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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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This day in history: Mead, Colbert and Green Bluff residents backed news high school. Kingdome opened to crowd of 49K

Residents of Colbert, Green Bluff and Mead were in agreement that a new high school should be built, The Spokesman-Review reported on March 29, 1926. The Mead high school already was overcrowded with an enrollment of 80 students from the three districts. Enrollment was expected to reach 100 in the fall. (Spokesman-Review archives)
By Jim Kershner The Spokesman-Review

From 1976: A new, distinctive building opened in Seattle: the King County Domed Stadium, aka the Kingdome.

“Considering the fact it took $67 million, numerous lawsuits and a decade to transfer the Kingdome from the drawing board to the map, the opening night went rather smoothly,” said the Associated Press. “More than 7,000 entertainers and musicians – the majority of them from local high school bands – greeted 49,000 paid ticket holders to the Saturday night extravaganza. The Kingdome seats 65,000.”

The $67 million Kingdome finally opened in Seattle, the Associated Press reported in an article that ran in the Spokane Daily Chronicle on March 29, 1976. (Spokesman-Review archives)
The $67 million Kingdome finally opened in Seattle, the Associated Press reported in an article that ran in the Spokane Daily Chronicle on March 29, 1976. (Spokesman-Review archives)

Doomsayers predicted horrendous traffic jams and even “the stadium’s dome collapse.” Neither came true.

A few big shows were already planned, including a Rolling Stones concert, as well as rodeos and sports events.

From 1926: “Sentiment for the establishment of a new high school building in the district embracing Mead, Colbert and Green Bluff was almost unanimous at a meeting of 125 representatives at Mead Saturday night,” reported The Spokesman-Review. “Eighty pupils of these districts attend the high school at Mead and it is overcrowded, say officials. Additional pupils attend Spokane high schools. Of the total, Green Bluff sends six but will send 16 at the next term as the result of graduations from grade schools, it was stated. Colbert’s attendance is 20.”

One proposal was to build a new high school near the present high school in Mead, leaving the other building to become a grade school.

Two different elections would be required, one to unify the districts, and the other to approve construction bonds.