History of Spokane, Washington, USA

Spokane, or Spokane Falls, a city of Spokane co, Washington, on the Spokane River, and on 4 railroads the Northern Pacific, the Great Northern, the Spokane Falls & Northern, and the Union Pacific,—382 miles N.W. of Helena, Montana, and 481 miles N.E. of Portland, Oregon. It is the centre of a large lumber trade, has great water-power, and extensive manufactures of lumber, flour, bricks, lime, cement, &c. Here are foundries, machine shops, and factories of various sorts. The city has 4 daily and 9 weekly newspapers. P. in 1880, 350; in 1890, 1992.

Tomorrow will be "groundhog day." There are all sorts of theories about the weather on that day. In Spokane the popular creed seems to be that if the groundhog comes out of his hole at noon and sees his shadow in the sunlight he will go back again, knowing that there will be six more weeks of winter. Others say it's just the other way, and that anybody who says Spokane's to have six weeks more of winter, sunshine or no sunshine, does not know what he's talking about.

Over 10,000,000 flags have been sold in the United States since April 21st.

June 14, 1777, the Congress of the United States adopted our present flag. Celebrate the day by hanging out the Stars and Stripes.

And do not forget to lay in your Fourth of July goods early. Largest stock of fireworks, Flags, Balloons, etc., ever in the city.

John W. Graham & Company.
Flags, Fireworks, Hammocks, Sporting Goods, etc.
Fireworks Store, 818 Sprague.

Sculptors have not yet chiselled the glory of the founders of Spokane, for most of the pioneers of that city, heedless of remote epitaphs, still hurry over its now “populous pavements,” multiplying their wealth. Boys born in the first year of the city’s incorporation have not yet reached the age of suffrage. Less than thirty years ago the settlement began with three citizens and a sawmill. It has developed into a brick and granite city of nearly fifty thousand.

A century ago a few brave men blazed perilous trails through the wilderness of the far Northwest but their picturesque adventures gave no hint of the city of wealth, industry, and architectural beauty that was to rise on both banks of the Spokane cataract. Though Jefferson's renowned secretary, Meriwether Lewis, and his comrade Clark, brother of George Rogers Clark, heralded the day when the Oregon and its affluents should hear sounds more significant than their own dashings, their pilgrimage had become as dim as a...

Spokane, or Spokane Falls, a city, capital of Spokane co., Wash., on the Spokane River (which traverses the city in a aeries of water-falls) and on the Northern Pacific, the Great Northern, the Spokane Falls and Northern and other railroads, 544 miles NE. by E. of Portland, Oregon. It is the centre of a large lumber trade and is like wise the mining centre of the Pacific Northwest. Its manufacturing industries are very extensive and diversified and have the benefit of great water-power. There are foundries, machine-shops, and manufactures of lumber, flour, bricks, lime, cement, cars, furniture, malted liquors, marble- and granite-products, etc. The city has a notable city-hall, court-house, and theatre, and is the seat of Gonzaga College (Roman Catholic), Brunot Hall, and other collegiate institutions. Fort Wright, a military post, is located immediately outside of the city. Pop. in 1880, 350; in 1890, 19,922 ; in 1900, 36,848.

At 4 o'clock this afternoon it was found that the net result of the accident on the new Monroe Street bridge was two men badly hurt, all work above the water's edge destroyed, and thousands of dollars of the city's money gone into the swirling rapids.
Names of injured:
J. F. WALPERS, East 1024 Rich Avenue; broken ribs and lacerated scalp.
A. M. NELSON, 822 Broadway; bad bruises.

The two injured men were taken to Sacred Heart Hospital. The ruins of the false work are being searched for more men but it is thought only two men were on it at the time of the accident.

It is reported that the city will lose about $50,000, in time and materials, and not counting damage suits. The work destroyed has taken three or four months to finish.

During the storm this afternoon the new wooden arch of the Monroe Street bridge, erected after months of labor, collapsed and went to the bottom of the river, carrying down with it two men, one of whom was seriously hurt.

During the building of...

Spokane, Wash., Dec. 18 - Seven persons were killed and ten were injured today when a street car went through the Division Street bridge over the Spokane River. The killed were in the car more than an hour after it went into the river. The injured were removed to a hospital.

Two street cars were on the bridge at the time of the accident. They were owned by the Washington Water Power Company. One of the cars was leaving the bridge when, the whole structure collapsed. One end of this car fell to the water and the other rested on the abutment. The car crew and two passengers were rescued uninjured.

The Astor-Division car which fell into the river was inbound and carried about twenty passengers besides the crew. A heavy steel beam fell lengthwise on the car as it went into the river. The beam crushed the passengers on one side of the car and two hours after the accident they could be seen still in the water.

One of the injured was reported to be dying. The bodies of two laborers...