This day in history: City officials used an unusually desperate strategy to draw out Nanette Martin’s killer

From 1976: Spokane’s mayor and police chief issued an urgent plea to the unidentified slayer of Nanette Marie Martin, 13: “We urge that you now surrender yourself to proper authorities and bring to an end the mental anguish and confusion that have been your constant companion for the past two weeks.”

This was an unusual – and perhaps desperate – attempt to make progress in the investigation, which had yet to produce any solid leads.

Nanette had disappeared while delivering newspapers in her North Side neighborhood, and her body was found in a rocky field days later.

Mayor David H. Rodgers and Police Chief Wayne E. Hendren framed this plea as a way for the murderer to end weeks of “torment” and to get psychiatric care. They promised that “your person and your rights will be fully protected.”

From 1926: After four years, the site of the proposed Abraham Lincoln memorial at Main and Monroe still consisted only of a granite base – and no statue.

That was because Seattle sculptor Victor A. Lewis had been promised $25,000 for the statue, but had only been paid $5,000. He had completed part of the work, but was waiting on the remaining $20,000 to finish it and have it cast in bronze.

A fund drive was launched to raise the rest of the money, and the Chamber of Commerce trustees said they had “faith in Spokane to complete the statue.”

Lewis was more than willing to finish the project for Spokane, but the Chamber warned that if $20,000 was not raised, the original donors would lose their $5,000 and Lewis would be within his rights to “sell the statue to some other town.”

Today, a glance at the corner of Main and Monroe confirms that Spokane was eventually able to pull this off.