A Brief History of Spokane WA

For years before the coming of European explorers, the land around the present-day city was settled by the Spokane tribe. Explorers and trappers passed through the area, but no settlements were built until 1810, when Finan McDonald and Joco Finlay built a trading post called Spokane House at the junction of the Spokane and Little Spokane rivers.

The great westward expansion of the 1840s attracted a number of settlers to the area. This resulted in some unfortunate clashes between natives and settlers, and had a nasty outcome.

In 1871 J. J. Downing and his family located a claim on the banks of the Spokane River, he named it Spokane Falls. Within one year, the small settlement included a sawmill, a post office, and a general store. The town was incorporated in 1881, with a population of 75 people. The transcontinental railroad reached Spokane Falls in 1883, ensuring the town's success. By 1890, the city had a population of 30,000 people and changed its name to Spokane.