Then and Now photos: Spokane Middle Falls

The Spokane Middle Falls circa 1888: The wooden structure at the lower left is an early Spokane water works, which likely featured water turbine to drive pumps to get the water up to street level. The small brick mill in the center, on the edge of what is now called Canada Island, is the Echo Roller Mill, one of several around the falls that produced flour from local grains using water-powered machinery. The 1888 Howard Street bridges, seen in the distance, were the first access across the river downtown, and the first Monroe Street bridge, made of wood, came a few years later. This photo predates the first hydroelectric dams, which began construction around 1890. – Jesse Tinsley  |  jesset@spokesman.com