Before Spokane was founded in 1873, the Spokane Tribe of Indians inhabited much of northeastern Washington, almost 3 million acres to be more specific. The Spokane Tribe of Indians is one of the Interior Salish speaking tribes. They lived primarily along the banks of the Spokane and Columbia rivers. Spokane’s ancestors are river people who lived semi-nomadically, hunting, fishing, and gathering all the creator made available to them. Their diet mostly consisted of what was gained from the waterways, salmon, steelhead, eel, and shellfish.

In 1855 the military presence began to grow in the Pacific Northwest. White settlers were arriving on the Oregon Trail and by boat. The spring of 1858, marked the beginning of a number of battles between white settlers and the Spokane Tribe of Indians, along with other Tribes of the Pacific Northwest. Those battles include Steptoe, Four Lakes, and the Fire on the Plains. They stood up to defend their country as their families and way of life was threatened. President Rutherford B. Hayes established the Spokan Indian Reservation by executive order in 1881. Their traditional lands were reduced from 3 million acres to 156,000 acres. To learn more, watch this video.

The Northern Pacific Railroad arrived in Spokane in 1881 and was later transcontinentally linked in 1883. Spokane experienced its first boom when gold was discovered in the Coeur d’Alene mining district. This established Spokane as the service center for the mines in north Idaho. Suddenly, Spokane was the center of regional commerce and became the main gate to the Pacific Northwest thus establishing the Inland Empire.

Over the years, Spokane has kept much of its history through its buildings. Over half of Spokane’s downtown area is listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings. Spokane has the most designated National Register of Historic Districts in the state with 18 total districts.

One shining example is Riverside Place. President Theodore Roosevelt himself was present to hoist a shovel at its groundbreaking ceremony in 1903. Originally a Masonic Temple, the building's monumental, neoclassical form is curved to embrace the winding Spokane River. Recently, Riverside Place was transformed into a first-class event and wedding venue. With an interior boasting original marble stairways and stately oak woodwork, it is the perfect spot for once-in-a-lifetime special occasions.

Dating back to 1895, the Spokane Flour Mill was one of many built along the falls during the turn of the century. In preparation for the 1974 World's Fair, it was renovated into a shopping center. Now the Spokane Flour Mill contains a variety of small, local businesses sure to delight and enchant shoppers. Best of all, this touchstone to yesteryear has a convenient downtown location.