This day in history: Spokane’s Flour Mill was taking on new life as a shopping mall three years after its last agricultural use

From 1975: The Spokane Flour Mill had milled its last wheat in 1972, and over the ensuing two years had been completely remodeled and transformed into a retail shopping mall.

Now, however, the iconic brick mill on the north bank of the river was in financial trouble and had been taken over by its creditor, Bancshares Mortgage Co.

The new owner was optimistic about its future, and planned to “carry on where the previous owners left off.”

The old mill currently housed “22 shops, four restaurants and several offices.” The new owners said it would soon have several more shops, including a Hallmark store, an import store, a flower shop, an antique store and a gold and silver craft store. A toy store “encompassing the entire second level of the mill will open at the end of the month.”

The new owners planned plenty of other improvements to make it more attractive.

From 1925: The former head of Spokane’s Ku Klux Klan sent a letter to Spokane voters opposing two “actively non-Protestant” (meaning, Catholic) candidates for the 4th Representative Legislative District.

He promoted a third write-in candidate, “an avowed Protestant and a man of sterling character and recognized ability.”

When the write-in candidate was asked if he was endorsed by the Klan, he said, “I know nothing of the Ku Klux Klan except that I am not eligible to belong, for I am not a natural born, but naturalized, citizen.”

The former Klan official said his recommendation was not an official endorsement, since he was no longer heading the Klan.