All Stories: 705
Stories
The Timely Tale of Dodson's Jewelers
The pioneers of early Spokane did not live on bread alone. The rough frontier boomtown of the 1880s hosted luxury businesses as well, including Dodson's Jewelers.
George Dodson arrived in Spokan Falls in 1888 after his long journey from…
26 Tons of Oddity
The world’s largest Radio Flyer wagon “The Childhood Express” sits in Spokane’s Riverfront Park. It was commissioned by the Junior League of Spokane for the State centennial Celebration of Children in 1989. The plaque reads: “This Sculpture is…
The Pirates Den
In the 1920s, Ernest James Brown (E.J. for short) settled in Spokane with his wife Myrtle (known as Theo). After opening a successful restaurant in 1927 called the Sawdust Trail on Sprague Avenue and Havana Street, E.J. and his wife embarked on a…
This is Insulting to Women
The year is 1973 and upon a shelf in a local bookstore you come across The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan. You have just taken your first step into the world of Second Wave Feminism.
The 1960s were a turbulent time and here in Spokane.…
The Collapse of the Division Street Bridge
It was a typical winter morning on December 18, 1915, as two streetcars began to cross the Spokane river via the Division Street bridge. When the cars met on the middle of the bridge, steel girders ripped from the bank. One streetcar hung up on the…
Carl Maxey vs. The Injustices of Spokane
One of Carl Maxey's earliest memories of fighting was against racism during his childhood. Maxey was adopted and then orphaned and ended up at the Spokane Children's Home in 1933. Maxey remembered that when the orphans took a trip to Camp…
Missiles, Murder and Mystery
In 1960, Fairchild Air Force Base’s 567th Strategic Missile Squadron went live with their Atlas E Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (IBM) sites. Each Atlas E was outfitted with a 4-megaton nuclear warhead. Site 6 is located near the small farming…
Denny Yasuhara: Community Leader, Activist, and Mentor
Denny Yasuhara was born in Seattle in 1928. His mother died when he was an infant, so he was adopted by friends of the family who lived in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, Thus he escaped the internment camps that most Seattle Japanese were sent to during the…
Salvation Finds a Home in Spokane
On April 3rd, 1922, Commissioner Gifford, the territorial commander of the Salvation Army, addressed hundreds of Spokane citizens who attended the dedication ceremony of the new headquarters at 245 W. Main. “The doors to this building shall always…
Head for the Hills
On a rainy spring morning in Spokane, the wailing cries of air raid sirens rang across downtown. Operation Walkout had begun, as thousands of employees and residents evacuated the downtown district on foot. They gathered at points where busses were…
“We’re not invisible”
Founded by members of the American Indian Movement (AIM) on June 12, 1967, Spokane’s American Indian Community Center was formed in response to the social and economic turbulence experienced by Indigenous peoples. As more Natives left the…
Whitworth Veteran Memorial: In Memory of Those who Died Protecting the U.S.
Here Whitworth honors and remembers those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the United States. These Whitworth students were American heroes and deserve to be remembered. To honor these brave men, please take a moment to learn more…
The Loop: The Path That Connects Whitworth
Although it is commonly known as “The Loop”, the green space that is considered the centerpiece of Whitworth's campus is in fact rectangular. From an aerial view, it is obvious that this part of campus is a natural landscape of pine trees and…
Warren Hall
The post-World War II decades were good ones for Whitworth College, which saw great expansion and growth. In particular, student enrollment vastly increased, due to the GI Bill and a greater sense of optimism, freedom, and prosperity. To serve…
Arend Hall: The dorm that is just a hop, skip, and jump away from the HUB
Arend Hall was named after Albert Arend, who was a member of the Whitworth Board of Trustees beginning in 1925 and served as the chairman for the board from 1958 until 1972. He played a significant role in guiding Whitworth through some of its…
Baldwin-Jenkins: Where two separated dorms become one
Baldwin-Jenkins is a dormitory for first-year students and is named in honor of two individuals who made a significant impact on Whitworth's history: Estella E. Baldwin and Marion R. Jenkins. Estella Baldwin served as registrar from 1935-1970,…
Whitworth Aquatic Center
Built in 1984, the Aquatic Center is home to Whitworth's men's and women's swimming teams. The pool consists of six lanes that are forty yards long. The pool has been the host to the 1986 NAIA championship,as well as the Northwest…
Merkel Field: The Home of Whitworth's Baseball Team
On the backside of Whitworth University's pine tree covered campus one can find beautiful Merkel Field, home of the Whitworth University baseball team. Merkel Field is named in honor of former head coach, Paul Merkel who coached from 1956-1971…
The Scotford Tennis Bubble: An Airy Solution for Indoor Tennis
The Scotford Tennis Bubble is a unique feature on the tree covered campus of Whitworth University in the north Spokane area. This dome structure was established in 2005; concealed within the bubble lies the Ross Cutter Tennis Courts, which includes…
The Pine Bowl: The Home to Whitworth's Football Team, and Pine Cones
The Pine Bowl, tucked away into the southwest corner of the Whitworth campus, hosts the track and field and football sports teams, and, starting in 2019, Whitworth's first women's lacrosse team.
One visit to the Pine Bowl and you can…
Oliver Hall: The Renamed Hall
Oliver Hall is one of the newest additions to the Whitworth campus.. Construction began in the winter of 2008, and the residence hall was opened in the fall of 2009, costing a total of $11.6 million. Upon its opening, the building was named East (…
The Music Building: The Loudest Building on Campus
Music filled the halls of the new Whitworth Music Building on February 26th, 1978. At the dedication, then-President Edward Lindaman, Music Professor Dr. Richard Evans, and many others spoke on behalf of the Whitworth community to celebrate the…
McEachran Hall: Where the President Works his Magic
McEachran Hall serves principally as the current administration building at Whitworth University. The building is also home to the office of the university’s president, Beck Taylor. Students come here when they need help with the admissions process,…
Leavitt Hall: Where the New Has Replaced the Old
On the spot currently occupied by Weyerhaeuser Hall once stood the Whitworth Dining Hall, which was later named Leavitt Hall. Originally built in 1944 due to the growing student body. Leavitt Hall became the gathering place for all students who…
McMillan Hall: The Oldest Building on Campus
McMillan Hall is a residence hall for college students located on the campus of Whitworth University. Mac, as it is more famously known among students and alums, is the oldest building on the Whitworth campus. Constructed in 1914, Mac Hall…
Lindaman Center: The Home to the Social Sciences
Throughout the years, the Lindaman Center has served many purposes at Whitworth University. The building was originally the Music and Arts building and was part of the 1946 Mead Act, which provided Whitworth, as well as several other schools in the…
Lied Art Building: A Place for Creativity to Flow
There is rarely a time when darkness falls onto the Whitworth University Lied Art Center. With clerestory glass windows and a vaulted roofline, light is constantly filtering into the building and onto the artwork. The location of the building allows…
Hixson Union Building
The second phase of the Hixson Union Building, known as the HUB, was completed on October 23, 1998 where it was declared finished by Whitworth’s president, Bill Robinson. The HUB's predecessor existed on the same location from 1957 until 1994. …
Hendrick Hall: Once a Home for Students, Now a Home for the International Programs
Hendrick Hall, once a student dormitory, is now the Intercultural Student Center. What is now known as Hendrick Hall, in honor of Eileen “Mom” Hendrick, has experienced several changes throughout its day. Beginning as a dormitory, the building…
Graves Gym: Dedicated to the Man That Made Whitworth Possible
Graves gym is one of the most important buildings in Whitworth's history. Up until the time it opened in 1942, Whitworth did not have an appropriate gymnasium to play intercollegiate basketball. President Warren, who began his tenure in 1940,…