Jim Kershner’s This day in history

From our archives,

50 years ago

In the wake of the May 11 death of Spokane inventor Royal Riblet, his widow, Mildred, began probate proceedings. Initial court filings indicate Riblet left an estate valued at $15,000, according to the Spokane Daily Chronicle. That includes the Spokane Valley home known variously as the Riblet Mansion, Eagles Nest, Cliff House and now Arbor Crest Winery.

The 1924 Italianate/Mission-style mansion reportedly sold for $175,000 in the 1980s, two years after Mildred Riblet’s death. Arbor Crest’s owners purchased the home in 1985 for an undisclosed price, although it had been listed for sale at $400,000 the previous summer. The building was gutted in a fire Dec. 23, 2009, and owners said the insured loss could exceed $600,000. Restoration work is under way.

From the court beat: A 40-year-old Spokane beautician was sentenced to prison for up to 20 years for a negligent homicide.

Corrine Ford was convicted by a jury for a drunken driving accident that killed 11-year-old George Carr on Jan. 30. Superior Court Judge Ralph E. Foley told the woman she needed counseling to overcome “the hold of liquor,” the Chronicle reported.

Foley, incidentally, was the father of future U.S. congressman Tom Foley.