Interpretive Center Offers Look At Fur-Trading Days

North Spokane has a rich history dating back long before the city itself was settled.

The Spokane House Interpretive Center at Nine Mile Falls marks the location of a fur-trading post established in 1810.

American, Canadian and European explorers and trappers traded with Native Americans at the post.

Spokane House was originally operated by The Pacific Fur Company, the North West Company, and later by the Hudson’s Bay Company.

Often visitors to the center, so captivated by the stories of the early traders, stroll to the nearby river and wade through the water barefoot, hoping to find one of the colorful trading beads.

Some of the beads are on display inside the center, along with dishes, pieces of pottery, beaver pelts and traps used by Northwest trappers.

Spokane House was a small community in the wilderness where trapping parties were outfitted. But its biggest draw, according to early stories, were women. Meals were served on china plates and dances held within the walls of the outpost.

The center is part of the Washington State Park System, operated by rangers at Riverside State Park.

The interpretive center is open through the summer.

Interpretive Specialist Jason Lovelady, whose salary is paid by Washington Water Power, has become somewhat of an expert on Spokane House.

He points to a black top hat in a display case.

“There was a huge demand for felt hats with fur on the outside, especially in Europe,” he says. He describes the barbed fur of the beaver pelt as a sort of early day Velcro that worked especially well for hat making.

He describes how thorns from the hawthorn bush were used to nail shingles onto the trading post.

And he points outside the center window to outlines showing the foundation of the original Spokane House, and the later, expanded post.

Spokane House was abandoned in 1826 when it was realized that there might be better locations than the Spokane post, which was 60 miles from the Columbia River, the area’s main trade route.

The site was nearly forgotten until 1950 when archeologists visited the area and began unraveling the story.

Just finding the site was difficult with only vague descriptions to go by. Archeologists began by digging long trenches in the general area until they discovered the rotted fragments of wooden pickets deep in the dirt.

They turned out to be the remains of a stockade wall.

Records show when Spokane House was abandoned, everything of value was sent to the new post at Fort Colville, Wash. Few artifacts were found during the excavation.

A few handmade nails, some door hardware, files and washers were about all that was found.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: HOURS OF OPERATION The Spokane House Interpretive Center, located on Highway 291 near Nine Mile Falls, is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.