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Spokane's "Mayor for a Day" (Who Never Was)
The little-known (and utterly fictional) tale of Spokane's "mayor for a day," Josiah Forsyth.
Carving a Legend: What remains of the 1977 Leonard totem pole
There were once two totem poles on this island in the river. This is the story of the one that is gone.
Trouble All Along The Line: Hillyard's Forgotten Anti-Japanese Riot
(This article contain descriptions of anti-Japanese violence. Contemporary images and references may contain slurs.)
Prologue
Before it was annexed by Spokane in 1924, Hillyard was a town in its own…
James Liston: The man who made the city water flow
"When the Well’s dry, we know the Worth of Water." - Benjamin Franklin (Poor Richard's Almanac, 1746)
Spokane's Tiger in the Ring: The story of legendary boxer Tiger Jack Fox and his manager, Al Morse.
Tiger Jack Fox "stalked his foes like a panther and he swung like lightning from half way to his knees." When he agreed to be managed by rookie promoter Al Morse, a partnership was formed that would…
The Legendary Chinese Cemeteries of Browne's Addition: Is the first Rosauer's Supermarket really built over Chinese graves?
One popular Spokane urban legend is the tale of a Chinese cemetery buried under the Rosauer's Supermarket in Browne's Addition. This story has recently been doing the rounds on social media platforms…
The Columbia Pharmacy and the Kiyohiros
For 86 years, the southwest corner of Main Avenue and Washington Street was home to one of Spokane's oldest pharmacies.
Spokane Shows Its Pride: “We’re Here. We’re Queer. We’re Fabulous- Get Used To It!”
In 1992, Spokane’s first pride march moved forward under restriction and threat, as participants took to the sidewalks to demand visibility in a city that had yet to make space for them.
The “Invisible Empire” on Riverside Ave: The KKK of the 1920s and 1930s in Spokane
During the 1920s and 1930s, Spokane's Riverside Avenue was more than a bustling hub of downtown commerce—it was also a shadowy stronghold for the Ku Klux Klan. Behind unassuming office doors, the…
“Will Be Run Out of the City”: Racial profiling in Spokane at the Turn of the 20th Century
Sometimes the law comes swift and unfairly as with the African American sex workers of downtown Spokane in the early 1900s.
NAACP Protests Birth of a Nation: The Racist 1915 Silent Film Provoked Controversy
Following the 1915 release of DW Griffith’s racist film “Birth of a Nation,” the NAACP mobilized across the country, including Spokane, to protest the film.
Deer Lake Irrigated Orchard Company: A testament to the resolve of early Black Spokane
Around the turn of the last century numerous African Americans migrated from the deep South to Spokane in hopes of building a freer and more prosperous life. In which some of them achieved this with…
The Wednesday Art Club: Black Spokane's Leading Cultural Organization
The Wednesday Art Club of Spokane was much more than an art club. The African-American women-lead organization gave back to a city that did not always recognize them.
The Murder of Private Samuel Hicks: Spokane's Black Servicemen
Black service members who served their nation in Spokane have faced racial discrimination, including one particularly heinous incident that occurred at Geiger Air Force Base in 1946.
Spokanites and the Civil Rights Movement, 1964-1965: Solidarity between North and South
On June 21st, 1964, one black and two white student activists were killed in Philadelphia, Mississippi. Only three weeks later, three lawyers from Spokane, Washington, two white and one black departed…
Spokane's Haircut Fight: Black Spokane's Fight For Civil Rights
In October 1963, in downtown Spokane an exchange student at Gonzaga University from Liberia went into a barbershop to ask for a haircut. In a few minutes, Jangba Johnson experienced what it meant to…
Monkey Business at the Sillman Hotel
The Davenport’s “Matador Room” did not actually feature bullfighting, the Desert Hotel’s “Mirage Room” could only offer such hallucinations as alcohol provided, and the Coeur d’Alene Hotel’s “Donkey…
Cheney War Memorial: A Living Memorial to Cheney's Veterans
Cheney has lent its young men and women to every American conflict since the founding of the town. Not all of them returned.
Unveiling History: The Truth AboutThe Battle of Four Lakes Marker
How did Eastern Washington's most inaccurate historical marker come to be?
Chief Garry's Last Campsite: Tucked away on a forested bench of land over Mystic Falls, is the final homesite of one of Spokane's most famous residents.
Past the northern trailhead of Indian Canyon Trail towards Mystic Falls, a large metal sign marks the last campsite of Spokane Garry, whose epic life including many of the most dramatic events for the…
In Honor of Her Father: The tale of Sonora Smart Dodd, the mother of Father’s Day
"I began thinking of my mother who passed away in 1898 while I was yet a child. My thoughts naturally turned to my father who was left with the responsibility of rearing six children." - Sonora Dodd
St. Michael's Mission Marker: This obscure monument tells a story of Catholic history in Spokane.
All but forgotten in a residential neighborhood, a granite marker stands in one of Spokane's most historic spots.
Kurt Waldheim at EWU: Commencement Speaker, United Nations Secretary General, War Criminal
In 1982, Eastern Washington University set out to find a notable commencement speaker to celebrate their 100th anniversary.
Invitations to participate in the centennial celebrations went out to…
American Legion Cenotaph: A commemoration of veterans who served the country.
The American Legion Cenotaph reflects the development of Armistice Day and the honoring of WWI veterans.
The Hoyt Smokestack: A Relic From the Blossoming of Spokane’s Flower Industry
“I have faith to believe that we have only just begun to see the development of this wonderful section of the United States and I am proud indeed to have been able to add my mite in bringing about…
The Moon Crater: A Spokanite Who Brought A Piece of the Moon to Expo 74’
Unnoticed by many as they pass by on the Centennial Trail, "Moon Crater" by famous sculptor Glen Michaels is part of the many art installations at the World’s Fair Expo in 1974.
Nick Mamer Memorial Clock: Honoring an Aviation Pioneer in Spokane
A remarkable figure in aviation history, Nick Mamer soared to new heights as an accomplished pilot whose achievements captured the world's attention.
The Spokane Mountaineers: From Walking to Summiting
Beginning as a group of active librarians, the Spokane Walking Club evolved to become the Spokane Mountaineers
Ice Skating in the Little Spokane River Valley
In a time when distractions were less a part of our daily lives, outdoor recreation was a top priority for most folks in the Spokane area. Ice skating was one of the most popular activities outdoors,…
Whistalks Way: Fort George Wright Drive Renamed Whistalks Way
After Colonel Edward Steptoe's defeat by local Native tribes, Colonel George Wright was sent to avenge the U.S. military. Wright's murderous rampage resulted in a street sign memorial in his name.…