Spokane (pronounced [spoʊ̯ˈkæn]) is a city located in Eastern Washington. The seat of Spokane County, Spokane is the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest, is the second largest city in Washington state, and the fourth largest city in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The most recent US Census figures, released in July of 2006, show that the city's population has increased to about 198,000, while recent state figures put the city's population over 202,000. Estimates show nearly a half a million people reside in Spokane County (Spokane's official metropolitan area as recognized by the U.S. Census). The Coeur d'Alene, Idaho metropolitan area is not recognized as a part of the Spokane metropolitan area mainly because it is on the other side of the Washington-Idaho state line, but the two areas are unified economically, and if combined, would account for a metro population of nearly 600,000 people.

The city is located along the Spokane River, where the river descends from the Selkirk Mountain range into the Columbia Plateau. It is less than 20 miles from the Washington-Idaho border and is located 280 miles (450 km) east of Seattle and 375 miles (600 km) northeast of Portland.

The city was settled in 1872 [4] as "Spokan Falls" (without an 'e' at the end), drawing on the Native American tribe known as the Spokane, which means "Children of the Sun.” [5] The city's name is often mispronounced "Spo-CANE", while the correct pronunciation is "spo-CAN". Spokane's official nickname is the 'Lilac City', named after the flowers that have flourished ever since their introduction to the area in the early 20th century.

Contents 1 History 1.1 The Great Fire 1.2 Great Northern Railway 1.3 1974 World's Fair 2 Government 3 Spokane and its metropolitan area 3.1 Neighborhoods 3.2 Geography and climate 4 Demographics 5 Education 5.1 Colleges and universities 6 Transportation 6.1 Mass transit 6.2 Highways 6.2.1 Fighting congestion 6.3 Air travel 6.4 Rail 7 Parks and recreation 8 Sports 9 Events and activities 10 In popular culture 11 Notable people 11.1 Musicians 11.2 Artists 11.3 Sports 11.4 Actors 11.5 Politicians 11.6 Other 12 Local media 12.1 Print media 12.2 Television 12.3 Radio 13 Sister cities 14 Further reading 15 See also 16 External links 17 Notes

 

History

 

In 1871 two squatters named James J. Downing and Seth Scranton built a small sawmill on a claim located near the south bank of the Spokane falls. James N. Glover and Jasper Matheney, two Oregonians who were passing through the region recognized the value of the Spokane river and its falls. In 1873 Glover purchased the sawmill and the claim from Downing. He later purchased some more property from Scranton on the north end of the falls. Glover eventually bought out his partner Matheney and opened Spokane's first bank. Glover was considered the founding father of Spokane and later became one of its first mayors as well.

Spokane Falls was a gathering place for the area's indigenous people due to the abundance of salmon in the Spokane River. Camp Spokane was established by the U.S. Army at a location 56 Miles Northwest of Spokane as a consolidation of the garrisons at Fort Colville, and Camp Chelan on October 21, 1880. The intent was to protect the construction of the Northern Pacific Railway, and to secure the location for U.S. settlement. By 1881, the Northern Pacific Railway was completed at this point, bringing European settlement. The city of Spokan Falls (without an 'e'; the 'e' was added in 1883[6]) was officially incorporated on November 29, 1881. In 1891, the name was changed to Spokane [7]. The President of the first City Council, was mill owner and Methodist minister Samuel G. Havermale.

 

The Great Fire

In the summer of 1889, a fire 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. When volunteer fire fighters attempted to quench the flames, they found their hoses were unusable. Eventually winds died down and the fire exhausted of its own accord. 27 blocks of Spokane's downtown were destroyed.

 

Great Northern Railway

While the damage caused by the fire was a devastating blow, Spokane continued to grow. Just three years after the fire, in 1892, the Great Northern railroad reached Spokane and built a rail yard that made Spokane a transportation hub for the area. The first rail yard, built by James J. Hill, was completed in 1902. The clock tower currently in Riverfront Park was built as part of the depot and is one of the biggest in the Northwest, with each of its clock faces measuring 9 feet (2.7 m) across. The clock tower is the only part of the depot that remains standing to this day.

 

1974 World's Fair

 

Spokane hosted the environmentally themed Expo '74, becoming the then-smallest city to ever host a World's Fair. This event transformed Spokane's downtown, removing a century of railroad industry that built the city and reinventing the urban core.

Many of the structures built for the World's Fair are still standing and in use. The United States Pavilion now houses an IMAX theater, and the Washington State Pavilion became the INB Performing Arts Center. The Expo site itself became the 100-acre (40 ha) Riverfront Park, containing, among other features, the U.S. Pavilion, the turn-of-the-20th-century (and meticulously preserved) Looff Carousel, and the Great Northern Railway clock tower, the last remnant of the vast rail depot that was demolished for Expo '74. The U.S. Pavilion and the clock tower are prominently featured in the park's logo.

 

Government

The City of Spokane operates under a Mayor-Council form of government, also referred to as "Strong Mayor." It switched to a Strong Mayor system in January 2001, after 40 years of running under a Council-Manager system[8].

The Mayor of Spokane is Dennis P. Hession. He was formerly the City Council President and became the new mayor on December 16, 2005 after the recall of the late Jim West. The City Council consists of seven members: two elected from each of three districts, plus a president elected at large. The current City Council President is Joe Shogan.

Spokane is in Washington's 5th congressional district, and is currently represented by 2nd-term Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (a Republican).

See also: List of mayors of Spokane, Washington

 

Spokane and its metropolitan area

The City of Spokane covers an area of 58.5 sq mi (151.6 sq km). Spokane is surrounded by many unincorporated communities (and several incorporated cities), which make up the suburbs of Spokane. They include Cheney, Airway Heights, Mead, Colbert, Spokane Valley, and Liberty Lake. Across the border in Idaho, are Post Falls, Idaho and Coeur d'Alene.

 

Neighborhoods

 

Much of Spokane's is reflected in its large variety of neighborhoods. Neighborhoods range from the late Victorian-era style Browne's Addition, to the Davenport Arts District of Downtown, to the more contemporary neighborhoods of North Spokane. Virtually every social class is represented. Some of the neighborhoods are officially recognized by the city, while others are not, but are commonly thought of as distinct neighborhoods by residents.

 

Geography and climate

Spokane is located at the eastern edge of the Columbia Plateau's wheat farms and steppe, where they meet the forested Rocky Mountain foothills, the Selkirk Mountains. The Spokane River, a major tributary of the Columbia River, passes through the city, tumbling through a series of falls in the middle of downtown.

Spokane has a continental, semi-arid climate, with cold winters averaging around 40 inches of snow a year and warm, and sunny summers with temperatures usually in the 80's and 90's and occasionally getting into the 100's. The Cascade Mountains to the west shield the city from the direct modifying effect of Pacific Ocean air, and Idaho's mountains to the east help to protect it from the worst effects of arctic air in winter. Precipitation is concentrated in the cooler half of the year, with the summer typically having dry and stable weather.

Link to NWS Spokane Office (National Weather Service) – http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/otx/

[hide]Weather averages for Spokane, Washington
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °F (°C)	32 (0)	39 (4)	47 (8)	57 (14)	66 (19)	84 (29)	83 (28)	82 (28)	73 (23)	58 (14)	41 (5)	33 (1)	54 (12)
Average low °F (°C)	20 (-7)	25 (-4)	29 (-2)	35 (2)	43 (6)	49 (9)	55 (13)	54 (12)	46 (8)	36 (2)	29 (-2)	22 (-6)	37 (3)
Precipitation inch (mm)	2.5 (63.5)	1.5 (38.1)	1.5 (38.1)	1.1 (27.9)	1.5 (38.1)	1.3 (33)	0.6 (15.2)	0.7 (17.8)	0.8 (20.3)	1.2 (30.5)	2.1 (53.3)	2.3 (58.4)	16.9 (429.3)
Source: Weatherbase.com [1]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 58.5 square miles (151.6 km²), of which, 57.8 square miles (149.6 km²) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.0 km²) of it (1.30%) is water.

 

Demographics

As of the 2006 censusGR2 estimates, there were 198,081 people [9], 81,512 households, and 47,276 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,387.0 people per square mile (1,307.7/km²). There were 87,941 housing units at an average density of 1,522.6 per square mile (587.8/km²).

The most recent ethnic percentages as of 2005 [10] are 88.9% White, 4.4% Multiracial, 3.5% Hispanic, 2.5% Asian, 2.0% African American, 1.5% Native American, 0.6% from other races 0.2% Pacific Islander. 20.7% were of German, 10.8% Irish, 9.6% English, 6.8% United States or American and 5.8% Norwegian ancestry according to Census 2000. Ukrainian, Russian and other eastern European immigrants make up around 4% of the White population.

There were 81,512 households out of which 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 93.0 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. 15.9% of the population and 11.1% of families were below the poverty line. 19.3% of those under the age of 18 and 9.6% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Since February 2005 the population has seen a rapid increase, which attributed to the decrease in the average cost of living and and increase in the job market. Spokane was #49 on the Men's Journal 2005 "50 Best Places to Live" list[11], #5 on the Forbes Magazine 2005 "Safest Places to Live" list[12], and #35 on the Inc. Magazine 2005 "Top US Cities for Doing Business" list.[13]

 

Education

 

Colleges and universities

• Eastern Washington University - Spokane Riverpoint Campus (main EWU campus is located 15 miles southwest of Spokane in Cheney, WA)
• Gonzaga University
• Whitworth University
• Washington State University Spokane - Riverpoint Campus
• Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute - American campus of Mukogawa Women's University, Nishinomiya, Japan.

Community Colleges

• Spokane Community College
• Spokane Falls Community College

Historical

• Spokane University in the Spokane Valley, closed in 1933
• Spokane Art Center, a Federal Art Project during the Great Depression
• Holy Names College (1960–1963) later named Fort George Wright College (1963–1982) eventually merged with the adjacent Spokane Falls Community College

 

Transportation

 

Mass transit

Spokane's mass transit services are provided by the Spokane Transit Authority (STA).

 

Highways

• The major interstate running through Spokane is I-90. Starting from the west, I-90 runs through Downtown Spokane, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, and continues east to Coeur d'Alene.
• 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, and US-2 branches off to the northeast, continuing to Mead, Colbert, Chattaroy, and Sandpoint.

 

Fighting congestion

In an attempt to avoid the future nightmare of major gridlock, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), in the past 10 years, has aggressively improved local highways, and looks to continually keep up with the region's growth in the future.

There are several major construction projects that are currently going.

• The WSDOT has been widening Interstate 90 in the past decade. The department's master plan is to widen the freeway all the way to the Idaho state line. It has completed two phases of that plan so far. In 2001, the WSDOT completed widening Interstate 90 to six lanes from Sprague Avenue to Argonne Road. Four years later in 2005, it finished the second phase of the widening project from Argonne Road to Sullivan Road. Currently, $166 million is still needed to widen the last segment between Sullivan Road and the Idaho state line. [14]
• Traffic cameras have been installed along the I-90 corridor and in various spots in Spokane so that traffic flow can be closely monitored and dealt with accordingly.

• The construction of the US 395 NSC, more commonly known as the North Spokane Corridor, or simply the North-South Freeway, is the biggest road construction project (with the exception of the construction of I-90) ever to be implemented in Spokane. Currently under construction, the plan is to build a 10.5 mile, limited-access corridor that will link I-90 from about Freya Street to US-395 at Wandermere. As of today, a three and a half mile section has been graded on the north end, with four interchange bridges built. If the project is fully funded today (which it is not), the earliest it could be completed would be 10 years from now.

 

Air travel

Spokane, Eastern Washington and North Idaho is served by Spokane International Airport. The airport lies west of the city, and is a 10 minute drive to downtown. The airport is the second largest in the state of Washington. The international airport three letter designation is GEG, a result of the legacy Geiger Field days. Geiger is now a National Guard landing field and general aviation.

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 SIA was built. Today the terminal building, among others at the airport, still stand and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

 

Rail

 

Spokane is a major rail junction served by the Amtrak service Empire Builder from Chicago. Through service continues to both Seattle and Portland, Oregon, a reflection of the old Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway.

 

Parks and recreation

In 1907, Spokane's board of park commissioners retained the services of the Olmsted Brothers to draw up a plan for Spokane parks. Today, Spokane has a system of over 75 parks totaling 3,500 acres, with parks ranging in size from the quarter-acre Skeet-So-Mish Park playground to the 464-acre Palisades Park conservation area. Some of the parks in Spokane’s extensive park system are listed below:

• Riverfront Park, created after Expo '74 and occupying the same site, is one hundred acres 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 the Skyride (a recently rebuilt gondola that carries visitors across the falls from high above the river gorge), the 5-story IMAX theater, and numerous rides and concessions. Various festivals are held in the park throughout the year. A new "Great Gorge Park," originally designed by the Olmsted Brothers, is being proposed as an extension of Riverfront Park along the deep river gorge through the Peaceful Valley neighborhood.
• 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.
• Riverside State Park is close to downtown and is a site for hiking, mountain biking, rafting, and also has scenic views.
• The Centennial Trail has over thirty-seven miles of paved trails running along the Spokane River and across the metropolitan area for running, walking, bicycling or inline skating. Informational signs and parking are provided along the trail, which runs from west of Spokane into Idaho.
• Highbridge Park and People's Park: These two parks are located in Peaceful Valley, where it meets Hangman creek.
• The John A. Finch Arboretum is a 57-acre public arboretum featuring a variety of rare and native trees and wildlife.
• Downriver Park, near Riverside State Park and Downriver Golf Course, has a championship 21-hole disc golf course adjoining the Spokane River. Another 18-hole disc golf course can be found in High Bridge Park, near downtown. Maps and information are available at: Spokane Disc Golf Association
• Award-winning, city-owned golf courses include: The Creek at Qualchan, Indian Canyon, Esmerelda, Downriver, and Hangman golf courses. In addition, the Spokane Country Club and Manito Country Club offer private memberships to their own courses. Spokane County also runs a number of public courses
• In the summer Spokane residents may visit Lake Coeur d'Alene, Priest Lake, Lake Pend Oreille, or one of the other nearby bodies of water. The Spokane area has numerous lakes and rivers, where various water sports, fishing, camping, and rafting take place.
• In the winter, Spokane residents have access to five ski resorts within a few hours of the city. A non-profit organization operates nearby Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park. Mt. Spokane also has trails for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and dog sledding. During the non-winter months, hikers and mountain bikers use the trails.

 

Sports

Club	Sport	League	Stadium (or Arena)
Gonzaga Bulldogs	NCAA Basketball	West Coast Conference	McCarthey Athletic Center
Spokane Braves	Ice Hockey	Kootenay International Junior Hockey League	Eagles Ice Arena
Spokane Chiefs	Ice Hockey	Western Hockey League (U.S. Division)	Spokane Arena
Spokane Indians	Baseball	Northwest League (Eastern Division)	Avista Stadium
Spokane Sabercats	Football	Evergreen League	Lakeside High School
Spokane Shock	Arena Football	af2 (American West Division)	Spokane Arena
Spokane Spiders	Soccer	Premier Development League (Northwest Division)	Spokane Falls Stadium

Spokane hosted the 1998 Memorial Cup, the championship of the Canadian Hockey League, at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena.

Spokane hosted the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournaments in 2002 (Women's), 2003 (Men's) and 2007 (Men's) at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. The Tournament will again be held in Spokane in 2008 (Women's).

Spokane hosted the 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and set a record for attendance, selling nearly 155,000 tickets and passing the previous mark of 125,000 set by Los Angeles. 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. Skating analyst Dick Button said that Spokane should host that event in the future.

The Spokane Arena is also the perennial host to the State 'B' Basketball Tournament, which brings athletes and fans from many of Washington's smaller high schools to town. With the split of the 'B' classification in 2006, beginning in 2007 the city will be host to the State 2B (the state's second smallest class) Basketball Championships.

 

Events and activities

Spokane is home to a number of annual events and attractions that draw people from a large surrounding area:

• The Lilac Bloomsday Run, a 7.46 mile race for walkers and competitive runners, is the largest timed road race in the world, typically drawing about 45,000 participants [15]. It is held on the first Sunday of each May.
• Hoopfest is the largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament in the world. It 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. Started in 1989 with just 300+ teams, the event now annually averages more than 25,000 participants or around 6,000 3-man teams.
• Each April, Japan Week 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 College, 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.
• The Garland Village Arts & Music Festival takes place the second Saturday each August. 2006 will mark the 4th annual street fair. More information can be found at The Garland Village.
• Pig-Out In The Park is an annual summer festival celebrating the joy of food. Local restaurants set up booths all around Riverfront Park. Visitors can browse for food and listen to local bands perform. It is traditionally held over Labor Day weekend in early September.
• Tour Des Lacs is a two-day benefit bike ride that takes place in September. The route takes riders from Spokane to Coeur d'Alene and back, and includes short route options along the Centennial Trail. Routes vary in length from 80 to almost 200 miles and include breakfast, dinner, and food stops.
• Spokane is also home to a National Historic Landmark hand-carved carousel, created in 1909 by Charles I. D. Looff as a wedding present for his daughter. The carousel still operates in Riverfront Park, downtown, 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.
• The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture [16] 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.
• The Spokane Symphony performs a full season of concerts and the Spokane Jazz Orchestra is the oldest performing jazz orchestra in the United States.
• The Spokane Folklore Society hosts its annual Fall Folk Festival the first full weekend of November at the Spokane Community College.
• Mobius is a science center and children's museum.
• Gay Pride is the Inland Northwest's largest Gay & Lesbian celebration held every June.
• The Northwest Renaissance Festival is a renaissance festival north of Spokane that began in 1995. The festival's 13th Season will be open every weekend from June 23 to July 15, 2007 11am to 7pm.

 

In popular culture

Several motion pictures have been set and filmed (at least partially) in Spokane, including:

• Vision Quest (1985),
• Benny & Joon (1993),
• Shadow of Fear (2004),
• Hangman's Curse (2003), a movie adapted from the book with the same title by popular Christian author Frank Peretti,
• Mozart and the Whale (2005),
• The Cutter (2005( with Chuck Norris, and
• End Game (2006) with Cuba Gooding Jr. and Burt Reynolds.

The Comedy Central series Dog Bites Man was set in Spokane.

In an episode of the TV show Coach, Hayden Fox (Craig T. Nelson) is lauded as "The Man from Spokane" in an over-the-top presentation. Nelson is a one time Resident of Spokane.

Also, the movie Home of the Brave with Samuel L. Jackson and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson is set and takes place partly in Spokane.

The popular support tool "Spokane" draws its name from the fact that key developers were in the city when the project was devised.

In an episode of Frasier, Dr. Frasier Crane travels to Spokane to broadcast his show from a talk radio station there. There are two references to the "horses on the Looff" in this episode.

In a story arc of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, architect Ted Mosby is designing an 80 story skyscraper for downtown Spokane.

 

Notable people

See: Category:People from Spokane

 

Local media

 

Print media

Spokane is serviced by a variety of print media. Newspaper service includes its only daily newspaper, The Spokesman-Review; the weekly alternative newspaper, The Pacific Northwest Inlander; the bi-weekly business journal, The Spokane Journal of Business; the monthly GLBT paper, Stone Wall News Northwest; 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, The Finger, a quarterly magazine for the disillusioned; Spokane Coeur d'Alene Living, a monthly home and lifestyle magazine; "The Spokane Sidekick a bi-weekly arts & entertainment guide; The Word, a monthly humor publication. Northwest Woman Magazine and The Family Guide, Northwest Woman is a bi-monthly regional publication designed for women in the Northwest. The Family Guide is an annual publication distributed through the Spokane and Coeur d' Alene grade schools and is full of local resources to celebrate and strengthen family life in the Inland Northwest.

 

Television

Spokane serves as the television broadcast center for much the area along the border of Washington and Idaho, west to the Cascade Mountains, south to the Oregon border and North into Canada. Its major network television affiliates are KREM 2 (CBS), KXLY 4 (ABC), KHQ 6 (NBC), KSPS 7 (PBS), mytv 9, KSKN 22 (CW), KAYU 28 (Fox), KGPX 34 (ION). It also receives transmissions from KCDT 26 (PBS) based in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and KQUP-LP 47 (RTN) based in Pullman, Washington.

 

Radio

 

According to Arbitron, Spokane is the 92nd largest radio market in the United States with 480,800 age 12 and over [17].

 

Sister cities

In the cultural exchange program known as "Sister Cities" Spokane is twinned with:

• Nishinomiya, Japan since September, 1961 (Spokane's first sister city)
• Limerick, Ireland
• Jecheon, South Korea
• Jilin, China
• Makhachkala, Russia
• Lübeck, Germany