When asking about the history of Huntington Park many will ask you if you mean the park that opened just this year. Huntington Park has been at the heart of the Spokane River for over thirty years. Its lack of a formal and visible entry has caused it to go unrecognized by many.

This past spring Huntington Park was renovated along with City Hall Plaza, and connected to Riverfront Park. Huntington Park now boasts stunning views of the lower falls with a 360 degree overlook walk way. Other improvements to the park include a new grassy area for recreation, as well as art pieces and interpretive exhibits reflecting the Spokane River's legacy.

When Washington Water Power began building a new dam as part of the Monroe Street Hydroelectric Development project in 1972, they set aside a piece of land to build a park. Steps were built along the falls so people could see the river feed into to the dam turbines. Huntington Park was then opened to the public just before the 1974 World's Fair. While it was easy to see Huntington Park from surrounding properties, the entry was not. The entrance was also gated off, giving visitors the impression they were trespassing. The steps were refurbished, and a formal entry was created as part of the 2014 renovations.

The park was named in honor of Washington Water Power's third president, David L. Huntington. David L. Huntington started working for Washington Water Power in 1884. Beginning as it's treasurer, he quickly climbed the ranks and assumed the role of president in 1910. But Washington Water Power was was a struggling business. They had only a few thousand customers, and the Monroe Street plant was limited to serving Spokane only. Under Huntington's leadership the company gained over 50,000 more accounts, and was providing services to 10 counties in Eastern Washington and six counties in northern Idaho.

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For thousands of years the Spokane River's lower falls have been a fishing spot for several Native American tribes. During annual runs, the salmon were so numerous here that it was difficult to see the rocks on the riverbed. Seasonal fishing villages and traditions were created around the salmon runs. The Salmon Chief provided a spiritual blessing over the catch, decided when and where to fish, and divided the salmon among the tribes to ensure everyone would have an ample supply for the winter months.

During the first few days of the run, only elders and children were allowed to eat the salmon. The Salmon Chief would hold prayer and singing ceremonies for up to five days before fishing commenced. The falls were also an area where tribes gathered for dancing, horse racing, gaming, and trading in addition to fishing.

When Huntington Park was renovated in 2014 the 12-foot Salmon Chief sculpture was installed as a reminder of the native heritage of the site. The chief raises a salmon over the river to bless it, while two Native American women on a nearby cliff hang salmon to dry.

Colville native Virgil "Smoker" Marchand created these sculptures. Marchand grew up on the Colville Eastside Reservation in Omak, Washington. Raised by his grandmother, she instilled in him a deep appreciation for Native American history and taught him the language of his people. His brother encouraged him to pursue his artistic gifts. Marchand followed his brother's advice and graduated from the Institute of American Indian Arts in 1971.

Despite his formal schooling, Marchand was largely self-taught when it came to working with steel. He only began working on steel sculptures in 1999. Commenting on his Sasquatch sculpture located on Disautel Summit between Nespelem and Omak he said, "It is our aspiration that the sculpture brings back the legends and experiences of our history and culture as it was once shared with us by elders and families." His works, including the Salmon Chief have done just that. Marchand's steel sculptures can be found throughout the region and the American West.

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The river that lent its name to Spokane has also been a barrier to the development of the city. No sooner was Spokane established than city fathers looked for places to bridge the raging currents. Today's Monroe Street Bridge, a Spokane landmark, is the third bridge on this site.

The first Monroe Street Bridge was constructed of wood and built with horses and wagons in mind. The city, the Cable Railway Company, and property owners along Monroe Street split the cost of $42,500.00 to build the bridge. A new Monroe Street Bridge constructed of steel was completed in 1890. The steel bridge represented a step towards modernity, and was completed just in time to accommodate an unprecedented time of expansion for the city. The bridge boasted updates such as overhead lighting and the ability to accommodate doubled-tracked streetcars. But the new bridge soon became a source of controversy.

It was immediately apparent that the bridge vibrated heavily, perhaps dangerously, with any sort of traffic. In 1905 the bridge was deemed unsafe by National Good Roads Association, and the next year a bridge expert labeled the bridge an accident waiting to happen: "Should a street car run off the track, or a bunch of steers be driven over it, the whole thing might collapse." In 1907 the elephants of the Ringling Brother's Circus refused to walk across the shaky span. Three years later the south side of the bridge collapsed after a mudslide.

Spokane had plenty of trouble with its bridges in those days. In 1915, the Division Street Bridge collapsed, dropping a street car into the river resulting in 5 deaths and twelve injuries. These tragedies fueled an intense demand for safer concrete-arch bridges.

A grand new Monroe Street Bridge was designed by Spokane City Engineer John Chester Ralston, and Spokane's most celebrated architects: Kirtland K. Cutter and Karl G. Malmgren. Construction over the 140-feet deep and 1,500 feet wide gorge was challenged by severe windstorms, high water levels, and swift-moving currents. Two laborers died and over fifty were injured. Ralston was removed from the project after he was accused of stealing the design from Rocky River Bridge in Cleveland, and replaced by his assistant. Today's Monroe Street Bridge opened November 23, 1911 with over 3,000 Spokane citizens on hand to celebrate. It was the world's largest concrete arch-bridge.

In 1914, just a few years after completion of this visual landmark, the city fathers permitted a railroad bridge to be built right over the top of it, marring the beauty of the structure. The Great Northern railroad bridge remained in place for over half a century, until it was removed as part of the preparations for Expo 74.

Today the Monroe Street Bridge today looks very much as it did in 1911, thanks to the removal of the railroad bridge and a 2003-2005 reconstruction project. Reconstruction was necessary because by the 1990s the bridge had begun to drop large chucks of concrete into the river below. The rebuilding preserved the structural features from the original 1911 design, including Cutter and Malmgren's life-size buffalo skulls, wagon wheels, wagon pavilions, and chain handrails that embody the pioneer spirit of Spokane's earliest settlers.

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Washington Water Power (WWP), renamed Avista in 1999, is one of few local institutions to trace its history to when Washington was a territory. In early 1889, a group of Spokane businessmen organized to harness hydroelectric power from the Spokane River, incorporating as Washington Water Power. The first generator - the Dynamo - only provided enough power for ten street lamps. Once Washington Water Power took over that number grew to 1200 street lamps. However this initial success would soon be threatened by an unprecedented event.

The Great Fire of 1889 devoured the 32-block Spokane business district. With an estimated loss of $6,000,000.00 Spokane Fall's recovery looked bleak. Washington Water Power, only a few months prior old, scrambled to restore electricity to the devastated city. Workers salvaged lights and fixtures wherever possible. Baling wire and barbed wire were used to restore electricity to Spokane's charred business district.

Washington Water Power built its first hydroelectric generating facility on Monroe Street in 1890, and has been producing power from this location ever since. Located at the heart of downtown Spokane, the dam was instrumental in providing electric lighting for Spokane's streets and businesses as opposed to lighting via candles and oil lamps. The dam was rebuilt just before the 1974 World's Fair, and a new underground powerhouse was added in 1992, replacing the vintage 1900-era turbines and generators with a modern generating unit that produced twice the electrical power using the same amount of water flow. WWP also donated 5 acres for expos that later became part of the Spokane Riverfront development.

At the turn of the 20th century, WWP expanded beyond the Spokane city limits. In 1903, Washington Water power constructed the world's largest transmission line, stretching from Spokane to the silver mines of Burke, Idaho. In 1908 the Nine Mile Hydroelectric Development opened coinciding with the peak years of Spokane's Street Cars. Washington Water Power went on to build several other notable dams such as the Long Lake Hydroelectric Development in 1915 which possessed the world's largest spillway.

Like other electric companies, WWP sought to increase the market for electricity with inventions and demonstrations. Demonstrations included the Annual Housekeeper's week at the University of Idaho, the local appliance shop on wheels which took products directly to the streets, and cooking schools held at the Elks Temple. WWP employees even invented and improved electric appliances. Lloyd Copeman developed a temperature control for the electric stove in 1910. Another WWP employee invented the first electric home water heater, while WWP employee Guy Arthur made improvements to the heating coil to prevent mineral build up. WWP even built a series of all electric "model" homes in Spokane, several of which still stand today.

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