Jim Kershner’s This day in history

From our archives, 100 years ago

Fort Spokane, near the mouth of the Spokane River, was being vacated after nearly 30 years.

The Spokesman-Review reported that Capt. John Webster, who “has charge of all the Indians in this section of the Northwest,” was moving his entire operation to the Federal Building in Spokane.

“The old landmark, with its 640 acres of military reservation, will be disposed of by the general land office,” said the paper.

The old fort had most recently been used by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, but previously had “served as headquarters for many officers and troops.”

It was a mile from the mouth of the Spokane River and 350 feet above the river on a bench. It had seven sets of officer’s quarters, six sets of barracks and many other buildings.

From the cross-dressing beat: Spokane’s favorite male impersonator, Nell Pickerell, didn’t like the clothes her jailer tried to give her. He had thrown a skirt called a hobble skirt into her cell.

“Nix on that old hobble stuff,” she allegedly told the jailer. “Me for the free and easy trousers of the stronger sex.”

She was in jail on the charge of selling liquor to an Indian.

Also on this date

(From the Associated Press)

1967: Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.