The faded J&D Paints advertisement on the side of this building describes more than paint, it is a relic of a time when Spokane was a city of neighborhoods, each with its own miniature commercial district.

As the population of Spokane grew in the late 1800's, residential pockets sprouted around the major employment industries of the region, creating small, independent and self-sufficient neighborhoods. This section along the west bank of the Spokane River was once the commercial nucleus for one such neighborhood, the West Central district. West Central has experienced some growing pains since its development on the north side of Kendall Yards.

At the birth of Spokane, the land across the river was still wilderness and only reachable by a primitive ferry system. In 1887 William and William O. Nettleton bought the land and developed it into what would be in 1909 the neighborhood for the "up-and-coming middle class."

As the neighborhood developed, businesses came to W. Broadway including a grocery store, auto-repair shop, bakers, confectioners and barbers. Broadway Pharmacy was opened at 1730 W. Broadway in 1900 by Canadian James W. McArthur. It moved after the first year to 1726 W. Broadway and became a center of the community. The pharmacy did more than fill prescriptions. Not only could local residents receive medical advice from the druggist and find tonic for all remedies, but they could also find a variety of supplies and dry goods. It also served as a remote Post Office and place of voter registration for the citizens of Spokane.

McArthur became a well-known druggist, serving as President of the Washington State Pharmacy Association in 1901 and 1902. In 1909 Governor Hay asked him to resign as a member of the State Board of Pharmacy. The governor did not state a reason, but McArthur's friends suspected it was a result of a "rumpus with Joe Smith, a newspaper man in Olympia," where "he punched Joe in the face." The pharmacy remained in business until 1990 under various proprietors in two other locations. When the rail companies left these lines to deteriorate, the neighborhood followed. An effort by the local residents to rejuvenate this once thriving and bustling neighborhood, including getting Nettleton's Addition on the National Historic Register (the largest district in Washington state) has been successful.

Though Broadway Pharmacy has been in four locations along the street throughout its ninety-year history, the remaining building at 1722 W. Broadway and the fading advertisement is a reminder to the local residents of the rich history of the once thriving and prominent neighborhood of West Central.

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Spokane is great example of how Northwest cities were able to organize nature through commerce. From its beginning, Spokane was connected to its abundant hinterland of resources and budding industries. A rare survivor of the 1889 fire, the Spokane Dry Goods Realty Company Building is one of the oldest structures in Spokane. As one might imagine, the Dry Goods Realty Building business flourished from the unfortunate destruction that the Great Fire of 1889 left behind. Owner James M. Comstock arrived in Spokane just before the fire and encouraged his associates Robert B. Paterson, James L. Paine and Eugene A. Shadle, to quickly follow him to the Inland Empire.

Needing more space, the Dry Goods Realty Company built a warehouse in 1910 right across the street. This warehouse was deliberately designed to match its existing neighbor. The building before you is mainly a Commercial Style design, however it is sprinkled with Romanesque features. Below the second level belt course is a painting of the Riverfront Park clock tower. The structure also adorns a painted ghost sign for "Bear Brand Hosiery," advertising "Fit for all the family." Spokane Dry Goods Realty Company manufactured men's work clothes and children's clothing on the top floor of their warehouse. During World War II, the building was appropriately (and patriotically) repurposed as a U. S. Army warehouse.

Born in Massachusetts, architect Loren L. Rand came to Spokane in 1888. Rand, one of the first architects to design buildings after the Great Fire of 1889, is responsible for many of Spokane's most memorable buildings and homes. Sadly, most of Loren L. Rand's work has been demolished. A building contractor by the name of Frederic Phair oversaw the construction of the Dry Goods Realty Company. Phair, an Ireland native, also came to Spokane in 1888, where he, along with many others, opened a business rebuilding the city after the fire.

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