Riverfront Clock Tower Still Elegant

The iconic Riverfront Park clock tower started its life as the centerpiece of the Great Northern Railroad depot, finished in 1902. For decades it cast its shadow over Spokanites rushing to board trains and it watched thousands of freight cars rumble past. But by the early 1970s, as songwriter Steve Goodman was singing about “the disappearing railroad blues, plans were made to demolish the aging depot and remove the rails to make way for Expo ‘74. But the community rallied to save the elegant tower, which stands 155 feet tall and has a hand-wound four-sided clock. Burlington Northern donated the land and the tower. (SR file photo: Jesse Tinsley)