This day in history: Scoop Jackson backed Carter. Spokane leaders still were debating location of auditorium

From 1976: Sen. Henry “Scoop” Jackson’s presidential campaign was over, and he announced that he was recommending that his delegates should vote for rival Jimmy Carter at the Democratic National Convention.

Jackson also took the opportunity to promote the fortunes of Spokane’s favorite son, Rep. Tom Foley.

When asked about vice presidential prospects, Jackson said, “I think one can’t rule out Tom Foley. He has a log of good attributes.”

When asked if Jackson himself would consider being Carter’s vice presidential running mate, he said, “I haven’t discussed that with Gov. Carter and Gov. Carter hasn’t discussed it with me.”

Jackson refused to say whether he would accept the vice-presidential post if nominated.

In the end, neither Jackson nor Foley would be Carter’s running mate. Carter eventually chose Sen. Walter Mondale of Minnesota.

From 1926: Choosing a site for a gigantic new Spokane civic auditorium was proving to be a complicated political problem.

The Spokane City Commission narrowed the choices down to two sites: one on Fourth Avenue and Howard Street (site now of Lewis and Clark High School’s cafeteria) and another at Third Avenue and Washington Street.

This came only after two South Side commissioners expressed “fear that the North Side, because of its preponderance in the registered vote, would take away the auditorium from the South Side.”

That did not happen, but there was still some wrangling over which South Side site would get the nod. One objection to the Fourth and Howard site was its proximity to two schools and Deaconess Hospital.

The choice was becoming so fraught that there was talk of submitting the choice to a vote of the people.

The newspaper also ran a sketch of what the auditorium might look like. The newspaper estimated the total cost at $1 million, including the land, building, seats and a “fine organ.”

In the end, all of this angst was for naught. The Great Depression would arrive and no giant civic auditorium would be built for decades.