Jim Kershner’s This day in history

From our archives, 100 years ago

A compelling new idea captured the imagination of the region: A Seattle-to-Yellowstone auto road, with Spokane anchoring the center.

The idea was being pushed by Montana tourism boosters, who were proposing a new, modern (paved) highway from Yellowstone National Park to Missoula, utilizing, in many stretches, already existing routes.

If that were to happen, only one more link would be necessary to create a “great tri-state highway” connecting many of the Northwest’s biggest attractions.

The Seattle-to-Spokane stretch was already in the works and area “Good Roads” boosters expected it to be finished in two years. Meanwhile, work on the Apple Way, as it was called then, was already under way between Spokane and Coeur d’Alene.

If the Yellowstone-to-Missoula stretch could come to fruition, the only remaining stretch would be between Coeur d’Alene and Missoula. Spokane area boosters were pushing for the Apple Way route to be extended east to Wallace and then “through the Missoula cut-off” all the way to Missoula.

Also on this date

(From the Associated Press)

1961: Some 1,500 CIA-trained Cuban exiles launched the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in an attempt to topple Fidel Castro, whose forces crushed the incursion by the third day.