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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Riverside State Park’s Spokane House comes to life as a recreated 1810 fur-trading post

Artist Shawn Deller, dressed in the clothing of the Spokane House traders, explains Monday the murals he painted on the side of the Spokane House Interpretive Center during a program at the site of the former trading post, which was active from about 1810 to around 1825 or 1826. (Jesse Tinsley/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW)
Artist Shawn Deller, dressed in the clothing of the Spokane House traders, explains Monday the murals he painted on the side of the Spokane House Interpretive Center during a program at the site of the former trading post, which was active from about 1810 to around 1825 or 1826. (Jesse Tinsley/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW)Buy a print of this photo
By Molly Wisor For The Spokesman-Review

Visitors on Monday got a taste of life in 1810 at the second Winter Quarters event at Riverside State Park’s Spokane House.

The event, put on by The Friends of the Spokane House and the Riverside State Park Foundation, featured readings from the Trading post’s winter journal, stories from the Spokane Tribe and renditions of fur trader folk songs.

Many of the presenters and audience members were clothed in traditional garb the traders would have worn.

“We have a good group. We have a lot of fun and we learn a lot,” said Skip Kuck, a re-enactor and president of The Friends of the Spokane House.

Like most members, Kuck’s passion for re-enactment is inspired by her family’s history of frontier living.

“I wanted to see what kind of life my ancestors would’ve had,” she said.

Visitor Steve McElvain discovered the Spokane House through his interest in the Lewis and Clark expedition. A St. Louis native, McElvain hails from the same city Lewis and Clark embarked from in 1804.

“When I moved out here, I stopped and read all the interpretive signs on my way,” he said. “Since then, I’ve probably read about 10 versions of the Lewis and Clark Journals.”

Guests on Monday were treated to readings of real journals written at the Spokane House, with entries detailing food rations and the harsh temperatures traders endured.

Warren Seyler, a member of the Spokane Tribe of Indians, works with the Friends of the Spokane House to share regional tribal history.

“I just tell, what was it like before the fur traders, what was it like during and then what was it like after,” he said.

Recently, Seyler’s seen a growth in interest in these events.

“I’m just trying to reach out, because for whatever reason, there’s a big demand right now to learn about tribes,” he said. “A lot of tribes don’t have much written about them, or people out there talking about them. For the Spokane, that’s the void I’m trying to fill.”

Janice Ritzer was invited by her husband, Kevin Ritzer, who works with the Spokane Tribe. Although it wasn’t her first visit to the Spokane House, she enjoyed listening to the speakers and experiencing the busy atmosphere of Monday’s event.

“We’ve stopped here a couple of times, and we’ve really enjoyed the museum,” she said. “I’d definitely come again.”