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Spokane, Washington
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Spokane () is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. Spokane is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, as well as the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region. The city is located on the Spokane River in Eastern Washington and is 110 miles (180 km) south of the Canadian border, approximately from the Washington-Idaho border, and east of Seattle.
Canadian David Thompson explored the Spokane area and began European settlement of Spokane with the westward expansion and establishment of the North West Company’s Spokane House in 1810.
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Encyclopedia
Spokane () is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. Spokane is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, as well as the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region. The city is located on the Spokane River in Eastern Washington and is 110 miles (180 km) south of the Canadian border, approximately from the Washington-Idaho border, and east of Seattle.
Canadian David Thompson explored the Spokane area and began European settlement of Spokane with the westward expansion and establishment of the North West Company’s Spokane House in 1810. The Spokane House was the first long-term European settlement in Washington state and the center of the fur trade between the Rockies and the Cascades for 16 years. In the late 1800s, gold and silver were discovered in the Inland Northwest. The Spokane area is considered to be one of the most productive and reformed mining districts in North America. Spokane’s economy has traditionally been natural resource based, however, the city’s economy has diversified to encompass other industries, including the high-tech and biotech sectors.
The city of Spokan Falls (the "e" was added in 1883 and "Falls" dropped in 1891) was settled in 1871 and officially incorporated as a city on November 29, 1881. The city's name is drawn from the Native American tribe known as the Spokane, which means "Children of the Sun" in Salish. The name is often mispronounced "Spo-CAIN", while the correct pronunciation is "Spo-CAN". Spokane's official nickname is the "Lilac City", named after the flowers that have flourished since their introduction to the area in the early 20th century. Completion of the Northern Pacific Railway in 1881 brought major settlement to the Spokane area.
With a population of 200,975 as of 2007, Spokane is the second largest city in Washington, and the fifth largest in the Pacific Northwest, behind Vancouver, British Columbia, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Boise, Idaho, and slightly larger than Tacoma. Spokane is the principal city of the Spokane Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is coterminous with Spokane County. As of 2007, the metropolitan area had a population of 456,175.
History
The Spokane Falls and its surroundings were a gathering place and focus for settlement for the area's indigenous people due to the fertile hunting grounds and abundance of salmon in the Spokane River. For unrecorded millennia, the Spokane tribe lived in the area around the Spokane River and led a seasonal way of life that consisted of fishing, hunting, and gathering. The Spokane Falls were the tribe's center of trade and fishing. Early in the 19th century, white fur trappers from the east came into the northern Columbia Plateau forests. They were friendly with the native people they encountered. In 1810, the Spokane commenced major trading with white men when the North West Company's Spokane House was established on their lands.
Spokane House
The Inland Northwest was first explored by Canadian explorer-geographer David Thompson, working as head of the North West Company's Columbia Department. Crossing what is now the U.S.-Canadian border from British Columbia, Thompson wanted to expand the North West Company further south in search of furs, primarily beaver. After establishing the Kullyspell House and Saleesh House trading posts in what is now Idaho and Montana, Thompson wanted to expand further west. In 1810, Thompson dispatched Jacques Raphael "Jaco" Finlay and Finan McDonald to the Spokane River to build a trade house that would exchange with the Spokane and Colville Indians in present day Eastern Washington.
In a yellow pine flat in the "V" where the Little Spokane meets the Spokane, Finlay and McDonald built a new fur trading post, which is the first long-term European settlement in Washington state. This trading post known as the Spokane House, or simply "Spokane", was in operation from 1810 to 1826. The Spokane House, operated by the British North West Company and, later, the Hudson's Bay Company, was the center of the fur trade between the Rockies and the Cascades for 16 years. When the Hudson's Bay Company absorbed the North West Company in 1821, operations at Spokane House eventually shifted to Fort Colville; afterward the company still remained active near Spokane.
American settlement
Joint American-British occupation of Oregon Country, in effect since the Treaty of 1818, ended with the signing of the Oregon Treaty in 1846. The first American settlers, squatters J.J. Downing and S.R. Scranton, built a cabin and established a claim at Spokane Falls in 1871. Together they built the first commercial building in Spokane Falls, a small sawmill on a claim near the south bank of the Spokane Falls. James N. Glover and Jasper Matheney, Oregonians passing through the region in 1873, recognized the value of the Spokane River and its falls. They realized the investment potential and bought the claims of and the sawmill from Downing and Scranton for $2,000 each. Glover and Matheney knew that the Northern Pacific Railroad Company had received a government charter to build a main line across this northern route. Glover became the founder and "Father of Spokane" and one of its first mayors as well.
On October 21, 1880, Camp Spokane was established by U.S. Army troops under Lt. Col. Henry Clay Merriam at a location northwest of Spokane at the junction of the Columbia and Spokane Rivers. The camp location was strategic, having the intended goals of protecting construction of the Northern Pacific Railway and securing a place for U.S. settlement.
By 1881, the Northern Pacific Railway was completed, bringing major European settlement to the area. The city of Spokan Falls (without an "e"; the "e" was added in 1883 and "Falls" was dropped in 1891) was officially incorporated as a city of 350 residents on November 29, 1881. The city's population ballooned to 19,922 in 1890, and 36,848 in 1900 with the arrival of the railroads. The railroad lured settlers from as far away as Finland, Germany, and England and as close as Minnesota and the Dakotas. By 1910, the population hit 104,000; prior to the building of the Northern Pacific, Walla Walla had been the commercial center of the Inland Northwest, however, with the arrival of the railroad in Spokane, that quickly changed.
Spokane's growth continued unabated until August 4, 1889, when a fire, now known as The Great Fire, began shortly after 6:00 p.m. and destroyed the city's downtown commercial district. Due to technical problems with a pump station, there was no water pressure in the city when the fire started. Firefighters began dynamiting buildings in an attempt to deprive the fire of fuel, but the flames jumped the spaces, and soon created their own firestorm. When volunteer firefighters attempted to quench the flames, they found their hoses were unusable. Eventually winds died down and the fire exhausted of its own accord. In the fires' aftermath, 32 blocks of Spokane's downtown were destroyed and one person was killed.
While the damage caused by the fire was a devastating blow, Spokane continued to grow; the fire set the stage for a dramatic building boom. After The Great Fire of 1889 and the rebuilding of the downtown, the city was reincorporated under the present name of "Spokane" in 1891. Just three years after the fire, in 1892, James J. Hill's Great Northern Railway had arrived in the newly created township of Hillyard (annexed by Spokane in 1924)—the chosen site for Hill's rail yards, machine shops, and roundhouse because of the area's flat ground. The railroads in Spokane made it a transportation hub for the Inland Northwest region. Spokane became an important rail and shipping center because of its location between the Rocky Mountains and the Cascade Range and between mining and farming areas. After the arrival of the Northern Pacific, the Union Pacific, Great Northern, and Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific railroads, Spokane became one of the most important rail centers in the western United States.
The expansion and growth of Spokane abruptly stopped in the 1910s and was followed by a period of population decline. Spokane's slowing economy largely contributed to this decline. Control of regional mines and resources became increasingly dominated by national corporations rather than locals, diverting capital outside of Spokane and decreasing growth and investment opportunities in the city.
1974 World's Fair
Spokane hosted the first environmentally themed World's Fair in Expo '74, becoming the then-smallest city to ever host a World's Fair. Expo '74 also had the distinction of being the first American fair after World War II to be attended by the Soviet Union. This event transformed Spokane's downtown, removing a century of railroad industry that built the city and reinventing the urban core. The Spokane clock tower is the last remnant of a Great Northern Railway depot that once occupied the site.
Many of the structures built for the World's Fair are still standing and in use. The United States Pavilion sits next to an IMAX theater, and the Washington State Pavilion became the INB Performing Arts Center; the Expo site itself, located on Havermale Island, became the Riverfront Park. The U.S. Pavilion and the clock tower are prominently featured in the park's logo.
Geography
Topography
Spokane is located at (47.673341, -117.410271). The city is located on the Spokane River in Eastern Washington, near the eastern border of Washington, about from Idaho, south of the Canadian border, east of Seattle, and southwest of Calgary. Spokane is part of the Inland Northwest region, consisting of eastern Washington, northern Idaho, western Montana, and northeastern Oregon. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.
Spokane lies on the eastern edge of the Columbia Basin steppe, a wide sloping plain that rises sharply to the east towards the forested Rocky Mountain foothills, the Selkirk Mountains. The city lies in a transition area between the desert-like Columbia Basin of central Washington and the forested mountains of north Idaho and northeast Washington. The highest peak in Spokane County is Mount Spokane at an elevation of , located on the eastern side of the Selkirk Mountains. The most prominent water feature in the area is the Spokane River, a 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, then turns to the northwest where it is joined by the Little Spokane River on its way to join the Columbia River, north of Davenport.
Spokane is at an elevation of above sea level. The lowest elevation in the city of Spokane is the northernmost point of the Spokane River within city limits (in Riverside State Park) at and the highest elevation is on the northeast side near the community of Hillyard, though closer to Beacon Hill and the North Hill Reservoir at .
Climate
Spokane's climate is classified as continental or hemiboreal (Dsb) using the Koppen climate classification, meaning it is semi-arid, has a warm summer, and winters cold enough to maintain snow cover. Spokane has the characteristics of a mild, arid climate during the summer months and a cold, coastal climate in the winter. Both summer and winter are long, with hot, dry summers and cold, snowy winters. The average warmest month is August and the average coolest month is January. Summers are typically dry and mild, and winters can bring periods of cold, wet weather. The city averages of snow per year. The normal July maximum is , minimum ; the normal January maximum is , minimum of ; extremes range from to , but temperatures of more than and less than are rare.
Because of Spokane's location between the Cascade Mountains to the west and Rocky Mountains to the east and north, the city is protected from weather patterns experienced in other parts of the Pacific Northwest. The Cascade Mountains form a barrier to the easterly movement of moist and comparatively mild air from the Pacific Ocean in winter and cool air in summer. As a result of the modifying effect of the Cascade Mountains, the Spokane area also has less than half the rainfall of its west side neighbor, Seattle. The average annual precipitation in the Spokane area is 17 inches, whereas the Seattle area receives 37 inches annually. The maximum average precipitation occurs in December. The Rocky Mountains shield Spokane from the winter season’s cold air masses traveling southward across Canada, sparing the city from the worst effects of Arctic air in winter.
Metropolitan area
Spokane is surrounded by many incorporated and unincorporated communities, which make up the suburbs of Spokane. They include Airway Heights, Cheney, Mead, Colbert, Spokane Valley, Millwood, Nine Mile Falls, Otis Orchards, and Liberty Lake. Across the border in Idaho, are Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene.
Neighborhoods
Much of Spokane's history is reflected in its large variety of neighborhoods. Neighborhoods range from the Victorian-era style South Hill and Browne's Addition, to the Davenport Arts District of Downtown, to the more contemporary neighborhoods of North Spokane. The districts include: Browne's Addition, Corbin Park, East Downtown Historic District, Fort George Wright, Four Corners, Hillyard Historic District, Marycliff-Cliff Park, Mission Avenue, Nettleton's Addition, Ninth Avenue, South Perry, Peaceful Valley, Riverside Avenue, Rockwood, Desmet Avenue Warehouse, and the West Downtown Historic Transportation Corridor.
Spokane's neighborhoods are gaining attention for their history, as illustrated by the city being home to 18 recognized National Register Historical Districts, the most in any city in the state of Washington. More than 50% of Spokane’s downtown is designated as historic, and makes up three separate National Register Historic Districts. In all, more than 1,300 individual properties on the National Register are located in Spokane County, 15 of which are districts.
Downtown renewal
Downtown Spokane has undergone a major rebirth in recent years with over $3 billion in new investment and the completion of River Park Square Mall. The historic Davenport Hotel underwent a major renovation in 2002 after being vacant for over 20 years. The project was funded by local entrepreneur Walt Worthy, who also added a safari-themed 20-story tower to the hotel in 2007. Other major projects include the renovation of the Holley Mason Building, the building of the Big Easy concert house (now renamed the Knitting Factory), and the renovation of the historic Montvale Hotel and Fox Theater (now home to the Spokane Symphony after its renovation). Also, a major expansion of the Spokane Convention Center helped the city become the host of the 2007 US Figure Skating Championships. Still more construction is proposed. Local developer Rob Brewster has proposed building the new VOX Tower which, if approved, will become the tallest building in Spokane. All new skyscrapers built in Spokane are subject to city height restrictions.
The Kendall Yards development on the northside of downtown Spokane along the Spokane River will become one of the largest construction projects in the city's history. The proposed development will directly connect to downtown with bridges across the Spokane River and will blend residential and retail space with plazas and walking trails. Phase I of the development will incorporate approximately 300 residential units and of retail, commercial, and office space. Town homes, condominiums, and apartments will comprise the residential makeup. Upon completion, the nearly Kendall Yards project will include up to 2,600 residential units and up to of commercial, retail, and office space.
Demographics
As of the 2000 census, there were 195,629 people, 81,512 households, and 47,276 families residing in 87,941 housing units at population density of 3,387 people per square mile (1,307.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.46% White, 2.07% African American, 1.76% Native American, 2.25% Asian, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 0.88% from other races, and 3.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.99% of the population.
Of the 81,512 households, 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.0% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 93 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,273, and the median income for a family was $41,316. Males had a median income of $31,676 versus $24,833 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,451. About 11.1% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.3% of those under the age of 18 and 9.6% of those ages 65 and older.
According to the Association of Religion Data Archives' 2000 Metro Area Membership Report, the denominational groups of the Spokane MSA are 43,397 Evangelical Protestant; 32,207 Mainline Protestant; 776 Orthodox; 57,187 Catholic; 17,351 Other; and 267,021 Unclaimed.
Economy
In 1883, gold and silver were discovered in the Inland Northwest; as a regional shipping center, the city furnished supplies to the miners who passed through on their way to mine in the Coeur d’Alene as well as the Colville and Kootenay districts. By the mid-1890s, high mining operations were underway in the region. The area is considered to be one of the most productive and reformed mining districts in North America. Natural resources have traditionally provided much of the economic activity for the Spokane area, a major center for the timber, agriculture, and mining industries in the region.
Companies have located or relocated to the Spokane area, drawn by the easy access to raw materials and lower operating costs, such as cheap hydroelectric power. Finished wood products, metal refinery and fabrication, and food processing are among the leaders in manufacturing. Fortune 1000 company, Potlatch Corporation, which operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT) and owns and manages timberlands located in Arkansas, Idaho, Minnesota, and Oregon, is headquartered in Spokane. The outlying areas are part of an abundant agricultural system, providing a large amount of the nation's apples, peas, hops, pears, asparagus, lentils, soft wheat, and sweet cherries. A number of highly regarded wineries and breweries also operate in the Spokane area.
Forestry and agribusiness continue to be important elements in the local economy, but Spokane's economy has diversified to encompass other industries, including the high-tech and biotech sectors. Signature Genomic Laboratories, a fast-growing genetics company, is headquartered in Spokane, and Itron, a producer of metering, data collection, and software products is headquartered in nearby Liberty Lake, Washington. Economic development initiatives in Greater Spokane concentrate on six industries: manufacturing, aerospace, health sciences, information technology, clean technology, and digital media. Spokane's downtown is the site of a 100-block wireless network—one of the largest of its kind in the country, which is seen as symbolic of its dedication to the development of technological opportunities and resources.
From 2005 to 2007, the leading industries in Spokane for the employed population 16 years and older were educational services, and health care, and social assistance, 25 percent, and retail trade, 12 percent. The health care industry is a large and increasingly important industry in Spokane; the city provides specialized care to many patients from the surrounding Inland Northwest and as far north as the Canadian border. Other industries include construction and mining, manufacturing, transportation, communication and networking utilities, finance, insurance, real estate, and government. Furthermore, all branches of the U.S. armed forces are represented in Spokane County. The largest military facility in the area is Fairchild Air Force Base. Sizable companies with locations in the Spokane region include Agilent, Cisco, F5 Networks, General Dynamics, Goodrich Corporation, Itron, Kaiser Aluminum, Telect, and Triumph Composite Systems.
As the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest as well as southern British Columbia and Alberta, Spokane serves as a commercial, manufacturing, transportation, medical, shopping, and entertainment hub. The city is also the hub for the service industries, and the wholesale and retail trade center of the Inland Northwest region. Due in part because Spokane is the largest city between Seattle and Minneapolis and because it lies along the route to many regional attractions, tourism is on the rise in the area. Spokane can be a "base camp" for activities such as river rafting, camping, and other activities in the region.
Culture
Life in Spokane is heavily influenced by its climate and geographical location. Spokane experiences a four-season climate, and is close in proximity to dozens of lakes and rivers for swimming, boating, rafting, and fishing, as well as mountains for skiing, hiking, and biking. As a result, Spokane can be characterized as an "outdoorsy" city. Within a short drive from Spokane, visitors can find 76 lakes, 33 golf courses, 11 wineries, five ski resorts, five major national parks, the Columbia River gorge, and Grand Coulee Dam. Glacier National Park is just four hours away from Spokane, and Mt. Rainier National Park is four and a half hours away; other national parks are less than an eight-hour drive away, including the United States' Yellowstone National Park, and Canada's Banff and Jasper National Parks in the Canadian Rockies.
Spokane is big enough to support urban culture (such as Broadway performances, museums, shopping, and dining, etc.), but at the same time is small enough to support annual events and traditions that have a small town atmosphere. There are several museums in the city, most notably the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, a Smithsonian affiliate museum that houses a large collection of Native American artifacts as well as regional and national traveling art exhibits. Located in Browne's Addition amid the mansions of Spokane's late 19th-century golden age, the Museum is in a secluded setting a few blocks from the center of downtown.
In the past decades, the Spokane metro area has seen an influx of new residents, drawn to the region by its natural beauty, wealth of recreational activities, weather, relatively low cost of living, and vibrant job market. Spokane was rated #49 on the Men's Journal 2005 "50 Best Places to Live" list, #77 on the CNNMoney 2008 "100 Best Places to Live and Launch" list, #5 on the Forbes Magazine 2005 "Safest Places to Live" list, and #35 on the Inc. Magazine 2005 "150 Best Places for Doing Business in America" list. Spokane was awarded the All-American City Award by the National Civic League in 2004.
Arts and theater
Spokane boasts a variety of visual and performing arts scenes. These attractions include a major civic theater as well as several smaller ones, a symphony, jazz orchestra, and other musical venues, and an opera.
Spokane has a vibrant art scene. Spokane's two main Artwalk dates (the first Friday of February and October) attract large crowds to the art districts. Spokane's main art districts are located in the Davenport District, the Garland Village, and East Sprague. The First Friday Artwalk, which occurs the first Friday of every month, is dedicated to local vendors and performers displaying art around Downtown. In addition, Spokane is home to a number of art galleries, many of which are in the Davenport District, such as the Gallery of Thum and the Lorinda Knight Gallery. Another notable gallery in Spokane is Gonzaga's Jundt Art Museum on the Gonzaga campus, which shows traveling exhibits and houses Gonzaga's own art collections. The Davenport District is also home to many of the Spokane's main performing arts venues, such as Goodworks Co-op, beneath Ella's Supper Club, which projects silent black and white movies on the back of the Fox Theater each night.
Spokane offers an array of musical performances catering to a variety of interests. The Spokane Symphony Orchestra presents a full season of classical music, and the Spokane Jazz Orchestra, a full season of jazz music. The Spokane Symphony is a non-profit organization that was originally incorporated as the Spokane Philharmonic in 1945. The Spokane Jazz Orchestra is a non-profit organization formed in 1962 that claims to be the nation's oldest, continually performing, professional, and community-supported 17 piece big band.
Theater is provided by Spokane's only resident professional company, Interplayers Ensemble. Theater is also provided by Spokane Civic Theatre and several amateur community theaters and smaller groups.
Fox Theater, which has been restored to its original 1931 Art Deco state, is the home of the Spokane Symphony. The Metropolitan Performing Arts Center was restored in 1988 and renamed Bing Crosby Theater in honor of Spokane native Bing Crosby in 2006.
Parks and recreation
The Spokane area offers an abundance of outdoor activities that can be enjoyed in outlying natural areas that may cater to a variety of interests, including miles of hiking trails, many lakes for fishing and watersports, and numerous parks for sightseeing.
In 1907, Spokane's board of park commissioners retained 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 the city early on as a leader among Western cities in the development of a city-wide park system. Today, Spokane has a system of over 75 parks totaling . Some of the most notable parks in Spokane's extensive park system are Riverfront Park, Manito Park and Botanical Gardens, Riverside State Park, and the John A. Finch Arboretum.
Riverfront Park, created after Expo '74 and occupying the same site, is 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 that is a rebuilt gondola that carries visitors across the falls from high above the river gorge, a 5-story IMAX theater, and a small amusement park (which is converted into an ice-skating rink during the winter months) with numerous rides and concessions. The park is host to a full schedule of family entertainment and events such as the Bloomsday Post-Race Celebration, Hoopfest, the IMAX Film Festival, Spokane Music Festival, Pig Out in the Park, Restaurant Fair, Pow Wow, New Years Eve Celebration, and outdoor concerts and other community activities. The park also includes the hand-carved Riverfront Park Looff carousel created in 1909 by Charles I. D. Looff as a wedding present for his daughter. The carousel still operates in Riverfront Park, where riders can participate in an old-time ring toss. The carousel continues to offer a free ride to the rider who grabs the brass ring. Riverfront Park also includes ample views of the Spokane falls as well as other water features of the Spokane River. Manito Park and Botanical Gardens, on Spokane's South Hill, has a duck pond, a central conservatory named in memory of Dr. David Gaiser, Duncan Garden, a classical European Renaissance style garden, and the Nishinomiya Japanese Garden designed by Nagao Sakurai. Riverside State Park, is a scenic park close to downtown that is a site for hiking, mountain biking, and rafting. The John A. Finch Arboretum, is a public arboretum featuring a variety of rare and native trees and wildlife.
A more active way to see natural sites in the Spokane area include travelling the Spokane River Centennial Trail, which features over of paved trails running along the Spokane River from Sontag Park in west Spokane to the east shore of Lake Coeur d'Alene in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. This trail is often used for alternative transportation and recreational use, such as running, walking, cycling or skating.
In addition to the park system within the city, there are many natural areas where outdoors activities can be enjoyed close by. In the summer, one may visit Lake Coeur d'Alene, Lake Pend Oreille, Priest Lake, or one of the other nearby bodies of water. The Spokane area has 76 lakes and numerous rivers, where various water sports, fishing, camping, and rafting can take place. In the winter, the public has access to five ski resorts within a couple hours of the city, including Schweitzer Mountain Resort in Sandpoint, Idaho, Silver Mountain Resort in Kellogg, Idaho, Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area in Mullan, Idaho and 49 Degrees North Ski Area in Chewelah, Washington. The closest ski area is Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park, operated by a non-profit organization. Mt. Spokane has trails for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and dog sledding. During the non-winter months, hikers and mountain bikers may use the trails.
Events and activities
Spokane is home to annual events and attractions that draw people from the surrounding area. The Lilac Bloomsday Run, held on the first Sunday of each May, is a race for walkers and competitive runners, which is the largest timed road race in the world, typically drawing about 45,000 participants. Hoopfest, the largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament in the world, is held the last weekend in June, and has a variety of participants, from kids, teens, and adults to former college and NBA players, in their respective brackets. Hoopfest started in 1989 with just 300+ teams, but now the event averages more than 25,000 participants or around 6,000 3-4 person teams annually.
Film festivals held in Spokane include The Spokane International Film Festival. Held every February, it is a small, juried festival that features documentaries and shorts from around the world. The Spokane Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, which is held every November, features contemporary, "independent films" of interest to the GLBT community. Also, The Garland Village Arts & Music Festival takes place the second Saturday every August.
Other notable events in Spokane include Japan Week, Get Lit!, and The Spokane Pride Parade. Japan Week is held in April and celebrates the sister-city relationship with Nishinomiya, Hyogo, demonstrating the many commonalities shared between the two cities. Students from the Spokane campus of Mukogawa Institute, Whitworth University, Gonzaga University, Spokane Falls and Spokane Community College organize an array of Japanese cultural events, in addition to a number of others that take place around the city. Get Lit! is an annual literary festival held each April for readers and writers sponsored by the Eastern Washington University Press. Get Lit! features author presentations, reading and writing workshops, panels, and author visitations to schools throughout the eastern Washington and northern Idaho area. The Spokane Pride Parade held each June draws gays, lesbians, and others in celebration of the value of diversity.
Sports
Spokane's professional sports teams include the Spokane Shock (af2), Spokane Indians (Northwest League), Spokane Chiefs (Western Hockey League), and the Spokane Spiders (Premier Development League).
In 1995, the Spokane Public Facilities District opened Spokane's premier sports venue, the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena to replace the aging Spokane Coliseum. In the years since the Spokane Arena opened, it along with the city of Spokane have played host to several major sporting events. The first major event the 1998 Memorial Cup, the championship game of the Canadian Hockey League. Four years later in 2002, Spokane hosted the 2002 Skate America figure skating competition, as well as the first two rounds of NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament. In 2003 and 2007 the NCAA returned to Spokane with the Division I Men's Tournament, and again in 2008 with the Women's tournament.
The biggest sports event hosted in Spokane history was the 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The event set an attendance record, selling nearly 155,000 tickets and passing the previous mark of 125,000 set by the 2002 United States Figure Skating Championships in Los Angeles and was later named the Sports Event of the Year by Sports Travel Magazine, beating out notable events, including Super Bowl XLI, among others. Fans, analysts and athletes, including Ice Dancing champion Tanith Belbin, spoke highly of the city's performance as host, which included large, supportive crowds. Spokane was also a candidate city for the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships, losing its bid to Los Angeles. On May 5, 2008, it was announced that Spokane will once again host the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 2010—ending eighteen days before the start of the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.
The Spokane Arena is the perennial host to the State 'B' Basketball Tournament, which brings athletes and fans from across Washington to Spokane. With the split of the 'B' classification in 2006, in 2007 the city began to host the State 2B (the state's second smallest class) Basketball Championships.
Although Spokane lacks any major, nationally recognized professional sports teams, Spokane has a sports friendly atmosphere, and was recognized and rated #99 in the Sporting News 2006 "99 Best Sporting Cities" list. Spokane is associated as being home to some sports teams that have gained national recognition in the their respective arenas.
Spokane is the home of the Gonzaga Bulldogs and their NCAA Division I college basketball program that competes in the West Coast Conference (WCC). Although the WCC is often considered a "mid-major" conference, the Gonzaga basketball program is often considered a major program. Gonzaga is one of only nine schools to have reached each of the past ten NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournaments and is the only school that is not from a major conference to do so.
Media
Spokane is serviced by a variety of print media. Newspaper service includes its only major daily newspaper, The Spokesman-Review, as well as other more specialized publications including the weekly alternative newspaper, The Pacific Northwest Inlander, the bi-weekly business journal, The Spokane Journal of Business, the bi-weekly GLBT paper, Stonewall News, a monthly outdoor activities paper, Out There Monthly, and the monthly paper covering the Garland neighborhood, The Garland Times.
Spokane also has several community magazines. Spokane Coeur d'Alene Living is a monthly home and lifestyle magazine, The Spokane Sidekick is a bi-weekly arts & entertainment guide, Northwest Woman Magazine is a bi-monthly regional publication designed for women in the Northwest, The Word is a monthly humor publication, HomeTeam Sports is a tabloid dedicated to local sports in the area, The Finger is a quarterly magazine for the disillusioned, and The Family Guide is an annual publication distributed through the Spokane and Coeur d' Alene grade schools that contains resources to celebrate and strengthen family life in the Inland Northwest.
According to Arbitron, Spokane is the 92nd largest radio market in the United States with 480,800 listeners aged 12 and over. Twenty-eight AM and FM radio stations broadcast in Spokane. Spokane has one low power (LPFM) community radio station - KYRS-LP. KYRS serves the Spokane area with progressive perspectives, filling needs that other media do not, providing programming to diverse communities and unserved or under-served groups.
Spokane is the 75th largest television market in the United States, accounting for 0.364% of the total TV households in the United States. Spokane has six television stations representing the major commercial networks and public television. The city is the television broadcast center for much of eastern Washington (except the Yakima and Tri-Cities area), north Idaho, northwestern Montana, northeastern Oregon, and parts of Canada (by cable television). Montana and Alberta, Canada are in the Mountain Time Zone and receive Spokane broadcasts one hour earlier by their local time. Spokane receives broadcasts in the Pacific Time Zone. The major network television affiliates include KREM-TV 2 (CBS), KXLY-TV 4 (ABC), KHQ-TV 6 (NBC) (Spokane's first television station and the second-oldest station in Washington, signing on the air on December 20, 1952), KSPS-TV 7 (PBS), KXMN-LP 11 (MNTV), KSKN-TV 22 (CW), KCDT-TV 26 (PBS operating out of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho), KAYU-TV 28 (Fox), KGPX-TV 34 (ION), KQUP 47LP (RTN) (translator for ch. 24 in Pullman, Washington), and K55EB 55 (TBN) (a translator for KTBN).
Government
The City of Spokane operates under a Mayor-Council form of government, also referred to as a "Strong Mayor". Spokane switched to a Strong Mayor system in January 2001, after 40 years of running under a Council-Manager system. Spokane passed the initiative changing the form of government in November of 1999. The Strong Mayor initiative created distinct legislative and executive branches within the city government. Under the Strong Mayor form of government, there are two distinct branches of government: the Executive (Mayor) and the Legislative (City Council). The City Council sets the policy direction for the city. The Mayor, as the Chief Executive Officer for the City of Spokane, is in charge of operating city government and implementing the policies developed by the City Council.
Other key elected members in the government are the seven members of the Spokane City Council (two elected from each of three districts, plus a President elected through a city-wide vote), who make up the legislative branch of the city's government. In addition to setting policy, the City Council passes ordinances, and guides the city through legislative efforts. The current City Council President is Joe Shogan.
The current mayor of Spokane is Mary Verner; she became mayor on November 27, 2007, replacing Dennis P. Hession, who conceded on November 9, 2007. Hession was sworn in on January 3, 2006, after the recall of Jim West.
The state of Washington is currently represented by Governor Christine Gregoire and represented in the United States Senate by Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray; at the district level, Spokane is in Washington's 5th congressional district, and represented in the United States House of Representatives by Cathy McMorris Rodgers.
Education
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the total school enrollment in Spokane was 53,000 from 2005-2007. Nursery school and kindergarten enrollment was 5,300 and elementary or high school enrollment was 30,000 children. College or graduate school enrollment was 18,000.
From 2005-2007, 90 percent of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 27 percent had a bachelor's degree or higher. Ten percent were dropouts; they were not enrolled in school and had not graduated from high school.
Serving the general educational needs of the local population are two public library districts, the Spokane Public Library and the Spokane County Library District. Founded in 1904 with funding from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, the Spokane Public Library system comprises of a downtown library overlooking Spokane Falls and 6 branch libraries. Special collections include Northwest history, genealogy, Washington state, and Spokane County government documents.
Spokane Public Schools (District 81) is the main and largest public school system in Spokane and the second largest in the state, serving roughly 30,000 students. Spokane School District has 6 high schools, 6 middle schools, and 34 elementary schools. Two other public school districts in the Spokane area are Central Valley School District, and Mead School District, serving approximately 12,000 and 9,100 students respectively. A variety of state-approved private elementary and secondary schools augment the public school system.
Spokane is home to many higher education institutions. They include the private universities, Gonzaga and Whitworth, and the public Community Colleges of Spokane system as well as an ITT Tech campus. Gonzaga University and Law School, founded by the Jesuits in 1887, offers 43 undergraduate degree programs, 26 masters' degree programs, a doctoral program in educational leadership, and a Juris Doctor. Whitworth was founded in 1890 and is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church; the school offers degrees in over 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. While Spokane is one of the larger cities in the United States to lack a main campus of a state-supported university within its city limits, Eastern Washington University (EWU) and Washington State University (WSU) have operations at the Riverpoint Campus, just adjacent to downtown and across the Spokane River from the Gonzaga campus. The main EWU campus is located southwest of Spokane in nearby Cheney, and WSU is located to the south in Pullman. The Riverpoint campus is also home to the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute (SIRTI), a Washington state economic development agency that accelerates the development and growth of innovative technology companies, particularly in the Inland Northwest.
Infrastructure
Healthcare
Spokane is the hub for medical services in the Inland Northwest. Six major hospitals are located in Spokane, four of which are full service facilities. The region's healthcare needs are served primarily by Seattle-based Providence Health & Services and Spokane-based Empire Health Services, two non-profit organizations who run the two biggest hospitals in Spokane, Sacred Heart Medical Center (Spokane), and Deaconess Medical Center, respectively. The two hospitals, along with a majority of Spokane's major health care facilities are located on Spokane's Lower-South Hill, just south of downtown. The close proximity of the hospitals, doctors' offices, and specialized clinics scattered around this area, form what is known as the "Medical District" of Spokane.
The quality of healthcare in Spokane attracts patients from beyond the region. Deaconess Medical Center has been ranked as a Top 100 Heart Hospital five times in the last eight years by Solucient, and is ranked among the top 10 percent in the nation for cardiology services by HealthGrades. Deaconess is a 270-bed facility that specializes in providing cardiac and critical care services. Sacred Heart Medical Center is a 575-bed facility that specializes in cardiac services.
Other hospitals in the area include the Spokane Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the northwest part of town, Holy Family Hospital on the north side, and Valley Hospital and Medical Center in Spokane Valley. One of the twenty Shriners Hospitals in the United States is also located in Spokane.
Transportation
Roads and highways
Spokane's streets use a street grid that is oriented to the four cardinal directions. Generally in Spokane, the east-west roads are designated as avenues, and the north-south roads are referred to as streets. Major east-west thoroughfares in the city include Francis, Wellesley, Mission, Sprague, and 29th avenues. North-south arteries include Maple, Monroe, Division, Hamilton, Greene-Market, Argonne, and Sullivan streets.
Spokane is primarily served by Interstate 90, which runs east-west from Seattle, through downtown Spokane, and eastward through Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, and onward to Coeur d'Alene. Although they are not limited access highways like I-90, US 2 and US 395 enter Spokane from the west via I-90 and continue north through Spokane via Division St. The two highways share the same route until they reach "The Y", where US 395 continues northward to Deer Park then onward to Canada, and US 2 branches off to the northeast, continuing to Mead, Chattaroy, Newport, and Sandpoint.
Over the past decade, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has aggressively improved local highways to keep up with the region's growth and to try to prevent congestion problems that plague many large cities around the country. In 2005, the WSDOT completed the first two phases of its I-90 Spokane-Idaho State Line widening project. Currently the interstate has been widened to six lanes through Spokane Valley, but another $210 million in funding is still needed to widen the last segment between Sullivan Road and the Idaho state line.
The Department of Transportation is also constructing the US 395 North Spokane Corridor. When completed, the corridor will be a long limited access highway that will run from I-90 in the vicinity of the Thor/Freya interchange northward through Spokane, meeting the existing US 395 just south of Wandermere Golf Course. The north-south freeway is expected to take over $2 billion to complete (over $3 billion if inflation is factored in). The first segment of the freeway is scheduled to be open in the Spring of 2009. The rest of the freeway will be built as funding is made available.
Public transportation
Before the influx of automobiles, people got around by using Spokane's streetcar system. Many of the older side streets in Spokane still have visible streetcar rails embedded in them to this day, as they were never removed.
Today, mass transportation throughout the Spokane area is provided by the Spokane Transit Authority (STA). STA currently operates approximately 151 buses and has a service area that covers roughly . A large percentage of STA bus routes originate from the central hub, the STA Plaza, in downtown Spokane. Passengers who stop at The Plaza can transfer to virtually any other of Spokane Transit's routes.
Talk of constructing a rapid-transit system began in earnest in the late-1990s, with a light rail system being a preferred option to bus rapid transit. The proposed light rail line was to run from The Plaza eastward through the Spokane Valley to Liberty Lake, with future extensions from The Plaza to Spokane International Airport, Liberty Lake to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and a line running in the median of the currently-being-constructed, North Spokane Corridor. In 2005, the $263 million project was narrowly defeated by voters, shelving the project for the time being. A non-profit, non-partisan citizens group, The Inland Empire Rail Transit Association (also known as InlandRail), was created to continue the public dialog.
Spokane has rail and bus service provided by Amtrak and Greyhound via the Spokane Intermodal Center. The city is a stop for Amtrak's Empire Builder on its way from Chicago. Through service continues once a night to both Seattle and Portland, a reflection of the old Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway.
Airports
Spokane, Eastern Washington and North Idaho are served by Spokane International Airport (GEG), which has no international flights (except to Canada). Spokane International Airport is the second largest airport in the state of Washington and is recognized by the FAA as a small hub. The airport is located west of downtown Spokane and is approximately a 10-minute drive away. Spokane International Airport is served by ten major airlines and three air cargo carriers. The international airport three letter designation is "GEG", a result and legacy of the Geiger Field days prior to 1960, when the airport was was named after Army aviator Major Harold Geiger in 1941.
Felts Field is a general aviation airport serving Spokane County and is located in east Spokane along the Spokane River. Felts Field served as Spokane's primary airport until Spokane International Airport was built. Today the terminal building, among others at the airport, still stand and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sister cities
Spokane has six sister cities:
Nishinomiya, Japan – since September, 1961 (Spokane's first sister city)
Limerick, Ireland
Jecheon, South Korea
Jilin, China
Makhachkala, Russia
Lübeck, Germany
See also
Further reading
- Stratton, David H. Spokane and the Inland Empire (Revised Edition): An Interior Pacific Northwest Anthology. Pullman, Washington: Washington State University Press, 2005. ISBN 978-0-87422-277-7
External links
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