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Local History
Summary
How things have changed
Every Monday in The Spokesman-Review we bring you a new installment of Then & Now, a photo feature showing historic and modern images of places around Spokane.
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Jim Kershner’s ‘This day in history’
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This day in history: Man was in the hospital after getting lost in whiteout on Mt. Rainier. Father and son were accused of car theft
This day in history: Symphony and ‘guitar pickin’ melded genres for a show that divided critics
From 1975: Guitar legend Chet Atkins headlined a pops concert at the Spokane Opera (Opry?) House, and Atkins opened by saying, “I hope you like guitar pickin’, because that’s all …
This day in history: Spokane judge proposed banning divorce. 2 men arrested after shots fired from downtown hotel
From 1975: A two-block area of downtown was cordoned off after at least four shots were fired in the vicinity of the Globe Annex Hotel, 225 N. Division.
This day in history: Teen escaped before having to testify against his mom. Hunters shot 3 cougars in Stevens County
From 1975: A Spokane judge presiding over a grand larceny case declared a mistrial for an unusual reason: A witness escaped from custody on the way to the courtroom.
This day in history: The investigation into a controversial police shooting continued under prosecuting attorney Donald Brockett
From 1975: Prosecuting Attorney Donald Brockett announced that the coroner’s inquest into the controversial shooting death of Craig Jordan would be presided over by Dr. Robert Harman, a deputy coroner.
This day in history: Winds likely caused crash killing professor near Cheney. Boytown elected leaders at A.M. Cannon Park
From 1975: A massive windstorm raked the Inland Northwest, killing an Eastern Washington State Colleger professor.
This day in history: ‘Portly gentleman’ Isaac Stern impressed S-R reviewer. Salvation Army staff successfully evacuated smoke-filled shelter
From 1975: World-famous violin virtuoso Isaac Stern “filled the (Spokane) Opera House Monday night with some of the most superb violin music this generation is likely to hear.”
This day in history: WSU head coach Sweeney resigns. Gonzaga looks to add new buildings to its campus
From 1975: Washington State University’s head football coach Jim Sweeney resigned “after a long week of reflection.”
This day in history: Man sits on cross on St. Aloysius cross at Gonzaga; new arena was proposed
From 1975: Passersby on East Boone Avenue were startled by an unusual sight: A young man was sitting atop one of the crosses on the twin spires above St. Aloysius …
This day in history: This Oscar-winning songwriter had ‘high hopes’ his donation to Gonzaga would be appreciated
From 1975: Songwriter Jimmy Van Heusen, a four-time Oscar winner, donated many of his musical manuscripts to Gonzaga University’s Crosby Library.
This day in history: The tales of Thanksgiving humanity, live from Riverside Avenue
From 1975: A Spokesman-Review reporter decided to hang out on Riverside Avenue on a cold Thanksgiving Day and watch the pageant of humanity pass by.
This day in history: Prosecutors asked for redo of Liberty Lake sewer vote. Match company bought more timber land
From 1975: Election fraud!
This day in history: Spokane mayor suggested he opposed forming police review board. Rules at local college ban smoking …. by women
From 1975: The American Civil Liberties Union asked Spokane Mayor David H. Rodgers to form a Spokane Police Review Committee to investigate the fatal police shooting of Lewis and Clark …
This day in history: Stay Alive at 55? WSP was strictly enforcing the new nationwide speed limit, but its intent was not what it seemed
From 1975: The Washington State Patrol said it would have all available officers, including inspection men, on the highways to enforce the national speed limit: 55 miles per hour.
This day in history: Skyjacker D.B. Cooper remains at large after jumping from plane in SW WA. Trial ends with committee ruling in favor of Elk over championship game
From 1975: Mystery skyjacker D.B. Cooper was still nowhere to be found – but he was about to enter his final year of laying low.
This day in history: Expo expedited plans for riverfront. Man accused of killing man in drunken driving crash, dies in crash
From 1975: Spokane’s plan to reclaim its riverbanks “is moving faster than its developers thought possible and now stands at about 70 per cent.”
This day in history: Major leaguer Frank Howard returned to manage Spokane Indians. Accused bootlegger faces new allegation
From 1975: Frank Howard, the “gentle giant” of baseball, was named the new manager of the Spokane Indians minor league team.
This day in history: A fatal police shooting drew counter-protestors in support of the blue
From 1975: A small number of demonstrators gathered at the Spokane County Courthouse to “show police we are behind them.”
This day in history: Carl Maxey hinted at new details in the fatal police shooting stirring public outcry
From 1975: The Concerned Citizens of Spokane was asking Gov. Daniel Evans to intervene in the Craig S. Jordan fatal shooting case.
This day in history: NAACP called for coroner’s inquest in police shooting death of LC student. Men hadn’t given up hope for oil
From 1975: A number of parties, including Spokane civil right attorney Carl Maxey, demanded a coroner’s inquest into the fatal police shooting of Craig S. Jordan, a 17-year-old Lewis and …
This day in history: Police shooting of unarmed Lewis and Clark High School student sparked protests. New women’s club launched
From 1975: Dozens of protesters showed up at the Spokane County Courthouse and Spokane City Hall to ask for an independent investigation into the fatal police shooting of Craig S. …
This day in history: SPD officer shoots, kills unarmed teen. City assures it will crack down on ‘noodle cafes’
From 1975: A Spokane police officer shot and killed Craig S. Jordan, 17, when the officer saw him running out of a house on Spokane’s North Side.
This day in history: Davenport Hotel promoted a renovation. Explosion in St. John, Washington, destroyed a third of the business district
From 1975: A full page ad made this declaration: “The Grand Old Davenport: It’s the ‘newest’ place in Spokane.”
This day in history: Movie star Rhonda Fleming attends Fox Theater’s grand opening; Daredevil canoeist faces near-death experience
From 1975: Movie star Rhonda Fleming took time out from presiding over the “grand opening” of the Fox Theater (as a triplex) to give an interview about her experiences in …
This day in history: Film and TV star Rhonda Fleming attends grand opening of Fox Theater’s new triplex. Elk High accused of ‘dirty play’ after winning county football championships
From 1975: The Fox Theater held a “grand opening,” featuring a live appearance by “film, TV and stage star Miss Rhonda Fleming.”
This day in history: Spokane leaders pledged tough action against noodle cafes
From 1975: The search for the body of Joseph Hedger was still underway, and the suspect in the shooting, John C. Brannon, was not talking.
This day in history: Shooting, kidnapping spree that started in Liberty Lake ends in Stevens County. ‘Booze runner’ nabbed near Sandpoint
From 1975: A wild shooting and kidnapping spree, stretching from Liberty Lake to Stevens County, resulted in one arrest, one injury and one missing person presumed dead.
This day in history: City Council at odds over city-funded Spokane Arts Commission; Spokane war heroes honored on Armistice Day
From 1975: The Spokane City Council was in “sharp disagreement” over whether to launch a city-funded Spokane Arts Commission.
This day in history: Group lobbies for better Amtrak schedules in Spokane; Escaped convicts use beadsheets, springs to build ladder
From 1975: A citizens group called the Washington Association of Rail Passengers was lobbying for more convenient Amtrak schedules for Spokane.
This day in history: A freak accident with a rope nearly claimed a 6-year-old’s life, and a local football player wasn’t so lucky
From 1975: A Spokane woman was driving on the city’s west side when she saw a horrifying sight: a boy, 6, hanging from a tangle of rope in a garage.
This day in history: A real-time bank robbery and a sinister threat from a ‘physical wreck’
From 1975: An Old National Bank employee at the Country Homes branch was on the phone to the downtown office when she heard a gunshot and saw an overhead light …
This day in history: 12-year-old was acquitted in mother’s killing. Accused safecracker went on trial in brazen Paulsen Building burglaries
From 1975: A Liberty Lake Sewer District bond issue was defeated by voters, but now Spokane County was launching an investigation into whether opponents broke campaign laws.