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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.
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 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.…
Crooked Agent: Agent fired for "irregularities."
For Indian Agent Albert M. Anderson, kickbacks and embezzlement were all in a day's work.
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.
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…
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…
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.…
Treaty Tree
This is located on private property, please do not disturb the owners or the tree.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.
Dynamite Blast Wrecks Lyric Theatre
A midnight dynamite explosion shook the movie theater, sending slabs of marble, boards and debris flying into the street.
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…
Kirtland Hall: Kirtland Cutter's surprising Yale connection
A rich lady's wish comes true
Cutter Theatre (Metaline Falls School): A community rallies to save an historic icon
How an abandoned school building gained new life
The Rookery Building: A lost architectural gem
The destruction of the Rookery Building was a turning point in historic preservation in Spokane.
Traces of the Past: Mohawk "Block": Historic Buildings in Unexpected Places
Tucked away in a corner of this odd-shaped parking lot, behind the historic Frank's Diner, is a sliver of Spokane history. Actually, a large granite block of history.
At the west end of the parking…
"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...
Puttin' on the Ritz
: The Ritz Theater of Spokane, Washington
circa 1924
"The little theater charms and satisfies and makes an attractive addition to Spokane's Playhouse Row" (Spokesman-Review, 11 May 1924).
The North Division Drive-In at the Y
Circa 1952: The Y Drive-In of Spokane
In the 1970's the City Corporation Council warned Spokane to "clean up its ordinance" after receiving complaints from church groups that the old drive-in theater at the Y was playing pornographic…
Bank of Spokane Falls
The Oldest Bank North of the Snake River
Marble Bank Building
It was once considered by Spokanites as the most beautiful bank building west of the Mississippi River.
Ice Harvesting- local and global
Before the invention of the refrigerator, Americans relied on the iceman. His frequent deliveries were similar to the milkman. He started his route at a local ice-warehouse where he loaded ice blocks…
Helga Estby's Walk Across America
A suffragist marches coast to coast to save the family farm.
A.K. Mozumdar and the Problem of Whiteness: A Spokane immigrant and an historic court case
The crowds who came to see Akhay Kumar Mozumdar at this church in 1916 considered him a holy man, possibly even a miracle worker. But was he white? Few today know the story of Mozumdar, or how this…
The Original Cabin and Mansion of A.M. Cannon
Here once stood the grand mansion of A. M. Cannon
Carriage Stones
Before the advent of the electric trolley in 1889 or Ford’s Model T in 1908, Spokanites got around by foot or by horse and buggy. The height of the carriage era lasted from 1850-1910, a time when…