This day in history: The last of the Snake River Dams was dedicated. Petrified forest of oaks located near Fort Spokane

From 1975: The Little Goose Dam on the Snake River was officially dedicated, marking the completion of the Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose and Granite string of dams.

“This is in every sense a historic occasion,” said Oregon Gov. Robert Straub. “For more than 100 years, slack water from the Pacific Ocean to Lewiston has been a dream.”

He called it the “realization of a 20th century Northwest Passage.”

The dams would enable inland water transportation from the ocean to Lewiston and would also produce hydroelectric power. The subject of salmon passage did not come up in the story about the dedication.

About “300 people sitting in a light drizzle” attended the dedication.

From 1925: One member of the so-called “dope-drunk” women’s club, a 32-year-old housewife, was arrested after detectives found her in a stupor a second day in a row.

The day before, detectives broke up the club in an apartment on Third Avenue and Stevens Street, and told the seven women to break up the club and never use the drug again.

The Spokane Chronicle did not specify what drug the women were using, but it appeared to be a new one that came from a bottle. Police said they had received numerous reports of the drug over the past week.

“One man reported that his wife had been using the drug for two weeks and couldn’t get her to stop,” said the Chronicle.

Meanwhile, the Spokane Press reported that the drug was Paraldehyde, “a liquid that is taken in minute doses and costs but 25 cents per ounce at any drug store.”

From the geology beat: E.M. Tardy, a U.S. school inspector for the Indian Department, reported he found a petrified forest of oaks near Fort Spokane at the mouth of the Spokane River. He presented his findings to Washington State College’s geological department. Some of the larger specimens had trunk diameters as large as 5 feet.