Jim Kershner’s this day in history

From our archives, 100 years ago

The end of an era was approaching for Indian Canyon, just west of the city.

Three families of Indians, who had, according to reporters, “occupied wigwams in Indian Canyon all of their lives,” announced their intention to leave for the Coeur d’Alene Reservation.

They told the local Indian agent, Capt. J.M. Webster, that they were beginning to feel the “encroaching effects of the city, in the form of disturbers of their isolated dwelling place in the canyon.” They had supported themselves in recent years by “doing chores such as washing and other manual labor” but had lately found it hard to obtain work.

The paper noted that some of the “aged” Indians were “residents of this region before the days of Spokane.” They had been permitted to remain in Indian Canyon “through the consideration of property holders,” said the paper.

From the peerage beat: A Spokane expressman (deliveryman) claimed to be a Danish count, Count Adam Knuth.

He said that before coming to America, he served in the British Army as a noncommissioned officer and saw service in Egypt and Khartoum. Then he went to Canada and became a member of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police.

He said that “titles in this country do not buy bread and butter.” Consequently, he was “not working at being a count very hard.”

He operated an express station at Bernard Street and Riverside Avenue.