Geology/History

by Ty Brown Before Wandermere Golf Course was even in existence, the lake on the property was known for its winter pastime of ice skating. As far back as the late 1800s when Francis H. Cook owned the property and continuing through the ownership of Benjamin Laberee, the ice at Wandermere was a destination for wintertime recreation. Eventually with the purchase of the facility by Robert C. Ross and A. L. Doran, the soon to be Wandermere Golf Course, continued the traditions of the past. Ice skating was the first revenue generator of the business as the construction of the clubhouse was ongoing for the newly planned multi-sport activity center north of Spokane.  In the fall of 1930 ice skating was all the rage in the Spokane area, as well as nationwide. It was a different era, before other distractions, such as the television and the easy access to the automobile and other forms of recreation. People ventured outside yearround and what a better way to spend an afternoon or an evening than to ice skate in the great outdoors. Recreational skating was not hard to come by during this era. Most all major lakes and ponds in the Spokane […]

by Ty Brown Theodore Cushing arrived on the west coast from Chicago and made his home in Portland, Oregon, in the summer of 1883. While a resident of Portland, he invested in real estate in Spokane Falls and made a small for- tune in the rise in values there. Cushing’s brother, William, was already well established in the area and operated a large mercantile store, Cushing and Bryan, in the town of Mead, just north of the city. Theodore moved to Spokane in 1888 and erected a flamboyant building which was known as the Cushing block on the northwest corner of Howard and Sprague. This building was the first commercial building designed by famed architect, Kirtland Cutter. Cushing was the director of the Washington National Bank and the Washington Savings Bank of Spokane Falls located in his new building. During the Panic of 1893, Cushing lost the block to foreclosure and it later become known as the Spokane and Eastern Trust Company. This space is currently occupied by the Bank of America tower, constructed in 1980. Following the financial downturn, Cushing took up residence at a farm owned by his father-in-law, Thomas Hampton, on the Little Spokane River (site of […]

by Dana Davis Kelly Nicette Davis, our mother and one of the oldest residents of the Little Spokane Valley, quietly passed away August 29, 2014. Her last moments and the majority of her long life were spent in the peace and beauty of the farm she had so dearly loved. She was just two months shy of her 100th birthday.  Mother’s parents, Irving Hildenbrandt (Hildy, as he was known) and her mother, Carrie, purchased the farm from Charles L. Downer in the early spring of 1907, just a few years after arriving in Spokane from Ohio. Located north of Colbert Road and east of the Little Spokane River, the 160 acre farm (used at that time as a dairy) contained a stately 100 x 40 ft. barn built around 1890.  The timber was mostly likely milled at the “Chattaroy Lumber Company” located about a mile and a half north in the area known as Buckeye (where Little Spokane Drive meets Wollard Rd.). Our grandparents were also impressed by an orchard just north of Colbert Road along the hillside, lush grazing land, ample timber and two residents with outbuildings. But most enchanting to these newlyweds from the east was the beauty […]

By Harla Jean Heiser Biever Being an only child I became sole heir to my Grandparent’s home in Chadron, Nebraska, when my mother passed away in 1985. My daughter, Lisa, and I went into that home and were swept into the past as we sorted through all the belongings stored in the basement and in the attic.  We found many treasures; one of them brings us to our publishing this book. Stored away in an old trunk in the attic we found numerous photographs of Sioux Indians, the Wounded Knee Massacre, the 7th Cavalry, and the Pine Ridge Reservation. I am uncertain exactly how Grandpa came to own these photographs. Some of the major photographers of the time had studios in Chadron, and friends who knew of his interest in the events of the late 1800’s may have sent some of these photos to him. So, his private collection became our private collection and since 1985 we’ve considered how best to preserve the photographs for coming generations. We finally decided to publish a book to share the photos of this historic era with others who have a like-minded interest. Most of the photos are now 125 years old.  Board members […]

by Tina Wynecoop River valleys are composed of biologic, geologic, and cultural wonders. Our own Little Spokane River Valley is no exception. Kay Ringo, who lived on a farm called “Buckeye” near this meandering river, wrote several books about the area she came to love. Thanks to her passion to record its history the reader can go back in time and gain a clearer sense of “the way it was.” She focused her published writings on the local milltown, Buckeye, the Little Spokane Garden Club, post offices in the area, and her pioneer family. In 2012, just four years shy of a century, she published her last history book, based on letters written by her aunt and uncle, about pioneer days in Washington Territory, 1879-1886.  Postmarked letters are a researcher’s valuable resource and postmarks led Kay to many historical discoveries, including first person accounts of our Colbert area recorded during the last fifteen decades. The post office story is twined with Kay’s – for in her life the post office was a center of community and communication. This was also true for our family when we made our home here in 1976 and our address was Route 1, Box 319, […]