The Second 25 A Spokane Valley Timeline: 1925-1949

1925

Inventor Royal C. Riblet completes construction of his distinctive home, which he called “Eagle’s Nest,” on the brow of a basalt cliff overlooking the Spokane Valley from the north.

1926

Valley fruit growers, their orchards devastated by several hard frosts and an infestation of apple-leaf rollers, pull out 200,000 apple trees. A year later, the McDowell Warehouse at Otis Orchards burns to the ground with 30,000 never-used wooden apple boxes inside.

1927

In an election held at the Millwood Confectionery store, residents of Millwood vote 76-5 to incorporate as a fourth-class city. The new town, which boasts a high school and elementary school, a Presbyterian church, a bank, two grocery stores, a meat market and two barber shops, has a population of 437. W.A. Brazeau is the first mayor, serving a two-year term.

1928

A new Central Valley High School, complete with its own library, opens its doors to students. The 122-acre school site, fronting on the Appleway in Greenacres, was donated by the Spokane Valley Farms Company, developers of Corbin’s Addition to Greenacres.

1929

A new St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, built of brick with stained-glass windows and oak pews, is completed on Trent Avenue. It replaces a wood-frame church, built in 1892, which had burned the previous year.

1930

Census takers counting Valley residents find 5,280 people living in Opportunity; 1,529 in East Spokane; 1,255 in Greenacres, 493 in Millwood, 401 in Chester; and 259 in Mica.

1931

The Vera Community Congregational Church installs a new pastor, Rev. Robert B. Shaw, who preaches to a packed house on his first Sunday in the Valley. The Harvard-educated pastor, most recently of Seattle, had spent three years doing mission work in China.

1932

A run by depositors, precipitated by the closure of the neighboring Union Park Bank, forces the Dishman State Bank to close its doors. The Dishman State Bank had been formed in 1930 as a result of the merger of the State Bank of Valleyford and the Fruit Growers State Bank of Greenacres.

1933

William Schafer opens the Ski-More winter resort on the east face of Browne Mountain. The resort south of Dishman features an Olympic-size ski jump, toboggan run, skating rink and lodge. A Chevrolet automobile engine powers the resort’s rope tow.

1934

Members of the Spokane Valley Women’s Club present First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt with a basket of gladioli during her visit to Spokane. The flowers were cut from the gardens of Mrs. Harry Nelson and Mrs. John Wilkins.

1935

Financially crippled Spokane University is reorganized as Spokane Junior College and moves from its Valley campus into Spokane after a two-year effort to save the school, led by the Spokane Valley Chamber president J. Frank Giboney, ultimately proves unsuccessful.

1936

Spokane County Sheriff Ralph Buckley assigns a deputy with a prowl car to the Valley.

1937

The Opportunity Business Men’s Club and the Opportunity Community Club decide to merge. The first order of business for the newly consolidated organization is to appoint a committee to explore the advantages of incorporating Opportunity and other districts in the Valley as individual municipalities.

1938

The 40-member West Valley High School band unveils snappy new uniforms — orange and black military-style caps, orange and black capes, black sweaters and white pants — at the Armistice Day football game against arch-rival Central Valley High.

1939

The Dishman Theater, owned by A.T. Dishman and managed by J.E. Hutchins, opens on the Appleway. The first feature is “King of the Turf,” starring Adolphe Menjou and Dolores Costello.

1940

Spokane Valley Fire District 1 is formed. Raymond P. Kelley, past president of the Valley Chamber of Commerce, presents gold medals to four community leaders active in organizing the district: E.G. Kenney, D.R. Miggs, F.R. Slater and T.R. Toole.

1941

Central Valley High School’s Douglas Field becomes the first football field in the Valley lighted for night games.

1942

Opportunity Township is one of the largest and fastest growing townships in the state. With 7,817 residents, Opportunity has a bigger population than any of the state’s 10 smallest counties.

1943

Mortician Harold Thornhill and his wife, Geneva, open the Valley’s first funeral home in a large house at 10300 E. Sprague originally occupied by pioneer orchardist James B. Felts and family. Thornhill also offers 24-hour ambulance service, another first for the Valley.

1944

Dr. James Aldrich opens a 35-bed Community Hospital in the former Spokane University administration building at Ninth Avenue and University Place.

1945

Only 50,000 apple trees remain in the Valley. Thirty-three years earlier, when a state horticultural census had counted 1,894,881 apple trees, the Valley was the largest fruit-growing district in the state.

1946

The reorganized Valley Chamber of Commerce moves into new quarters at 9404 E. Sprague. Merle H. Skinner is the new managing secretary. Skinner notes that one of the chamber’s top priorities is improving local telephone service. At present, up to 10 households must share one line on the overloaded Walnut exchange.

1947

Ray Kortte of Opportunity is installed as president of the Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce, succeeding Clyde Jones of Dishman. The Irvin Community Club sponsors the installation dinner, held at Trent Grade School.

1948

Don Babcock, Kenneth Bush, Rogers Barth and Homer Fowler are elected to the board of directors of the Spokane Valley Country Club. The club’s 160 members enjoy a nine-hole golf course and a sandy swimming beach on Liberty Lake, as well as a new clubhouse with a 60-seat dining room.

1949

Spokane County Treasurer Joe A. Stewart notes that taxpayers living in Opportunity Township will pay more than half of their taxes to support schools this year. Of every $100 in taxes, $52.91 goes toward local schools.

WANT TO READ MORE HISTORY? This timeline was compiled with help from Florence Boutwell, author of a three-volume history of the Spokane Valley. Boutwell’s books - “The Spokane Valley/A History of the Early Years,” “A History of the Growing Years, 1921-1945” and “Out in the Gravel” - were published by the Arthur H. Clark Co. of Millwood and are available at most area book stores.