You are standing at the grave of Jacques "Jaco" Finlay (1769-1828). Finlay was a Canadian trader for The Northwest Company. Jaco's father, James Finlay from Scotland, established a fort in Canada and married a woman from the Saulteaux tribe for his second marriage. Jaco become a clerk for The Northwest Company and he aided in fighting off a Blackfoot raid at his post in June 1794. One raider stood to encourage his followers, and Jaco shot him dead. The attackers retreated, and Finlay took off on horseback to warn other posts of the raiding party.

In 1810, Finlay was directed to establish a post near Spokane to serve the people in that area. Members of the Spokane Tribe guided him to a spot where a great abundance of fishing took place at the junction of the Spokane and Little Spokane Rivers. He took control of the trading post and it became the center for trading, transport and messages. The post was named Spokane House, but Finlay was such an integral part of the activities that it became known as "Jaco Land."

Jaco Finlay died in May 1828 and was buried under the old bastion on the southwest corner of Spokane House, but his body wouldn't be here for long. In September 1951, Finlay's grave was unearthed and his remains (and belongings) were stored at the Eastern Washington Historical Society for two decades. Then on July 25th, 1976, Jaco Finlay was reburied at the request of his great granddaughter. He was reburied at his original resting place, under the old bastion at Spokane House.

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The building you are currently standing in front of is the Spokane County Courthouse. Although it looks like an old, romantic European castle, it is actually the place where the county's first public hanging took place. On March 30, 1900 George Webster was hung in the courthouse courtyard for the murder of a woman in 1897.

In 1893, ground was broken to build the new courthouse, hoping to stimulate the economy after the financial panic of that year. The Board of County Commissioners opened a design competition, and a prize would be awarded for the best plan.

The winning architect was a 29-year-old named W. A. Ritchie. In spring of 1894, building began, using locally manufactured brick for the walls and imported slate shingles for the roof. However, it wasn't all smooth building from then. In March 1895, construction was suspended due to a disagreement between Richie and the superintendent of construction. Despite this hiccup, the building was finally finished and all officials moved in my November 20, 1895.

Many say that the courthouse closely resembles two 16th century chateaux in France, the Chateau de Chambord and Chateau d'Azay Le Rideau. French Renaissance design is obvious with its grand towers and beautiful craftsmanship in the iron and brickwork. The center tower is now lighted at night, and the entire building is considered a masterpiece.

In 2006, the center tower was renovated and the roof was replaced. The total cost of renovation was about $2,000,000 with half of the money coming from a state grant from the Department of Archeology and Historic Preservation. Today, the courthouse houses the offices of the Board of County Commissioners, Assessor, Treasurer, Auditor, Clerk, and Superior Court Courtrooms, offices, and support services.

For more (including 4 images, 1 sound clip and 1 video), view the original article.

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