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 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 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.…

This is located on private property, please do not disturb the owners or the tree.

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 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…

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…

A forgotten founder of Spokane, Francis H. Cook was one of the most influential people in Spokane’s History. Little is known about Cook’s childhood other than in 1851 he was born a twin to Silas…

The cornerstone for the current Mount St. Michael was laid in 1914, but the history of this Catholic church is much older. Father Joseph Cataldo arrived in the Inland Northwest in 1865 as a…

A library is a necessity for any civilized neighborhood. After Spokane annexed Hillyard in 1924 the area qualified for more city services. One of the major services provided by the city, and a staple…

President Herbert Hoover sent the telegram that unveiled the Lincoln Statue in 1930. Over 40,000 people gathered in Spokane on Armistice Day to view the bronze statue that many had contributed…

[Note: This location is a private residence, not open to the public.] This Spokane home has a Hollywood pedigree. It was built to promote the 1948 film, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House.…

The steel rails that still peek through the pavement here and there in Spokane remind us of the days of trolley cars. At one time, the tracks that lay before you carried Spokanites to work, shops,…

Founded in 1883 when Washington was still a territory, the First Presbyterian Church has grown up with the City of Spokane. Reverend Thomas G. Watson came to Spokane from Wisconsin in 1883 by…