Teacher’s book lauds forgotten engineer Riblet

(Photo-illustration/Auntie’s Bookstore)

If you read The Spokesman-Review, as I do, you tend to learn things.

One good example: In August, 2021, members of the Spokane Historic Monuments Committee unveiled a monument honoring a man whose name I didn’t recognize: Byron Riblet .

Turns out Riblet was important to the development of Spokane. He may have been just as important, or even more so, than many of those who’ve had streets named after them.

If you want to know more about Riblet, then you’ll want to attend a book event at 7 p.m. Saturday at The Hive, 2904 E. Sprague Ave. That’s when author Ty Brown will present his book “Byron Riblet: Forgotten Engineering Genius.”

In his talks, Brown, who teaches history at West Valley High School, will tackle the question: “How could one of the twentieth century’s most prolific engineers rise to greatness only to become lost to time?”

It’s a mystery. Here are some of Riblet’s accomplishments, according to a story written by Spokesman-Review staff writer Garrett Cabeza :

Riblet was responsible for surveying the route for the steam-powered Spokane and Montrose Park Railway Line, the first motorized street railway in Spokane.

He served as designing engineer for Spokane’s Upriver Dam.

He designed 40 miles of electric rail lines throughout the city for Washington Water Power.

His own company, the Riblet Tramway Co ., constructed in South America the highest tramway in the world at 16,000 feet, and another that was the longest at 34 miles.

In 1945, Riblet’s company helped the Mount Spokane Ski Club erect Washington’s first chairlift on the mountain – considered the first double chairlift in the world.

Author Brown can fill in the details. His event, which is sponsored by Auntie’s Bookstore , is free and open to the public.