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The Rookery Building: A lost architectural gem
The destruction of the Rookery Building was a turning point in historic preservation in Spokane.
Cutter Theatre (Metaline Falls School): A community rallies to save an historic icon
How an abandoned school building gained new life
Kirtland Hall: Kirtland Cutter's surprising Yale connection
A rich lady's wish comes true
The Dishman Theater: From Ma and Pa Kettle to Pornography
Commercial buildings often live multiple lives, changing with their neighborhoods. Such is the case with the Dishman Theater.
Dishman Theater opened its doors on November 6, 1938. It was to be the…
Dynamite Blast Wrecks Lyric Theatre
A midnight dynamite explosion shook the movie theater, sending slabs of marble, boards and debris flying into the street.
Cyrus O'Leary's Restaurant: A Lost Spokane Icon
A generation of Spokanites has fond memories of Cyrus O'Leary's--until the restaurant was demolished.
First Church of Christ, Scientist
The year 1889 brought a new religious experience to Spokane. The Church of Christ, Scientist, was described by one adherent as “similar to Protestantism,” with having the added benefit of scientific…
Great Northern Railway
The Great Northern railroad is the soil on which the town of Hillyard grew.
James J. Hill chose this location for his railroad terminal in 1892. The small town rapidly expanded around the railroad…
James J. Hill: The Man Who Did Not Want the Town Named After Him
James J. Hill lived the late nineteenth century American dream. Through hard work, perseverance, and sometimes sheer luck, Hill amassed a fortune in the railroad industry though his company Great…
Agnes and Thomas Kehoe: Hillyard's First Couple
Visitors to Hillyard will see the name Kehoe prominently displayed -- on the Kehoe Building, park, and apartments. These are monuments to Agnes and Thomas Kehoe, pioneer citizens of Hillyard.
In…
Treaty Tree
This is located on private property, please do not disturb the owners or the tree.
Hillyard Murals: Painting Hillyard's Past
Hillyard has always been proud of its history and heritage, as demonstrated in the many painted murals throughout the neighborhood. Let’s take a closer look at some of the Hillyard murals.…
Hillyard Schools
Hillyard began as a working men’s railroad town with a rough-and-tumble reputation. But families quickly followed and the addition of women and children softened the image of the town. Schools provide…
Willie Willey: Spokane's Nature Boy: Short on clothes but long on intrigue
Short on clothes but long on intrigue, Willie Willey and his choice in dress (or lack thereof) made an impression on twentieth century Spokane. Born in 1884, Willis (Willie) Willey grew up in Iowa…
Resurrection of St. Paul's Mission: And the Blackrobes of Kettle Falls
Once a magnet for Catholics in the area, St. Paul's was left abandoned in the woods for forty years before its "resurrection" as a historic site.
Crooked Agent: Agent fired for "irregularities."
For Indian Agent Albert M. Anderson, kickbacks and embezzlement were all in a day's work.
The Hamilton Building: Hamilton Studio used to be a gymnasium for St. Joseph’s Catholic School
Beginning in the 1800s, many Catholic parents began to believe that their children were not served by a system of public education that was dominated by Protestant educators and elected officials.…
Doyle's Ice Cream Parlor
Every Spokane neighborhood has its beloved iconic business. The Milk Bottle in Garland, Dicks Hamburgers and Frankie’s Diner downtown, and The Elk in Browne’s Addition help define the unique character…
The Chamberlin House: The work of a forgotten Spokane builder.
In the early years of the 20th century, Gilbert Chamberlin and his son Ernest created much of the West Central neighborhood.
Batch Bakeshop
Local family owned businesses help create and define neighborhoods and in the early part of Spokane’s history small butcher shops, supply stores and dairies were a familiar sight. Built in 1905 and…
Project Hope & William’s Market
The West Central neighborhood was platted in the 1880’s when William Pettet and William Nettleton invested heavily in the area. The neighborhood grew with new homes and businesses and hundreds of…
The Orchard at Ft. Spokane
Today, most of Fort Spokane is bare foundations. But in the shade of the ponderosas on the western edge of the site, a few of the orchard’s original apple trees have held their ground for more than a…
How the West was Watered: The Fruitland Company Irrigation System
If they’d known it would end up under a lake, they might not have worked so hard to bring water to this land.
The City of Kettle Falls: Moving on Up
How do you move an entire town to a new location? Very carefully.
Risky Fun: Deadly Waters
While there was "never a shot fired in anger" at Fort Spokane, life on the fort was not without danger.
Make Way for Rising Waters: The 1310 Line and the Flooding of Lake Roosevelt
How do you get two tribes, six counties, and nine federal agencies to agree on something? As work began on the Grand Coulee Dam, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation was busy acquiring the land that would…
Carving the Columbia: The Ice Age Floods
These gently sloping hills beside the lake show the marks of a tumultuous process at work. This region of the Columbia Basin was carved over eons by the meander of the river, by slow erosion, and by…
The Quartermaster Stable: Supplying the Fort
Feeding All Those Men Was No Easy Task
The Sharpening Stone
Etches of Time
A Town No More: The Drowned Town of Gifford
Now submerged beneath Lake Roosevelt, Gifford was a small town founded by a man with a westering spirit.