Washington Water Power's history

Avista Corp. is being sold for $5.3 billion to a Canadian company called Hydro One, the companies said today. Take a look back at Avista's history in photos, when the company started out as Washington Water Power.

Section:Gallery

Wed., July 19, 2017

Here is how the electric business of Spokane looked in 1888, when it was known as the Edison Electric Illuminating Company. It was the third company to serve the city and passed out the next year when Washington Water Power took over.

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This is the temporary office that Washington Water Power, Western Union and Inland Telephone and Telegraph established following the Great Fire of 1889 in a barn at the rear of F. Rockwood Moore's home between Sprague and First Ave. in Spokane, Wash.

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Circa 1900: In this view looking south from the north bank of the Spokane River, the view includes, from left to right, the C and C Mill, the Post St. bridge and the shops and large car barn, far right, of the Spokane Street Railway, the first streetcar operation in Spokane. The old steel Monroe Street Bridge on the right. The C and C Milling Co. structure at left was taken over by the Washington Water Power around 1890 and is the present site of the WWP Substation on Post Street. The car barn and shops were torn down in 1900 to make way for the Great Northern railroad tracks from the GN depot, built in 1902 on Havermale Island. Spokane's Changing Waterfront: Streetcars, hydropower and scenic views. The Spokane Street Railway, powered by horses, was the first streetcar line in Spokane, starting up in April 1888. A.J. Ross, partnering with businessmen Anthony Cannon and J.J. Browne, built four and a half miles of line for $43,000. It was a hit with Spokanites, who could cross town for a nickel without owning and caring for a horse. The streetcar service converted to electricity in 1991. And the businessmen helped found Twickenham Park, later called Natatorium Park, to promote ridership. The railway also built a large brick car barn north of the Post St. Bridge where cars were stored and repaired. Browne and Cannon bought out Ross and operated it at a loss until selling the railway and amusement park to Washington Water Power, which was acquiring streetcar lines quickly during that era to use the now-plentiful hydropower. The young power companys planners also saw that streetcar electric poles could be used to string up residential power. WWP, which now Avista Utilities, also bought the C and C Milling plant on the south end of the Post St. bridge and built the Post Street substation, which controls the flow to the Lower Falls generating plant, which is now under Huntington Park. In 1900, the shops and car barn were demolished to make room for tracks coming from

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Spokane Washington Water Power Station, Spokane, Washington in 1913.

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Washington Water Power. Apr. 26, 1928. Photo Archives/The Spokesman-Review.

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Spokanites are shown bidding farwell to the old streetcars owned by the Spokane United railway system in a parade in August of 1936. The last car in line, the old number 202, was cremated at Natatorium Park following the parade to end an era in city transportation. Spokane Street Railway company electrified its cars in 1891, running from the south end of Division to Riverside and connecting streets to Pacific and Chesnut in Browne's Addition. The cars made their last runs on September 14, 1935. The motorbus had begun to take over the streetcars lines sometime in 1931. Photo Archive/The Spokesman-Review. THEN AND NOW The street car parade of 1936 marked the end of an era and showed that Spokane held their lumbering streetcars in great affection even as the public bus, more versatile and efficient, took over the role of people mover in urban Spokane. Since the 1890s, horse-pulled, and later electric, trolleys had trundled along rails laid in the middle of streets and went to pick up workers and housewives from nearby neighborhoods and brought them downtown to work, shop, see a movie, or have a soda. Real estate developers laid rails to new housing areas to entice buyers. Public transit allowed Spokane, the former frontier train stop, to become an urban center, where those without a healthy horse or personal motor car could participate in modern city life. Washington Water Power ran the electric street car system, which spawned Natatorium Park, an amusement center on the Spokane River.
Baseball grounds at Natatorium Park, Spokane, owned by the Washington Water Power Company. The grandstand will seat 3000 people.

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Aerial view of Washington Water Power Co. in 1936.

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Hollywood sub-station. Jan. 25, 1936.

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Inside Reception Washington Water Power, Spokane, Washington in 1937.

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Shown here is the recently completed system operating board at the Washington Water Power's Spokane offices. The board, which is more than 26 feet in length, enables the local operators to tell at a glance the condition of all main transmission lines in operation, from the Canadian border south to Oregon, and from Tacoma as far east as Anaconda, Mont. Seated at the control table, from left to right, are S. M. Skadan, chief system operator, and Ray Wetherell, system operator. Jan. 2, 1938.

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1947 photo of Washington Water Power Co. employees.

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New east side substation. Sep. 19, 1948.

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Washington Water Power Co. Building at Spokane Falls in Canter of Spokane, Washington.

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Washington Water Power Co. Jan. 17, 1956.

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Noxon Rapids. Aug. 18, 1961.

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Russell Nype, well known Broadway and televison singing star, will be the voice of Reddy Kilowatt in "Holiday With Light," the new musical show at the Tower of Light during 1965 World's Fair season. Reddy, the registered trademark of many investor-owned electric utility companies including Washington Water Power will be represented in the new World Fair. Apr. 5, 1965. P

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Lineman apprentice classes are held at the Washington Water Power Co. From left, Jim McBride, Ted Catlow, Gary Siebert and Robert L. Sewell, instructor for the class, examine some of the electrical equipment with which a lineman must be familiar. Jan. 29, 1967.

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Washington Water Power Co. Board Chairman Kinsey M. Robinson (left) chats with Federal Power Commission's James J. Stout (right) at dedication of the utility's Huntington Park. In background is WWP's chief engineer, Rolland Benker. Crowd begins to gather near park dedication center in 1974 photo.

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New Spokane Indians manager Tom Poquette gets his first look at Avista Stadium on June 13, 2000. The coaching staff is in town with the players to show up tomorrow.

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Dozens of wind turbine generate electricity on the Palouse Wednesday, April 22, 2015 as seen from Steptoe Butte.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo
Avista and the City of Spokane's renovation of Huntington Park and City Hall Plaza is complete and was dedicated May 2, 2014.

Colin Mulvany The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo