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96-557: Elevations on the IPNF range from 2,100 to 7,600 feet with as much as 80 inches of precipitation at high elevations. The IPNF is characterized by several mountain ranges including the Selkirk Mountains , Cabinet Mountains , Purcell Mountains , Coeur d'Alene Mountains , and Bitterroot Range , interspersed with large lakes such as Lakes Coeur d'Alene , Pend Oreille , and the upper and lower Priest . Major river valleys consist of

192-583: A mountain range spanning the northern portion of the Idaho Panhandle , eastern Washington , and southeastern British Columbia which are part of a larger grouping of mountains, the Columbia Mountains . They begin at Mica Peak and Krell Hill near Spokane and extend approximately 320 km north (200 miles) from the border to Kinbasket Lake , at the now-deserted location of the onetime fur company post, Boat Encampment . The range

288-830: A distinct identity and illustrate the changes throughout the city's history. Most of Spokane's notable buildings and landmarks are in the Riverside neighborhood and the downtown commercial district, where many of the buildings were rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1889 in the Romanesque Revival style. Examples include the Great Northern clock tower, Review Building, Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes , First Congregational Church , Washington Water Power Post Street substation , Peyton Building, and The Carlyle. The principal architect of many buildings of this period

384-544: A diversity of recreational opportunities, and there are extensive trail networks for stock, OHVs, hiking, and winter snowmobile and cross country skiing. Over 1,400 miles (2,250 km) of trails are maintained for hiking and 800 (1,290 km) miles for ATV use. Notable trails include the Pulaski Tunnel Trail , which explores the history of the Great Fire of 1910 and the firefighters who battled them, and

480-575: A plain that eventually rises sharply to the east towards the rugged, timbered Selkirk Mountains . The foothills of the Rockies —the Coeur d'Alene Mountains —rise about 25 miles (40 km) to the east in north Idaho. The city is in a transition area between the barren landscape of the Columbia Basin and the coniferous forests to the east; to the south are the lush prairies and rolling hills of

576-491: A publicity stunt. Many Wobblies were incarcerated, including feminist labor leader Elizabeth Gurley Flynn , who published her account in the local Industrial Worker . After mining declined at the turn of the 20th century, agriculture and logging became the primary influences in the Spokane economy. The population explosion and the building of homes, railroads, and mines in northern Idaho and southern British Columbia fueled

672-487: A solitary wolf in Mount Spokane State Park. Although the ecoregion remains ecologically intact, it faces conservation challenges that include the negative effects of certain forestry management and logging practices, higher risks of forest fires due to the alteration of the trees that make up the forest composition, and habitat fragmentation as a result of urban sprawl and development, which endangers

768-625: A total area of 60.02 square miles (155.45 km ), of which 59.25 square miles (153.46 km ) is land and 0.77 square miles (1.99 km ) is water. Spokane lies mostly within the Spokane Valley Outwash Plains at the periphery of the North Central Rockies forests ecoregion and partly within the eastern edge of the basaltic Channeled Scablands steppe of the Columbia Plateau ecoregion,

864-659: A year. Spokane's location, between the Cascades Range to the west and the Rocky Mountains to the east and north, protects it from weather patterns experienced in other parts of the Pacific Northwest . The Cascade Mountains form a barrier to the eastward flow of moist and relatively mild air from the Pacific Ocean in winter and cool air in summer. As a result of the rain shadow effect of

960-799: Is bounded on its west, northeast and at its northern extremity by the Columbia River , or the reservoir lakes now filling most of that river's course. From the Columbia's confluence with the Beaver River , they are bounded on their east by the Purcell Trench , which contains the Beaver River, Duncan River , Duncan Lake , Kootenay Lake and the Kootenay River . The Selkirks are distinct from, and geologically older than,

1056-591: Is currently being renovated and modernized (as of October 2016). Manito Park and Botanical Gardens on Spokane's South Hill features the Duncan Gardens, a classical European Renaissance -style garden and the Nishinomiya Japanese Garden designed by Nagao Sakurai . Riverside State Park, close to downtown, is a site for outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain biking, and horse riding. The Spokane area has many trails and rail trails ,

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1152-517: Is still trying to make the transition to a more service-oriented economy in the face of a less prominent manufacturing sector. Developing the city's strength in the medical and health sciences fields has seen some success, resulting in the expansion of the University District with two medical school branches. The city faces challenges such as a scarcity of high-paying jobs, pockets of poverty, and areas of high crime. The opening of

1248-610: Is the Washington-native rainbow trout , which is the official fish of Washington state. Big game common in eastern Washington include black and grizzly bears, caribou , Rocky Mountain elk , bighorn sheep, and cougar. Whitetail deer, mule deer, and moose are also found in abundance. The gray wolf population has been making a recovery in the Inland Northwest. As of June 2016, there are 16 wolf packs in eastern Washington. In August 2016, photo evidence confirmed

1344-613: Is the central business district of Spokane. The neighborhoods south of downtown Spokane are collectively known as the South Hill. Downtown Spokane contains many of the city's public facilities, including City Hall, Riverfront Park (site of Expo '74), and the Spokane Convention Center, First Interstate Center for the Arts and Spokane Arena. The Spokane County Courthouse and public safety campus is adjacent to downtown in

1440-627: Is the closest natural reserve, the closest National Forest is the Colville National Forest , the closest National Recreation Area is the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area and the closest national park is Mount Rainier National Park , approximately a four-and-a-half hour drive from Spokane. Spokane's neighborhoods range from the Victorian -style South Hill and Browne's Addition, to

1536-666: Is the economic and cultural center of the Spokane metropolitan area , the Spokane–Coeur d'Alene combined statistical area , and the Inland Northwest . It is known as the birthplace of Father's Day , and locally by the nickname of "Lilac City". Officially, Spokane goes by the nickname of Hooptown USA , due to Spokane's annual hosting of the Spokane Hoopfest , the world's largest basketball tournament. The city and

1632-676: Is the most populous city in and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington , United States. It is in eastern Washington , along the Spokane River , adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains , and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, 92 miles (148 km) south of the Canadian border , 18.5 miles (30 km) west of the Washington– Idaho border, and 279 miles (449 km) east of Seattle , along Interstate 90 . Spokane

1728-551: Is the official tree of the City of Spokane, which is where specimens were first collected by botanist David Douglas in 1826. The Canadian Rockies ecoregion supports 70 mammals, 16 reptiles and amphibians, 168 birds, and 41 fish species. There is a high concentration of raptors in the area, bald eagles are a common sight near Lake Coeur d'Alene in December and January when kokanee spawn. The most common fish present in area lakes

1824-470: The Chicago World's Fair in 1893, Cutter found work constructing many mansions for mining and railroad tycoons such as Patrick "Patsy" Clark and Daniel C. Corbin and son Austin. The older neighborhoods of the early 20th century, such as West Central, East Central, Logan , Hillyard, and much of the lower South Hill, feature a large concentration of American Craftsman style bungalows . In Hillyard,

1920-461: The Division ;I level. As of 2010, Spokane's major daily newspaper, The Spokesman-Review , had a daily circulation of over 76,000. The first humans to live in the Spokane area were hunter-gatherers that lived off plentiful fish and game; early human remains have been dated to 8,000 to 13,000 years ago. The Spokane tribe, after which the city is named (the name meaning "children of

2016-758: The Fox and Bing Crosby theaters. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane , and the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist serves as that of the Episcopal Diocese of Spokane . The Spokane Washington Temple in the east of the county serves the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . Gonzaga University was established in 1887 by

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2112-634: The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), or "Wobblies" as they were often known, whose free speech fights had begun to garner national attention. Now, with grievances concerning the unethical practices of the employment agencies, they initiated a free speech fight in September 1908 by purposely breaking a city ordinance on soapboxing . With IWW encouragement, union members from many western states came to Spokane to take part in what had become

2208-893: The Jesuits , and the private Presbyterian Whitworth University was founded three years later and moved to north Spokane in 1914. In sports, the region's professional and semi-professional sports teams include the Spokane Indians in Minor League Baseball . The Spokane Chiefs in the Western Hockey League . The Spokane Velocity in USL League One with a women's first division team Spokane Zephyr FC in USL Super League . The Gonzaga Bulldogs collegiate basketball team competes at

2304-476: The Northern Pacific Railway in 1881 brought many settlers from America to the Spokane area. The same year it was officially incorporated as a city under the name of Spokane Falls (it was re-incorporated under its current name ten years later). In the late 19th century, gold and silver were discovered in the Inland Northwest. The local economy depended on mining, timber, and agriculture until

2400-498: The Oregon Treaty of 1846. The Hudson's Bay Company wound up its operations in the area over the next few years. In what is now Spokane, the first American settlers were J.J. Downing and S.R. Scranton, cattle ranchers who squatted and established a claim at Spokane Falls in 1871. Together they built a small sawmill on a claim near the south bank of the falls. James N. Glover and Jasper Matheney, Oregonians passing through

2496-705: The Palouse . The highest peak in Spokane County is Mount Spokane , at an elevation of 5,883 feet (1,793 m), on the eastern side of the Selkirk Mountains. The Spokane River is the area's most prominent water feature, a 111-mile (179 km) tributary of the Columbia River , originating from Lake Coeur d'Alene in northern Idaho. The river flows west across the Washington state line through downtown Spokane, meeting Latah Creek , then turns to

2592-602: The Queen Anne and early American Craftsman styles. The area houses the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture. In northeast Spokane, the Hillyard neighborhood began in 1892 as the chosen site for James J. Hill's Great Northern Railway yard, placed outside Spokane city limits to avoid "burdensome taxes". The downtown Hillyard Business District, located on Market Street, was the first Spokane neighborhood listed in

2688-849: The River Park Square in 1999 served as a catalyst and sparked a downtown rebirth that included the building of the Spokane Arena and expansion of the Spokane Convention Center . Other major projects include the building of the Big Easy concert house (now the Knitting Factory ) and renovation of the historic Montvale Hotel , the Kirtland Cutter-designed Davenport Hotel (after being vacant for over 20 years),

2784-572: The Rocky Mountains . The neighboring Monashee and Purcell Mountains , and sometimes including the Cariboo Mountains to the northwest, are also part of the larger grouping of mountains known as the Columbia Mountains . A scenic highway loop, the International Selkirk Loop , encircles the southern portions of the mountain range. The Selkirks were named after Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk . In 1857 gold

2880-681: The Route of the Hiawatha , a 15-mile (24-km) rails-to-trails route which includes the 1.7 mile (2.7 km) Taft Tunnel . The Emerald Creek Garnet Area provides an opportunity to collect star garnets and is one of only two places in the world where these gems can be found. The forests contain two groves of old growth ancient Giant western red cedar , Settler's Grove of Ancient Cedars near Murray, Idaho and Roosevelt Grove of Ancient Cedars near Nordman, Idaho, both of which are popular hiking trails. Selkirk Mountains The Selkirk Mountains are

2976-658: The St. Joe , Coeur d'Alene , Priest , Pend Oreille , Clark Fork , and Kootenai . The Idaho Panhandle National Forests contain a wide variety of wildlife. White-tailed deer , mule deer , raccoons , elk , grizzly bears , moose , black bears , coyotes , timber wolves , skunks , cougars , marten , beavers , river otters , bobcats , minks , and wolverines are often seen by visitors. Bird species include ravens , wild turkey , blue jays , California quail , numerous species of grouse , osprey , golden eagle , bald eagle and numerous types of owls . The rivers and lakes in

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3072-412: The 1920s and 1930s remained slow but less drastically so, forcing city boosters to market the city as a quiet, comfortable place suitable for raising a family rather than a dynamic community full of opportunity. The Inland Empire was heavily dependent on natural resources and extractive goods produced from mines, forests, and farms, which experienced a fall in demand. The situation improved slightly with

3168-1015: The 1960s and 1970s where his main body of work was done in the modernist style, designing numerous residential houses, apartment buildings, and architectural embellishments. Some of his most noteworthy works in Spokane include The Parkade , Spokane International Airport, Spokane Regional Health Building, and the Burlington Northern Latah Creek Bridge over Hangman Valley. Other well-represented architectural styles downtown include Art Deco (Spokane City Hall, Paulsen Center , Fox Theater , John R. Rogers High School , City Ramp Garage), Renaissance Revival (Steam Plant Square, Thomas S. Foley Courthouse , Legion Building , San Marco ), Neoclassical (Masonic Center, Hutton Building , Bing Crosby Theater ), Chicago School ( U.S. Bank Building , Liberty Building, Old City Hall ) and Modernist ( The Parkade , Ridpath Hotel , Bank of America Financial Center). The tallest building in

3264-620: The 1980s. Spokane hosted the first environmentally themed World's fair at Expo '74 . Many of the downtown area's older Romanesque Revival -style buildings were designed by architect Kirtland Kelsey Cutter after the Great Fire of 1889 . The city is also home to the Riverfront and Manito parks, the Smithsonian-affiliated Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture , the Davenport Hotel , and

3360-535: The Blue Zoo an interactive aquarium in the NorthTown Mall . The area supports an abundance of wildlife in part because of its varied geology and natural history. The area contains a wide range of vegetation, from densely wooded coniferous forests to rolling grassy hills and meadows. Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir are common in the drier and lower elevation areas throughout the region. The ponderosa pine

3456-648: The Browne's Addition neighborhood and residences contain the largest variety of residential architecture in the city. These residences are lavish and personalized, featuring many architectural styles that were popular and trendy in the Pacific Northwest from the late 19th century to 1930, such as the Victorian and Queen Anne styles. In high demand following his firms' design of the Idaho Building at

3552-560: The Cascades, the Spokane area has 16.5 inches (420 mm) average annual precipitation, less than half of Seattle's 39.3 inches (1,000 mm). Precipitation peaks in December, and summer is the driest time of the year. The Rockies shield Spokane from some of the winter season's coldest air masses traveling southward across Canada. In the summer season, Spokane, like much of the western United States , has been experiencing drier conditions and more frequent and larger wildfire events since

3648-503: The Coeur d'Alene region of northern Idaho lured prospectors. The Inland Empire erupted with numerous mining rushes from 1883 to 1892. Mining and smelting emerged as a major stimulus to Spokane. At the onset of the initial 1883 gold rush in the nearby Coeur d'Alene mining district , Spokane became popular with prospectors, offering low prices on everything "from a horse to a frying pan". It would keep this status for subsequent rushes in

3744-495: The Davenport District of Downtown, to the more contemporary neighborhoods of north Spokane. Spokane's neighborhoods are gaining attention for their history, as illustrated by the city being home to 18 recognized National Register Historical Districts . Some of Spokane's best-known neighborhoods are Riverside , Browne's Addition , and Hillyard . The Riverside neighborhood consists primarily of downtown Spokane and

3840-469: The Davenport Hotel cost two million dollars to complete and included new technologies at the time of its opening in September 1914, such as chilled water, elevators, and air cooling. In contemporary times, one of the city's foremost and influential architects has been Warren C. Heylman, who helped give the city a great breadth of mid-century architecture. Heylman's career was most prolific during

3936-427: The Fox Theater (now home to the Spokane Symphony) as well as the completion of the WSU Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences Building in 2013 and the Davenport Grand Hotel in 2015, Ridpath Hotel in 2018 and the ongoing renovation of Riverfront Park (as of May 2019). The Kendall Yards development on the west side of downtown Spokane is one of the largest construction projects in the city's history. Directly across

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4032-426: The National Register of Historic Places. Many of the former town's houses were built to house railroad workers, mainly immigrant laborers working in the local yard, who gave Hillyard an independent, blue-collar character. Hillyard has become a home for much of Spokane's growing Russian , Ukrainian , and Southeast Asian communities. Spokane neighborhoods contain a patchwork of architectural styles that give them

4128-424: The North West Company further south in search of furs. After establishing the Kullyspell House and Saleesh House trading posts in what are now Idaho and Montana, Thompson then attempted to expand further west. He sent out two trappers, Jacques Raphael Finlay and Finan McDonald, to construct a fur trading post on the Spokane River, which flows west from Lake Coeur d'Alene to the Columbia River , and trade with

4224-479: The Panhandle hold some of the best fishing locations in the world. There is one officially designated wilderness area within the IPNF that is a part of the National Wilderness Preservation System . The Salmo-Priest Wilderness lies partially within the Priest Lake Ranger District of the IPNF and extends into the neighboring Colville National Forest . Four roadless areas are currently proposed for wilderness totaling 146,700 acres (590 km): The IPNF manages for

4320-405: The Selkirk Mountains was the home of the last naturally occurring caribou herd in the contiguous United States , the South Selkirk mountain caribou. The herd was cross boundary, spending some time in extreme northern Idaho , eastern Washington , and British Columbia , Canada. The South Selkirk mountain caribou is a woodland mountain caribou , an ecotype of the boreal woodland caribou , one of

4416-488: The Selkirks. This area, some of it protected in Washington's Salmo-Priest Wilderness , is also home to mule deer and white-tailed deer , elk , black bears , cougars , bobcats , red fox , bald eagles , golden eagles , osprey , great blue heron , porcupine , badgers , coyote , martens , bighorn sheep , mountain goats, gray wolves and moose . Formerly rarely seen, grizzly bears are also known to roam through this region now in abundance. The southern end of

4512-486: The South Hill. Yet the rebuilding and development of the city was far from smooth: between 1889 and 1896 alone, all six bridges over the Spokane River were destroyed by floods before their completion. In the 1890s the city was subject to intrastate migration by African-Americans from Roslyn , looking for work after the closure of the area's mines. Two African-American churches, Calvary Baptist and Bethel African Methodist Episcopal, were founded in 1890. Just three years after

4608-456: The Spokane River from downtown, it will blend residential and retail space with plazas and walking trails. Spokane is located on the Spokane River in eastern Washington at an elevation of 1,843 feet (562 m) above sea level, about 18 miles (29 km) from Idaho , 92 miles (148 km) south of the Canadian border , 229 miles (369 km) due east of Seattle, and 279 miles (449 km) southwest of Calgary . The lowest elevation in

4704-415: The Spokanes, who believed they were sacred, and set the trappers up in the Colville River valley for the winter. The explorer-geographer David Thompson , working as head of the North West Company 's Columbia Department , became the first European to explore the Inland Empire (now called the Inland Northwest ). Crossing what is now the Canada–US border from British Columbia , Thompson wanted to expand

4800-432: The arrival of additional railroads. By 1910 the population had hit 104,000, and Spokane eclipsed Walla Walla as the commercial center of the Inland Empire. In time the city came to be known as the "capital" of the Inland Empire and the heart of a vast tributary region. After the arrival of the Northern Pacific, Union Pacific , Great Northern, and Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific railroads, Spokane became one of

4896-426: The city , at 288 feet (88 m), is the Bank of America Financial Center. Also of note is the Spokane County Courthouse in West Central (the building on the seal of Spokane County), the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Rockwood, the Benewah Milk Bottles in Riverside and Garland, Mount Saint Michael in Hillyard, and the Cambern Dutch Shop Windmill in South Perry. As an early affluent Spokane neighborhood,

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4992-475: The city of Spokane is the northernmost point of the Spokane River within city limits (in Riverside State Park ) at 1,608 feet (490 m); the highest elevation is on the northeast side, near the community of Hillyard (though closer to Beacon Hill and the North Hill Reservoir) at 2,591 feet (790 m). Spokane is part of the Inland Northwest region, consisting of eastern Washington, north Idaho , northwestern Montana , and northeastern Oregon . The city has

5088-575: The city was 80.7% White, 2.9% some other race, 2.5% Black or African American, 2.0% Asian, 0.8% Native American or Alaskan Native, and 0.5% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, with 10.5% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 8.1% of the population. Of the 101,130 households, 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.8% had seniors 65 years or older living with them, 35.9% were married couples living together, 7.9% were couples cohabitating, 24.8% had

5184-399: The city was reincorporated under the present name of "Spokane" in 1891. According to historian David H. Stratton, "From the late 1890s to about 1912, a great flurry of construction created a modern urban profile of office buildings, banks, department stores, hotels and other commercial institutions" which stretched from the Spokane River to the site of the Northern Pacific railroad tracks below

5280-480: The city. During this time of stagnation, unrest was prevalent among the area's unemployed, who became victimized by "job sharks", who charged a fee for signing up workers in the logging camps. Job sharks and employment agencies were known to cheat itinerant workers, sometimes paying bribes to periodically fire entire work crews, thus generating repetitive fees for themselves. Crime spiked in the 1890s and 1900s, with eruptions of violent activity involving unions such as

5376-462: The coldest month is over 26.6 °F (−3 °C), though in the US this threshold is often defined to be 32 °F (0 °C). The area typically has a warm, arid climate during the summer months, bracketed by short spring and fall seasons. On average, the warmest month is July and the coolest month is December; July averages 71.0 °F (21.7 °C), while December averages 29.1 °F (−1.6 °C). Daily temperature ranges are large during

5472-420: The completion of the railroad and its exact course, Matheney sold his interest in the claim to Glover. Glover confidently held on to his claim and became a successful Spokane business owner and the city's second mayor. He later came to be known as the "Father of Spokane". In 1880, Fort Spokane was established by U.S. Army troops under Lt. Col. Henry C. Merriam 56 miles (90 km) northwest of Spokane, at

5568-418: The fairgrounds became the 100-acre (40 ha) Riverfront Park. The growth witnessed in the late 1970s and early 1980s was interrupted by another U.S. recession in 1981, in which silver, timber, and farm prices dropped. The period of decline for the city lasted into the 1990s and was also marked by a loss of many steady family-wage jobs in the manufacturing sector. At this time, market forces began to impact

5664-419: The female caribou in Canada and moved her to a captive rearing pen near Revelstoke in the hopes of "preserving highly endangered herds". According to the AAAS, it is believed that this female caribou is the "last member of the last herd to regularly cross into the lower 48 states from Canada". The 10 highest peaks Spokane Spokane ( / s p oʊ ˈ k æ n / spoh- KAN )

5760-446: The fire, in 1892, James J. Hill 's Great Northern Railway arrived in the chosen site for Hill's rail yards , the newly created township of Hillyard (annexed by Spokane in 1924). Spokane became an important rail shipping and transportation hub for the Inland Empire, connecting mines in the Silver Valley with agricultural areas around the Palouse region. The city's population ballooned to 19,922 in 1890, and to 36,848 in 1900 with

5856-479: The first governor, Isaac Stevens , made an initial effort to make a treaty with Chief Garry and the Spokanes at Antoine Plantes' Ferry, not far from Millwood . After the last campaign of the Yakima Indian War , the Coeur d'Alene War of 1858 was brought to a close by the actions of Col. George Wright , who won decisive victories against a confederation of tribes in engagements at the battles of Four Lakes and Spokane Plains . The cessation of hostilities opened

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5952-401: The heart of the Selkirks were among the first national parks created in Canada, along with Yoho and Banff National Parks in the Rockies. Until the completion of the Trans-Canada Highway via the Rogers Pass , automotive traffic between most of British Columbia and the rest of Canada necessarily was forced to follow the path of the Columbia River via its Big Bend , around the north end of

6048-437: The historic West Central neighborhood. To the east of downtown is East Central and the adjacent University District and budding "International District". To the west of downtown is one of Spokane's oldest and densest neighborhoods, Browne's Addition. A National Historic District west of Downtown, Browne's Addition was Spokane's first prestigious address, notable for its array of old mansions built by Spokane's early elite in

6144-438: The integrity of Spokane's street grid pattern is largely intact (especially the areas north of downtown and south of Francis Ave.), and the houses have backyard alleys for carports, deliveries, and refuse collection. Contemporary suburbs and architecture are prevalent at the north and south edges of Spokane as well as in the new Kendall Yards neighborhood north of downtown. In 1907, Spokane's board of park commissioners retained

6240-419: The inter-mountain valley of the Pacific Northwest to colonial expansion and safe habitation by settlers. Joint American–British occupation of Oregon Country , in effect since the Treaty of 1818 , eventually led to the Oregon Boundary Dispute after a large influx of American settlers along the Oregon Trail . Great Britain ceded its claims to lands in Puget Sound and the central and lower Columbia Basin by

6336-423: The junction of the Columbia and Spokane Rivers, to protect the construction of the Northern Pacific Railway and secure a place for U.S. settlement. By June 30, 1881, the railway reached the city, bringing major European settlement to the area. The city was officially incorporated with a population of about 1,000 residents on November 29, 1881. When Spokane was officially incorporated in 1881, Robert W. Forrest

6432-473: The late 1850s in part due to the hilltops. The Palouse was and still is a breadbasket and was able to develop and grow with the completion of several railroad networks as well as a highway system that began to center around the city of Spokane, aiding farmers from around the region in distributing their products to market. Inland Empire farmers exported wheat, livestock and other agricultural products to ports such as New York, Liverpool and Tokyo. Local morale

6528-510: The late 20th century; the fine particulate matter in the smoke can be carried by the wind and blanket the region in a haze and impact Spokane's air quality . See or edit raw graph data . As of the 2022 American Community Survey estimates, there were 230,176 people and 101,130 households. The population density was 3,347.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,292.5/km ). There were 105,002 housing units at an average density of 1,527.1 per square mile (589.6/km ). The racial makeup of

6624-449: The local Kaiser Aluminum plant and layoffs, pension cuts, a 1998-1999 labor strike, and eventually bankruptcy in 2002 followed. Although this was a tough period, Spokane's economy had started to benefit from some measure of economic diversification; growing companies such as Key Tronic and other research, marketing, and assembly plants for technology companies helped lessen Spokane's dependence on natural resources. As of 2014, Spokane

6720-409: The local Indians. This post was established in 1810, at the confluence of the Little Spokane and Spokane rivers, becoming the first enduring European settlement of significance in what later became Washington state. Known as the Spokane House , or simply "Spokane", it was in operation from 1810 to 1826. Operations were run by the British North West Company and later the Hudson's Bay Company , and

6816-598: The logging industry. Although overshadowed in importance by the vast timbered areas on the coastal regions west of the Cascades, and burdened with monopolistic rail freight rates and stiff competition, Spokane became a noted leader in the manufacture of doors, window sashes , blinds, and other planing mill products. Rail freight rates were much higher in Spokane than the rates in coastal seaport cities such as Seattle and Portland, so much so that Minneapolis merchants could ship goods first to Seattle and then back to Spokane for less than shipping directly to Spokane, even though

6912-527: The long-term survival of vulnerable species such as mountain caribou and the American goshawk . Spokane has a warm-summer humid continental climate ( Dsb under the Köppen classification), a rare climate due to its elevation and significant winter precipitation; Spokane, however, is adjacent to and sometimes even classified as a warm-summer Mediterranean climate ( Csb ) because the average temperature for

7008-459: The most architecturally intact neighborhood in Spokane, 85 percent of these buildings are historic. As the city expanded mainly to the north in the middle of the 20th century, the bungalows in the "minimal traditional" style commonplace from the 1930s to the 1950s tend to predominate in the Northwest, North Hill, and Bemiss neighborhoods. This architectural style occupies the neighborhoods where

7104-597: The most critically endangered mammals. In 2009 the herd of 50 animals was declining. Predation from wolves that had been reintroduced to the area negatively effected the herd, and by April 2018, only three remained, and in January 2019, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) announced in its scientific journal, Science , that British Columbia's provincial biologists captured

7200-428: The most important rail centers in the western U.S. Expansion abruptly stopped in the 1910s and was followed by a period of population decline, due in large part to Spokane's slowing economy. Control of regional mines and resources became increasingly dominated by national corporations rather than local people and organizations, diverting capital outside of Spokane and decreasing growth and investment opportunities in

7296-814: The most notable of which is the Spokane River Centennial Trail , which features over 37.5 miles (60.4 km) of paved trails running along the Spokane River from Spokane to the Idaho border. This trail continues on towards Coeur d'Alene for 24 miles (39 km) as the North Idaho Centennial Trail and is often used for alternative transportation and recreational use. In the summer, it has long been popular to visit North Idaho's "Lake Country", such as Lake Coeur d'Alene , Lake Pend Oreille , Priest Lake , or one of

7392-620: The northwest, where it is joined by the Little Spokane River on its way to the Columbia River, north of Davenport . The Channeled Scablands and many of the area's numerous large lakes, such as Lake Coeur d'Alene and Lake Pend Oreille , were formed by the Missoula Floods after the ice-dammed Glacial Lake Missoula ruptured at the end of the last ice age. The Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge south of Cheney

7488-457: The other nearby bodies of water and beaches. In the winter, the public has access to five ski resorts within a couple hours of the city. The closest of these is the Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park , which has trails for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and dog sledding. Zoological parks in Spokane include Cat Tales Zoological Park , a wildlife sanctuary primarily for big cats and

7584-690: The post was the headquarters of the fur trade between the Rocky and Cascade mountains for 16 years. After the latter business absorbed the North West Company in 1821, the major operations at the Spokane House were eventually shifted north to Fort Colville , reducing the post's significance. In 1836, Reverend Samuel Parker visited the area and reported that around 800 Native Americans were living in Spokane Falls. A medical mission

7680-475: The preferred option, and after successful negotiation to relocate the railroad facilities on Havermale Island, they executed on a proposal to host the first environmentally themed World's Fair in Expo '74 on May 4, becoming the smallest city at the time to host a World's Fair. This event transformed Spokane's downtown, removing a century of railroad infrastructure and re-inventing the urban core. After Expo '74,

7776-461: The rail line ran through Spokane on the way to the coast. The Inland Northwest region has also long been associated with farming, especially wheat production. Initially, the Palouse was thought to be unsuitable for wheat production due to the hilly terrain, believing wheat could not be cultivated on the tops of the hills, but the region showed great promise for wheat production when it began in

7872-409: The region due to its trade center status and accessibility to railroad infrastructure. Spokane's growth continued unabated until August 4, 1889, when a fire, now known as The Great Fire (not to be confused with the Great Fire of 1910 , which happened nearby), began just after 6:00 p.m., and destroyed the city's downtown commercial district. Due to technical problems with a pump station, there

7968-559: The region in 1873, recognized the value of the Spokane River and its falls for the purpose of water power. They realized the investment potential and bought the claims of 160 acres (65 ha) and the sawmill from Downing and Scranton for a total of $ 4,000. Glover and Matheney knew that the Northern Pacific Railroad Company had received a government charter to build a main line across this northern route . Amid many delays in construction and uncertainty over

8064-515: The same site, is 100 acres (40 ha) in downtown Spokane and the site of some of Spokane's largest events. The park has views of the Spokane Falls and holds a number of civic attractions, including a skyride, a rebuilt gondola lift that carries visitors across the falls from high above the river gorge. The park also includes the historic hand-carved Riverfront Park Looff carousel created in 1909 by Charles I. D. Looff . Riverfront Park

8160-742: The services of the Olmsted Brothers to draw up a plan for Spokane's parks. Much of Spokane's park land was acquired by the city prior to World War I, establishing it early on as a leader among Western cities in the development of a citywide park system. Spokane has a system of over 87 parks totaling 4,100 acres (17 km ) and includes six neighborhood aquatic centers. Some of the most notable parks in Spokane's system are Riverfront Park , Manito Park and Botanical Gardens , Riverside State Park , Saint Michael's Mission State Park , John A. Finch Arboretum , High Bridge Park and Liberty Park . Riverfront Park, created after Expo '74 and occupying

8256-402: The start of World War II as aluminum production commenced in Spokane due to the area's cheap electricity (produced from regional dams) and the increased demand for airplanes. After decades of stagnation and slow growth, Spokane businessmen formed Spokane Unlimited in the early 1960s, an organization that sought to revitalize downtown Spokane. A recreation park showcasing the Spokane Falls was

8352-544: The summer, often exceeding 30 °F (17 °C), and small during the winter, with a range just above 10 °F (5.6 °C). The record high and low are 112 °F (44 °C) and −30 °F (−34 °C), but temperatures of more than 100 °F (38 °C) or less than −5 °F (−21 °C) are rare. Temperatures of 90 °F (32 °C)+ occur an average of 21 days annually, temperatures of 100 °F (38 °C)+ occur an average of only 1 day annually, and those at or below 0 °F (−18 °C) average 2.2 days

8448-719: The sun" or "sun people" in Salishan ), are believed to be either their direct descendants, or descendants of people from the Great Plains . When asked by early white explorers, the Spokanes said their ancestors came from "up North." Early in the 19th century, the Northwest Fur Company sent two white fur trappers west of the Rocky Mountains to search for fur . These were the first white men met by

8544-484: The wider Inland Northwest area are served by Spokane International Airport , 5 miles (8 km) west of Downtown Spokane , which is located near another airfield at Fairchild Air Force Base . According to the 2010 census , Spokane had a population of 208,916, making it the 2nd-most populous city in Washington , and the 97th-most populous city in the United States . At the 2020 census , Spokane's population

8640-564: Was Kirtland Kelsey Cutter . Self-taught, he came to Spokane in 1886, and began by designing "Chalet Hohenstein" for himself and other residences for his family, while also working as a bank teller. Other structures designed by Cutter include the Spokane Club, Washington Water Power Substation, Monroe Street Bridge (featured in the city seal), the Steam Plant , and the Davenport Hotel . Built in renaissance and Spanish Revival style,

8736-526: Was 228,989. A 2023 estimate sets the population of the metropolitan area at 600,292. The first people to live in the area, the Spokane tribe (their name meaning "children of the sun" in Salishan ), lived off plentiful game. David Thompson explored the area with the westward expansion and establishment of the North West Company 's Spokane House in 1810. This trading post was the first long-term European settlement in Washington. Completion of

8832-477: Was affected for years by the collapse of the Division Street Bridge early in the morning on December 15, 1915, which killed five people and injured over 20, but a new bridge was built (eventually replaced in 1994). The 1920 census showed a net increase of just 35 individuals, which actually indicates that thousands left the city when considering the natural growth rate of a population. Growth in

8928-616: Was discovered in the Selkirks. Coal , copper , marble , mercury , silver , and zinc were also found in the mountains. During the development of Western Canada , the Selkirks presented a formidable barrier to the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway , until A.B. Rogers discovered the mountain pass that bears his name in 1881–1882. As a result of the railway's construction via that route, Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks (Canada) in

9024-432: Was elected as the first mayor of the city, with a Council of seven, S.G. Havermale, A.M. Cannon, Dr. L.H. Whitehouse, L.W. Rima, F.R. Moore, George A. Davis, and W.C. Gray, all serving without pay. The marketing campaigns of transportation companies with affordable fertile land to sell along their trade routes lured many settlers into the region they dubbed "Spokane Country". The 1883 discovery of gold, silver, and lead in

9120-589: Was established by Marcus and Narcissa Whitman to cater for Cayuse Indians and hikers of the Oregon Trail at Walla Walla in the south. After the Whitmans were killed by Indians in 1847, Reverend Cushing Eells established Whitman College in their memory, also setting up the first church in the Spokane area. In 1853, two years after the establishment of the Washington Territory,

9216-401: Was no water pressure in the city when the fire started. In a desperate bid to starve the fire, firefighters began razing buildings with dynamite. Eventually, the winds and the fire died down; 32 blocks of Spokane's downtown core had been destroyed and one person was killed. Despite this catastrophe, and in part because of it, Spokane experienced a building boom. The downtown was rebuilt, and

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