January 26, 2012 in City

Jim Kershner’s This day in history

• Print
• Email
• Share

From our archives, 100 years ago

The exuberant kids of Spokane got a little too exuberant during the snow-covered January of 1912 – and the city authorities moved to put a stop to their fun.

The commissioner of public safety banned “coasting” (sledding) on most of the great coasting streets of Spokane. The commissioner closed South Howard, North Monroe, North Post and South Adams streets. All of these streets had been the sites of numerous accidents, and there had been many reports of sledders “barely escaping being run down by cars.”

“Cars,” in 1912 lexicon, meant streetcars (those other, newfangled contraptions were invariably called autos). Most of these streets were traversed by streetcar tracks. The streetcar companies had begged police to do something about the situation. For weeks, police had tried to put a stop to it.

“Our warnings, however, do not seem to have been to much avail,” a police captain said. “I have instructed officers to tell the boys if they do not quit, their sleds will be broken up and a bonfire made of the collected debris.”

Also on this date

(From the Associated Press)

1788: The first European settlers in Australia, led by Capt. Arthur Phillip, landed in present-day Sydney.

No comments on this story so far. Add yours!