From 1905 to 1932 during the zoo years at Manito this area was covered with decorative hedges and paths to different areas of the zoo. Reports list animal cages along the wall to the current Rose Garden. With the records that are available, it is hard to determine the different uses of the space before the zoo closed. When the zoo closed in 1932 the space was vacant until John W. Duncan designed the perennial gardens in 1940. They were named for Joel E. Ferris in the 1960s because he was a former park board member and civic leader.

Today the perennial gardens thrive for most of the year unless covered by snow. There is a memorial bird bath and butterfly garden on the East side of the perennial garden and the blooms attract butterflies in the late spring and early summer. Most of the perennial garden is found teaming with bees cross pollenating and helping the different herbs and flowers throughout the growing season.

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This hidden and beautiful park sits just off Riverside Drive under the shadow of a railroad trestle.

This park was once home to several Native Americans including Chief Spokan Garry. Native Americans lived in this park off and on well into the twentieth century. People who wanted to catch a glimpse of Native American life would go to the Indian Canyon area to see the teepees and camps west of the city. Local teacher E. T. Becher of Rogers High School brought his students to the park in the late 1950s to show them the sign posted where Chief Spokane Garry was said to have lived. The sign was riddled with bullet holes. The students were horrified and asked if they could get a proper monument placed that told the story of Chief Spokane Garry. Today, there is a sign in the park that tells of the Chief and his ties to the area.

Part of Indian Canyon Park became a golf course in 1913; the course was designed in 1930 and opened in 1935. The golf course has incredible views of the city and Mount Spokane.

The Indian Canyon Park is one park in the Palisades Park area with 155.70 acres with a waterfall, vegetation, basalt rock outcrops and trails for both hikers and horses.

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Palisades Park starts high above Spokane and includes about 700 acres. The cross streets are Greenwood Rd. and Rimrock Drive. The park is considered both conservation land and a city park and includes views of the city and Mount Spokane, basalt rock outcrops, natural vegetation, and a wildlife area.

Palisades Park started as 50 acres donated to the park board by John A. Finch. It was described in the Report of the Board of Park Commissioners in 1913 as, "the most picturesque tract of 50 acres lying on the high bluffs west of the city. The rocky cliffs and scenic valleys will allow for a driveway passing through the lower side which the grandeur will compare favorably with anything in the Northwest."

A geological survey was taken of the area in 2003 and described the rock formations included in the park. Part of the report reads, "the palisades are steep basalt cliffs that are locally vertical to overhanging. The basalt rock layers that form the cliffs are part of the wide Columbia River Plateau." Several types of basalt, volcanic rock, sediments and sedimentary rocks are described in the report.

Timber sale agreements with Long Lake Lumber Company helped thin out some of the trees in 1966 and in 1982 a proposal to run a horseback and petting zoo in the park was heard but nothing ever came of the proposal.

Today the Palisades Neighborhood keeps a close watch over this land. Check out their website at www.palisadesnw.com. They keep the trails clear, sell maps, and ask that hikers and horseback riders alike leave no trace.

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This trail constructed along an abandoned railroad line was part of the old Spokane and Inland Empire Railroad Company. This passenger line transported people within Spokane as well recreational areas like Liberty, Hayden, and Coeur d'Alene Lakes.

Streetcar lines appeared in Spokane from about 1890 to the late 1920s. Interurban lines were popular to get people from one place to another within the city but soon rail lines were built to take Spokane residents to places outside the city. J. P. Graves and other businessmen in Spokane built the Spokane-Coeur d'Alene interurban line that went from Coeur d'Alene to the growing wheat towns in the Palouse through Spokane. Included on this line were destination spots like Hayden, Coeur d'Alene, and Liberty Lakes.

The trail is named for Ben Burr because of his work with the Great Northern Railway for forty-eight years. There is a park at 43rd and Havanna also named for him as well as a Ben Burr Boulevard that crosses Freya between 14th and 15th Avenues.

The Ben Burr Trail runs between Underhill and Liberty Parks and is one mile long.

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Aubrey L. White is the known as the father of Spokane's Parks. He arrived in Spokane in 1889 and spent a lot of time mapping, marking, and noting the incredible views and features in the Spokane area. He was instrumental in bringing the famous landscape architects, the Olmsted Brothers to help design and make recommendations for Spokane's parks, parkways, and play fields. "Spokane's Civic Horse Trader," one man park board, gardener, early Spokane pioneer, president of a "City Beautiful" organization called the 150,000 club, and garden editor for the Spokeman Review are just a few of the many hats worn by Aubrey L. White during his life in Spokane. He served as the first park board president in Spokane from 1907 to 1922. Once he left the park board his work did not end. He worked tirelessly to secure land around Mt. Spokane and the Bowl and Pitcher area.

In his own words, "early parks were a little more than groves where the citizens might picnic on a holiday...nobody expected more of the park than space, shade, and a cool breeze now and then...we campaigned the city, showing the actual value of the parks, pointing out the desirability of playgrounds situated within walking distance of every Spokane home, indicating the added beauty of boulevards to residence districts."

Because of his desire to see parklands along the Spokane River a drive in Riverside State Park is named for Aubrey L. White and winds along the Spokane River with breath-taking views of the river and the surrounding hills, trees, and cliffs.

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Grant Park sits in the newly revitalized Perry Street District on the lower South Hill. This park is unique in that it was originally designed to be a playfield, originally called the U. S. Grant Playground. It was 2.97 acres and like many of the other playgrounds in Spokane was built next to a school, Grant Elementary. The Olmsted Brothers, a landscape architecture firm from Brookline, MA, recommended that playfields be incorporated in the city planning for Spokane. They also recommended the size, features, and gave it appeal to families moving to the area.

When I-90 was built in 1965-1971, Grant park was increased to 12.62 acres with money from the state and federal government, Stadacona Park was added to its park space, and Liberty Park was moved. Home owners who rented property slated for sale to make way for the new park space wrote to the city in 1969 demanding to know if and when their property would be purchased as they were losing money on the rental properties.

Not long after the new park land was acquired, complaints began to pour in about the state of the park, nicknamed "Grant Park Swamp." In the summer of 1974, Washington State University, the 4-H Foundation, Standard Oil, and many neighborhood residents came together and created a space for new playground equipment.

The newest addition to Grant Park is a city garden.

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High Bridge Park has had a variety of uses including a motor camp, sanitarium for tuberculosis, temporary home to a steam locomotive, federal housing for veterans, a potential zoo site, a dude ranch offer, a dump, and currently it is home to a dog park and a frisbee golf course.

Since the 1910s, the city has had difficulty deciding what to do with this scenic area along the banks of Hangman (Latah) Creek. In 1931 a petition was submitted to put in a pool at High Bridge, in 1943 federal public housing was built for families and veterans from Geiger and Fairchild Air Force Bases during World War II. In 1955 an old steam locomotive #3206, from the Union Pacific Railroad was moved from Portland to Spokane to be on display at High Bridge Park. This display was met with great fanfare but was short lived as vandals started looting the train for valuable parts. A caretaker was placed on site, but eventually the train was moved to the fairgrounds for safe keeping in 1985.

In 1988 the park board went on a retreat to discuss the future of High Bridge Park and no decisions were made as the group could not reach consensus. Today, the park includes trails, a dog park, frisbee golf, swimming, picnic facilities, and views of both Latah (Hangman) Creek and the Spokane River.

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Polly Judd was an enthusiastic supporter of Spokane Parks and was active in the community. According to her obituary on March 30, 1981 in the Spokane Daily Chronicle, she was one of the founders of the Lilac Festival, served on the board of the festival and show, head of the floral department at the Spokane Interstate Fair, member of the Finch Arboretum Auxiliary, guided the planting of the Lilac Lane in Finch Arboretum, past president of the Manito Garden Club, and was instrumental in the success of the Japanese Tea Garden at Manito. She also collected money and donated it to the parks often with checks of small amounts ($10-$20) to go toward park improvements.

The park was formerly known as the Historic Cannon Addition's Park and newly created in 1997. This park was part of a Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition project to "develop the site of a WWRP (Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program)- assisted acquisition of a neighborhood park" that was funded in 1993. The construction was to include "playground amenities, restroom facilities, a picnic shelter, trails, benches, landscaping, and fencing."

Part of the Historic Cannon Addition was demolished during the construction of I-90 (1965-1971). The residents began to revive the neighborhood and build awareness about the history of the area. In the Spokesman Review, February 13, 1997, the list of accomplishments included, "a COPS station, a neighborhood park, and historical homes being listed on local, state, and national registers." The neighborhood was platted in 1883 by A. M. Cannon, an early resident of Spokane.

Today the community continues to take an active role in their neighborhood park. Pancake breakfasts and other fundraisers are organized to generate funds for additional amenities.

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Underhill park started as Underhill Playfield. Unlike many of the other early parks in Spokane, which were meant to be landscaped gardens of peace and contemplation, this park was designed to have ball fields and play equipment. It was purchased in 1912 and soon it had three ball fields built and a tennis court. The playground equipment was taken from the fairgrounds and moved to Underhill.

In the 1920 park report, B. A. Clark, the Playground Supervisor reported, "Underhill Playfield was opened...and bids to be one of our most popular play places. The splendid new wading pool is much appreciated by the children."

Like other recreational parks in the city, neighbors had a love-hate relationship with the park. Some complained that three ball fields were too much and that ball games interrupted their lives with strangers asking to use their bathrooms, cars blocking access to their houses, alcohol, foul language, and unsafe conditions for children during game days. Complaints began in 1920 and continue to the present.

Today, the amenities include baseball fields, tennis courts, volleyball, basketball, horseshoes, trails, soccer/football, splash pads, picnic tables, and playground equipment. District 81 uses the park for cross country training.

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When Edgar J. Webster came to Spokane in 1883 he planned to practice law. He built his summer home on the outskirts of the growing city of Spokane in a place called Minnehaha. The stone building still stands in the park today. While rumors about the house, abound in fact, it was once a Health Spa and Resort.

In the 1893, the Spokane Daily Chronicle noted that the "Athletic Club Grounds...are to be laid out in fine shape at Minnehaha Park." The amenities included pavilions, refreshment booths, athletic club rooms, and ground. There were swings and croquet for children and pleasure boats for older people. The newspaper boasted, "the park is strictly a temperance resort and no intoxicating liquors or objectionable characters all be tolerated on the grounds."

A 1895 article described, "a picturesque prize fight at Minnehaha park." A boxing match was held at Minnehaha. "The men were matched a week ago and the tip was given they would meet up on the turf near Minnehaha park yesterday afternoon." It was Dick Case "the Yakima Kid" versus Mark Freeman, "the Spokane pugilist," and Yakima won the day.

Finally a sad article appeared in the Spokane Daily Chronicle with the headline, "Dance ends in Blaze, Old Minnehaha Inn is now a heap of ash." The famous resort, the Minnehaha Inn, was lost in a fire on December 1, 1899.

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The breathtaking views ago High Drive are the highlight of Spokane's system of scenic roadways.

The system was laid out a century ago and is described in the Park Board Report of 1913, "High Drive Parkway is a picturesque driveway lying on the high bluff in the southwest portion of the city overlooking the Latah creek valley, with its extension around the bluff." Today the scenic drive stretches from South Cedar Street to South Grand Boulevard.

Famous park architects, the Olmsted Brothers, recommended several parkways for Spokane including improvements for the Manito Boulevard Extension, Upriver Parkway (Drive), and recommended securing land along the Spokane River which is park of the Aubrey L. White Parkway today. In their report to the Spokane park board in 1913 they stated, "To make the large parks and such of the smaller parks as to have notable landscape advantages, accessible, and to connect one with another by roads specifically fitted for pleasure driving and walking, parkways and boulevards are necessary." They also recommended taking care of these boulevards and parkways to increase property value and the beauty of the city.

Along the parkway are pull outs for drivers, benches for those who want to take in the view, and trails for hikers and cyclists.

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The land where Riverside State Park sits was once lands used by the Spokane Tribe and other local tribes. The Native Americans would meet at the Spokane Falls or near the confluence of the Little Spokane and the Spokane Rivers to trade or to set up a winter camp. One of the oldest buildings in Spokane County is protected by the Riverside State Park. This log structure was one of the buildings for the Spokane House, built by David Thompson in 1810.

Riverside State Park began as an effort of early Spokane residents to acquire as much land along the Spokane River to save it from further development. One of these spots was the Bowl and Pitcher. This area was the bulk of the land a few Spokane residents and Washington Water and Power gave to the State of Washington for a state park in 1933.

The Civilian Conservation Corps made its mark on the state park between 1933 and 1936 as they completed several improvements in the park. The park is also referred to as Seven Mile State Park as the CCC stayed in Camp Seven Mile. In a letter from Olympia, the state capital to Mr. Aubrey L. White dated October 1936, the state lists the improvements needed for the state parks east of the Cascades. A list is sent back in 1937 which includes park buildings, picnic areas, road construction, stone walls, fire breaks, parking, foot trails, and the bridge.

Today visitors still enjoy many of the amenities created by the CCC as well as over 10,000 acres to enjoy camping, fishing, boating, hiking, horseback riding, kayaking, tubing, swimming, snowmobiling, and mountain biking.

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Seventh Avenue and the lower South Hill was once the neighborhood of Spokane elites. Bankers, senators, businessmen, mining and lumber entrepreneurs, doctors, architects, and lawyers built their mansions along the base of the basalt bluff. Some famous names include the architect, Kirtland Kelsey Cutter, the railroad man, D.C. Corbin, the father of Spokane, James Glover, and hotel owners, the Davenports.

Pioneer Park was formed in 1945 when the Spokane park board, under the leadership of Laurence R. Hamblen, purchased the D.C. Corbin property to the east and the former Frank Rockwood Moore and United States Senator George Turner property to the west. When the land was purchased, it included thirteen acres, from Seventh to Cliff Drive between Howard and Stevens. In the 1960s, the Stevens Street extension was constructed and took three acres from the park.

Included with the property was the D.C. Corbin House, which was used for art classes taught by the State College of Washington (Washington State University) from 1952 to 1963. The city took over the Corbin House and it was named the Corbin Art Center in 1970. Classes are offered to people of all ages with a range of topics including photography, art, and gardening.

The property includes the Moore-Turner Heritage Gardens built between 1889 and 1932. The gardens included a tea house, a perennial garden, a rose garden, and a pond. The gardens were restored and reopened to the public in 2007 funded by donations and grants. The park is included in the Marycliff-Cliff Park National Register Historic District.

Pioneer Park was renamed Edwidge Woldson Park in 2010 in honor of her contributions to the community.

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Standing at 2260 feet above sea level, this volcanic outcrop was used by the Spokane Tribe as a lookout. On a clear day you can see as far as the Little Spokane River and Mount Spokane.

The park was formed in 1908 and included only 4.2 acres. Minimal improvements were made including steps, paths, seats, and a drinking fountain. A request was made to build a tower at the top of the parapet, but that decision was deferred in the 1913 Olmsted report and the tower was never erected. Today the park looks much as it always has, except for the trees that have grown up limiting some of the once-sweeping views.

Over the years, different ideas have been vetted for what to do with the park. Some have asked for play equipment, and others for a permanent telescope for star gazing (1947). It was a gathering spot for the Spokane's Harmonic Convergence (1987) which became part of a world wide event and for several years religious groups have held a sunrise Easter service.

Today, people still climb to the top of the lookout for a view of the city and the surrounding area. Trees are a little taller, but the view is still amazing.

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According to a long time Spokane resident, the City of Spokane had a reputation of "being a little on the wild side when it came to the proverbial wine, women, and song." By the early 19th Century, city fathers were engaged in an effort to drive the bars, dance halls, and bordellos out of the city limits. Minnehaha sat on the edge of the city, at the end of the Ross streetcar line and was a perfect location for Spokane's more colorful activities.

Before its wild reputation, Minnehaha was once the summer home of Edgar J. Webster, a Spokane lawyer. He discovered a mineral water springs on the property and turned the area into a spa in the late 1890s. The land was sold to Mr. and Mrs. John Heiber who used the mineral water for their brewery. The city of Spokane purchased the land between 1909 and 1913 for park purposes.

Development of the park did not start until 1924. Between 1918 and 1924 several motion picture companies rented the land from the city of Spokane. Petitions came to the city for development of a swimming pool and playground but nothing happened until the late 1940s when various neighborhood groups began raising money for the park.

Today the park has tennis courts, trails, softball/baseball fields, picnic tables, playground equipment, and restrooms. There is much speculation about the old stone house that sits on the property including a rumor that it is haunted.

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While Mount Spokane was never officially a Spokane Park, the Spokane Parks department helped take care of it and was concerned with its future.

Previously known as Mount Baldy and Mount Carlton, Mount Spokane got its name in 1912. Spokane resident and businessman Francis H. Cook, also of Manito Park fame, purchased the summit of the mountain and started a road to the top in 1909. It fell short of the summit by three miles but was completed in 1912. The Cook family continued to use a small cabin on the mountain until 1926.

The dedication of Mount Spokane was attended by Governor Marion E. Hay, the first Miss Spokane (Marguerite Motie), Aubrey L. White, and the Cook family in 1912.

Frank W. Guilbert and the Inland Automobile Association felt the mountain was important to Spokane as it brought tourists to the area. Other businessmen helped hold the land including hotel owner, Louis M. Davenport and newspaper owner William H. Cowles.

Mount Spokane State Park was officially dedicated in 1927 with a total of 1500 acres. This was the first state park east of the Cascades.

In the 1930s the Spokane Ski Club, the Selkirk Ski Club, and the Spokane Mountaineers purchased over 500 acres to use for the construction of lodges, rope-tows, and ski jump hills. The first double chair lift was built in 1947.

Today the Mount Spokane area includes 13,919 acres and the view from the top of the mountain on a clear day includes surrounding states and Canada. People enjoy climbing, skiing, snow shoeing, mountain biking, snowmobiling, horseback riding, and hiking.

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This camp site along Hangman creek in High Bridge park was a tourist destination from the early 1920s until the 1950s. Featured in the December 1946 trailer topics magazine, Westward Ho, the article praises Spokane for its reasonable rates ($4.50 a week), space, fine shady spots and ice delivery.

The tourist camp appeared in the Spokane Daily Chronicle as Hangman Creek site in 1920 as affiliated with the Inland Automobile Association. The first reference of the park in the park board report in 1921 suggests, due to high traffic, the old tents located at the spot be converted to auto camp sites. The main road into Spokane came down Sunset Hill and passed conveniently close to the camp. In 1924 camp stoves, canopies, and electric light service were added to the park.

The 1920s boom in car camping ended with the Great Depression and High Bridge Tourist camp fell on hard times. As visitation plummeted, there was talk of closing the park due to the cost of upkeep. One industrious resident, C. B. Durant, requested he be able to take over the responsibilities of the tourist camp in 1934. The park board agreed as long as there were no expenses to the city. Durant made reports and gave them to the park board on a monthly basis. In his reports he listed the states represented by visitors to Spokane and highlights the praise for having such a well maintained tourist camp. His reports date from 1934 to 1955 and camping seems to have ended then.

The campsite experienced a brief revival in 1974 during Expo '74 when the sites were reopened. The facilities at the old tourist camp made it easier to sell the idea of People's Park with shower, laundry, and restrooms already within walking distance.

Today, the remains of the High Bridge Tourist camp may be seen in the extra large bathroom facilities at High Bridge Park and the camping pads on the way back to the High Bridge dog park.

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This small park between West Sixth and Seventh Avenue off Division is nestled in the South Hill Medical Complex. This area was where the Spokane Indians established their winter quarters but when Reverend Henry T. Cowley arrived with his family in 1874, it became the site of the Cowley home and first public school in Spokane.

Reverend Henry T. Cowley was taken by the "delightful little stream of water winding its way through the hills." This spring still runs through the two-acre site. While there are no buildings left. Cowley planted the three grand trees in the park, a maple, an ash, and a sycamore, all are still standing today.

Cowley was an early Spokane pioneer and was most known for the relationship he built with the Spokane Tribe. Once the public school was built he allowed Native American children to attend his school until a separate school was built for them. Cowley is also known for his early accounts of Spokane which were printed in the Spokane Daily Chronicle and in a book by Clifford M. Drury called, A Teepee in his Front Yard: H.T. Cowley and the Founding of Spokane.

The park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

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The main entrance to Manito Park is now at 18th and Grand, but in earlier years the entrance was at 20th and Grand. While today the area is green with grass and shaded by a few trees, in the first years of the twentieth century the "See Spokane Shine" archway made of hedge and flowers greeted visitors.

Go stand at the corner of 20th and Grand, look into the park, and imagine what it would have looked like then. There would be a graveled walk, a couple of street lights, and you would see the Balzer's house in the distance. There would be landscaping with flowers and you may even see a few people sprinkled along the sides of the path eating their picnic lunches.

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Decline of the old Liberty Park began in the 1950s when the Spokane Park Board decided to fill in the pond for health reasons. In 1952 the city decided to dump nonburnable waste into the depression left by the pond and finally in 1956 plans for the freeway were drawn though Liberty Park, taking 14 of the 21 acres of park land.

In 1967 and 1968 articles ran in the Spokesman Review and the Spokane Daily Chronicle asking what would be done with Liberty Park and more importantly, what would be done with the residents of the East Central neighborhood. The city promised a park as good as the one they had, but the argument could be given that the park had been allowed to fall into disrepair. Would they get a better park? Or would they get a park that was an eyesore?

In 1973 the new Liberty Park was nearly complete. The state had taken 18 of Liberty Park's original 21 acres. The money from the sale was used to buy land for a new Liberty Park and to expand Grant Park from 3 acres to a little over 12 acres. New Liberty Park would feature a smaller pond with a recirculating pump, restrooms, a shelter, two baseball diamonds, two new tennis courts, a basketball court, and a horseshoe court. Lighting was installed to discourage vandalism in the new park.

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Before the Japanese Gardens, this area was part of the zoo from 1905 to 1932. This area was home to ostrich and emu.

The Japanese Garden was designed by Nagao Sakurai. He designed 166 gardens all over the world. The idea for a Japanese Garden was proposed in 1965 and it opened in May 1974 in time for Expo '74. Sakurai was struck by a stroke in the early days of park construction which paralyzed the left side of his body. When it was announced he was sick, school children in Spokane sent him letters and pictures to help him feel less homesick. He continued to come and oversee the site and his son came to help him finish the park.

The waterfall was dedicated in 1970. Before the pond was filled two girl scouts from Japan blended water from Spokane and Nishinomiya and added that to the pond.

Over time, different features have been added to and taken away from the park and Spokane businessmen and women have donated plants, money, and time to the upkeep of the park. Due to the harsh Spokane winters, the Japanese Gardens are closed from November 1 to April 1.

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Before entering the Japanese Gardens, face northwest and you will see the Spokane Sister City sign at the corner of Bernard and Shoshone Place.

The Sister City program idea started in the 1940s when a coastal city in Canada paired up with a coastal city in the Soviet Union and they exchanged cultural information. President Eisenhower gave a speech at the 1956 Conference on Citizen Diplomacy where he urged citizens to take an active role in getting to know the world around them without governments to hold them back. The Sister City program was designed to help repair relationships broken during World War II. The Town Affiliation Association or Sister Cities International was officially formed in 1967.

Spokane was a forerunner and partnered with Nishinomiya in 1961. Currently Spokane has sister cities in China, Korea, and Ireland. In 1977, Spokane won an award for its involvement in the Sister City program. Spokane has a strong relationship with its Japanese sister city helped by the Fort Wright's Mukogawa Institute. The institute hosts an immersion program for Japanese women to learn English as part of their higher education. This program started in the 1990s and is still strong.

For more about the Sister City Program or Nishinomiya please visit their website, www.spokanesistercities.org.

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Today a part of Grant Park, Stadacona Circle was one of the earliest parks in Spokane. Once located on Eleventh Avenue between Ivory and Arthur Streets, this small 1.3 acre park was donated to the City of Spokane by the Citizens' National Bank and Fred and Ella Grinnell in 1905.

The Olmsted report recommended, "the shape of this little park being symmetrical, its design should be a formal one. In the center there may be a little summer house, with high backed benches...there might be rows of ornamental shrubs, small flowering trees, and flower beds."

For years this small park was neglected and neighbors regularly complained about the lack of maintenance in the tiny park causing dust and dandelion problems in their yards. Neighbors also requested trees be removed from the park so grass could grow.

In the 1970s, Stadacona Circle was added to Grant Park as part of the I-90 Corridor park expansion to assist with the loss of Liberty Park and its relocation.

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Comstock Park is one of many philanthropic works in Spokane. By the 1930s, park design had different priorities, recreation rather than contemplation and an emphasis on youth activities. Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Shadle donated 21 acres and $150,000 to create the park in memory of Mrs. Shadle's father and former Spokane mayor, J. M. Comstock.

Mr. Comstock was considered one of the early pioneers of Spokane, active in the community from the moment he arrived in 1899. He was instrumental in starting The Crescent, one of the largest department stores in Spokane, and he was active in the Spokane River Parkways Association, whose goal was to beautify the Spokane riverbanks and create a highway to connect the Bowl and Pitcher, Seven Mile, Deep Creek Canyon, and other areas along the river east and west of the city.

Harold T. Abbott, landscape architect and recently appointed foreman of the park designed the landscape, laid out the grounds, and supervised the project. Later he would become the parks board president.

The opening ceremony was held on July 1, 1938 and according to the Spokesman Review, those in attendance could "witness every conceivable sport in the park in progress." People were playing touch football, tennis, horseshoes, cricket, volleyball, paddle tennis, checker names, and swimming. The swimming pool was large enough for a tournament and state of the art for its time.

One other achievement made the news, the headline read, "Speaking of women getting in todays workday picture more than ever before, how about these ladies, overseers of the city's pool minded children," with a photo of several women clad in swimsuits posing near the Comstock Pool.

Oddly enough this park has also experiences its own brand of vandalism with a rash of dead squirrels stuffed in trash cans, towers made with picnic tables, and the pool was filled with purple dye in 1979. The park hosts the Spokane Symphony on Labor Day, countless picnics and parties, and still attracts a number of children who play sports.

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Nestled between two busy highways, the John A. Finch Arboretum is a quiet getaway from the hustle and bustle of Spokane. With only the hum of the highway to distract visitors, this 56 acre park boasts over 600 species of trees and shrubs.

The Spokane Indians camped in this area close to the Garden Springs Creek (also known as Howard's Creek) for its water source and close proximity to Spokane Falls. In the 1880s Chinese gardeners used the land along the length of the creek for planting vegetables. Accounts suggest the gardens stretched from the Latah (Hangman) Creek in Stafford Addition/Vinegar Flats to the current Arboretum land.

Talking up the new park acquisition, a Spokesman Review article recounted the history of the land where the Arboretum is today. The article mentions the property was owned by Daniel W. Dwight and John A. Finch. Dwight had planned to build a summer cabin there called, "Brookside." Plans for an interurban rail connecting Spokane, Medical Lake, and Cheney were drawn through the property but it was not long until the automobile and the construction of Sunset Highway in 1912 would cause those plans to change.

Part of the land was purchased from Dwight and John A. Finch in 1912-1913 including the Garden Springs Park. John W. Duncan, park superintendent, started plans for possible plantings before he left the park service in 1942. Once the Finch trust funds were given to the park in 1947, plans began to take form.

A trail for the blind was added in 1972. This 850 foot trail was designed to include the blind in their enjoyment of the arboretum. The Touch and See Nature Trail includes braille signs, a cotton rope to guide, and plants. This trail has been vandalized several times since it was built and most recently has been refurbished by the Girl Scouts in Spokane.

There are many varieties of trees and shrubs in the Arboretum but one of the more famous ones is the Dawn Redwood, which comes from the mountains in Western China.

Arbor Day Celebrations are held annually in the arboretum to help build awareness and give families the opportunity to plant trees and plants in the arboretum.

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Chief Garry Park is the principal place in the city where Chief Spokan Garry is remembered and honored. The park dates back to 1912 when seven acres of land were purchased and set aside as a neighborhood park. It was named Chief Garry park in 1932 with an official dedication ceremony given by the Fall Festival Committee of the Spokane Advertising Club.

A concrete statue was erected in 1979 and not long after an Eagle scout requested he be able to install a totem pole next to the statue. Through the years the statue began to crumble and vandals started removing the fingers.

By 2008 the statue was removed amid considerable controversy. According to the Spokesman Review, "In the process of removal...it was reduced to rubble." In 2011 the Gathering Place monument was built to honor Chief Spokan Garry by the Spokane Tribe.

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Once an Indian winter camp, this area where Hangman Creek (Latah Creek) and the Spokane River merge has been a popular site for campers, transients, and picnickers. According to Curly Jim, from the Spokane Tribe and an early friend of the whites who settled in Spokane, "I was born on the west side of Latah (Hangman) Creek, near its mouth, and I have lived about here all of my life." Until recently there was a salmon trap on Latah Creek.

For many years this section of High Bridge Park was unused. The city acquired the land in 1913 and two years later began the discussion to put a dam to hold back Latah Creek and create an area for recreational use including ice skating and boating. The dam discussion would continue through the present day.

Housing was built on parts of the property throughout the history of Spokane. The West Grove Addition (1888), and the Northern Pacific Railroad Bridge all were a part of the history of this area.

The land was used as an illegal dumping site until planning for the World's Fair in 1974. The City of Spokane wanted a space for young people and families who could not afford hotel fare but wanted to come to Expo '74, thus People's Park was born. Part of the planning for Expo ’74 included the removal of several railroads. The Northern Pacific Rail bridge was partially removed in preparation for Expo ’74 but the remainder was removed in 1979.

The city designated the High Bridge Park peninsula (People's Park) as a free campsite for low-budget visitors and installed toilets, showers, and a mobile home police headquarters. The plan was to keep the transient population from going into other parks in Spokane. In the first week, visitors numbered 30-40 people and soon the population rose to 400. The park's population peaked at 5,500 in August 1974 and a full-time nurse was brought in to handle assorted medical issues. Articles ran in the Spokane Daily Chronicle chronicling daily life in the camp. Not all reports were bad, most talked about the art fairs, lack of violence, and "alternative lifestyles." In September and October of 1974, there was a decline in visitors and by November 3, 1974, the park was officially closed to campers.

Campers did not stay away from People's Park. In fact, the park became infamous for the nude beach and nude sunbathing. Hippies, drug users, nudists, and communal living all became part of the story of People's Park.

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In 1968, Natatorium closed. For some it would be the close of an era, for others, it was a long time coming. Though Natatorium was never owned by the Spokane Parks Department, it was a park many Spokane residents remember fondly.

The park was known as Ingersoll Park in 1887, a destination spot for families to come and picnic. The name was changed to Twickenham Park in 1889 when the neighborhood developing around the park was known as the Twickenham Addition. The baseball diamond was added in 1890 to bring more people. This park was originally a trolley park, built at the end of a rail people would pay to ride. As the crowds would taper off, something new would be added to entice them to ride the trolley to the park. The baseball field worked for warmer weather but a hotel and casino were added to bring more visitors during the colder weather. It was not until 1892 when the large swimming pool was built that the park became Natatorium Park.

Natatorium Park continued to change adding whatever would entice the public to come. Louis Vogel took ownership of the park from 1929 to 1962. He sold the park once he felt he could no longer entice crowds. The Shriners purchased the park and after being closed for one season to repair and revive the park, they tried to reopen in 1964.

The park never recovered. People just did not seem interested anymore. By 1968 it was clear the park would no longer be successful and it was razed and burned to the ground. Several rides were given to other parks and the Looff Carousel is still in Spokane in Riverfront Park.

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The Zoo was part of Manito Park from 1905 to 1932. There were several small animal cages near Rose Hill and the rock gardens, which housed skunk, coyote, bobcat, and other animals. While the zoo was a popular attraction, its upkeep proved challenging.

In 1907, the city hired the Olmsted Brothers, famed landscape architects from Massachusetts, to help the park board plan a system of city parks. The Olmsted's 1913 report recommended the Manito zoo be closed due to insufficient space and high maintenance costs. If the board insisted on keeping the zoo, the report advised keeping only animals native to the area and giving them more space to be healthy and happy. This was in direct conflict with the zoo idea, to display non-native animals that would arouse more interest. At one time the zoo had crow, owl, elk, deer, buffalo, coyote, emu, ostrich, pheasant, fox, raccoon, bobcat, cougar, pigeons, ducks, a golden eagle, and brown, black, polar, and grizzly bears.

Despite attempts to build support for the zoo and increase its popularity (including a 1917 plan to preserve deceased animals and donate them to the city), the park board was unable to justify the labor and expense given the state of the economy after 1929. It closed the zoo for good in 1932.

Spokane did not give up on the idea right away, however. In fact, in the late 1960s the city considered building a zoo in Highbridge Park. The city council consulted concessionaires and collected plans from several designers, but in the end deemed the project impractical. To this day the only zoo near Spokane is Cat Tales Zoo, located north of Spokane in Mead, Washington, which specializes in large cats.

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"Lemonade and garden hats" are the legacy of Corbin Park according to an article in the Spokane Daily Chronicle in 1973. This tranquil, oval shaped park nestled among some of the busiest roads in Spokane once belonged to the Washington-Idaho Fair Association. The fairgrounds included a oval race track where Corbin Park sits today. Horses, bicycles, and people raced around the oval track while spectators cooled themselves with lemonade. The fair and the races lasted from 1887 to 1890 and the races continued until 1899 when the owner of the land, D. C. Corbin razed the grandstand and platted sixteen city blocks. Corbin gave the land in the center of the lots to the Mayor of Spokane for one dollar.

The Olmsted Brothers left the city a design for the park that included trees, a rose garden, a mirror pond, and several suggestions for flowers. They also left recommendations for sandboxes and play equipment for children. Over the years, the beautiful gardens have been replaced by lawns which, are easier and cheaper to maintain.

Families would come to the park, dressed in their Sunday best and enjoy a picnic or concert. Today, not much has changed. Families still come to the park and the neighbors whose homes face the park often sit on their porches and enjoy a glass of lemonade on a summer evening while a band plays in Corbin Park.

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