the lack of Indigenous recognition, Spokane’s Urban Indian population constructed their own place of cultural and community involvement.
“Will Be Run Out of the City”: Racial profiling in Spokane at the Turn of the 20th Century
Sometimes the law comes swift and unfairly as with the African American sex workers of downtown Spokane in the early 1900s.
1889 Building
In 1889 a great fire swept across the fledging city of Spokane destroying most of the city's downtown. Many of the buildings hastily built after the fire were not of the best quality, workmanship, or…
1910: The Palouse River Floods Colfax
"Hundreds Homeless at Colfax - Driven to the Hillsides by Raging Floods - Houses Swept Away by the Rushing Waters"
The front-page headline of the March 3, 1910 edition of the Spokane Daily…
1917: IWW Offices Raided & Martial Law Declared
In 1917, this building was the home of the Legal Defense Fund office of the Industrial Workers of the World--a union of unskilled workers whose vigorous tactics made them both feared and derided as…
1927 National Air Races at Felt's Field
The 1920's heralded a gripping intrigue in aviation amongst Americans. With new, dangerous demonstrations in flight occurring each year, by 1927 aviators were becoming as popular and idealized as a…
1994 B-52 Crash, Fairchild Air Force Base
The worst week in the history of Fairchild Air Force Base ended in a tragic, fiery explosion.
2011 MLK Parade Bomb Attempt: White Supremacist Brings Terror to Spokane
On a day of celebration and unity, tragedy in Spokane was narrowly averted.
20th Street Entrance: Manito Park Tour Spokane Park Highlights Tour
The main entrance to Manito Park is now at 18th and Grand, but in earlier years the entrance was at 20th and Grand. While today the area is green with grass and shaded by a few trees, in the first…
26 Tons of Oddity: The top roadside attraction in Washington State resides right here in Spokane.
The Red Radio Flyer wagon in Riverfront Park was born out of a lifelong love for this community by the Junior League of Spokane. It continues to fulfill its dedication promise.
A Brief History of Wallace, Idaho
At the heart of the Silver Valley, Wallace has always been a town of boom and bust.
Founded in 1884, the town is named for William R. Wallace, a local farmer. Silver mining would soon replace…
A Frontier Doctor Rides into Rockford
: Dr. William P. Grubbe Settles Down and Builds a Medical Practice
In 1880, Dr. William P. Grubbe and his companion were attacked by a band of Indians. His friend and his horse killed, Grubbe grabbed the other horse and rode for his life. In Rockford, Washington he…
A Gathering Place, The Historical Fort Sherman: A place of beauty, used for centuries as a gathering place, became the foundation of the city we know today as Coeur d’Alene.
The first rule of business is to be careful who you partner with. The beauty of Coeur d’Alene drew attention that changed the course of history for both the Coeur d’Alene people and the inland pacific…
A History of Greenwood Cemetery
As Spokane outgrew its frontier beginnings, its old church graveyards were at risk of overflowing, and the small pioneer cemeteries got in the way of land development. In order to solve both issues,…
A Hospital For Washington's Insane: Changing the Way Washington Cared For the Mentally Ill
Eastern Washington Hospital For The Insane promised humane treatment for the mentally ill.
A jackass, a big hill, and the community that loves them: This is the story of the lucrative jackass that started it all (up on a hill), the memory and embodiment of that jackass (and that hill), and the story of survival of a beloved ski area that was far from lucrative.
All ski areas have many ups and downs in their history, not just in relation to lift operations up and down the mountain. But the Jackass Ski Resort has had more downs than ups in its lifetime. It is…
A Japanese Quaker Wedding in Spokane, WA
On a warm August day, Japanese-American pacifist and civil rights activist Gordon Hirabayashi made headlines, marrying his college sweetheart, Esther Schmoe, in a simple Quaker ceremony at Spokane’s…
A Short History of Cemeteries, Greenwood Cemetery
As you tour Greenwood Memorial Terrace, starting from the main entrance on the first level and working your way through the second terrace, and up to the third, here's a bit of history to help you…
A Snapshot in the Life of John McAdams Webster: A Coast to Coast Adventure from West Point to Fort Spokane
Plagued by poor health, John McAdams Webster served in the U.S Army at a time when military conflict was unlikely. But no matter where his career took him, he served with distinction. As a school…
A Soldier's Life at Fort Spokane
"Company Dismissed"