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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: A near-disaster at Spokane International Airport prompted an FAA investigation
From 1976: Two passenger jets with 167 passengers nearly collided in an alarming incident at Spokane International Airport.
This day in history: A Teamsters strike loomed, and 100 years ago, a downtown jewelry theft livened up the streets of Spokane
From 1976: Spokane was feeling the impact of a nationwide Teamsters Union strike.
This day in history: Experts issued warnings on Spokane Valley aquifer. Coeur d’Alene woman inherited a fortune.
From 1976: Experts were issuing more warnings about the safety of the aquifer beneath the Spokane Valley.
This day in history: University of Idaho marching band no longer in step as program nixed. Prohibition officer arrested on embezzlement charges
From 1976: The University of Idaho’s football games were in danger of becoming a lot quieter.
This day in history: Mead, Colbert and Green Bluff residents backed news high school. Kingdome opened to crowd of 49K
From 1976: A new, distinctive building opened in Seattle: the King County Domed Stadium, aka the Kingdome.
This day in history: California, Washington fought over Hecla riches. Idahoans rescued from plane crash site
From 1976: Two Hayden Lake men were rescued via helicopter after their light plane went down near the Idaho-Montana border.
This day in history: Search underway for missing Hayden Lake men who went down with plane near Montana border. Whitworth College features graduating class of two
From 1976: The search was on for two missing Hayden Lake men whose single-engine plane disappeared in the Mullan Pass area on the Montana-Idaho border.
This day in history: Swine flu fears spiked in Spokane after 15 deaths. Sketch of new cathedral revealed on frontpage of Chronicle
From 1976: At least 15 people had died of a flu outbreak in Spokane County, adding to fears that a “swine flu” epidemic had reached Spokane.
This day in history: Serial killer sentenced to hang. Tight hats were causing conundrum for those with poor eye sight
From 1976: Thomas Eugene Creech, whose murder trial caused a sensation in Wallace was sentenced to hang by a Boise judge.
This day in history: Spokane Weekly Chronicle announced end of publication. New report cards judged kids for manners, ‘cheerfulness’ and more
From 1976: The Spokane Weekly Chronicle announced it was ceasing publication on July 1, 1976, “96 years to the day after it was founded by three Spokane pioneers.”
This day in history: County shoots down Liberty Lake music festival; Glee club flees West Side hotel fire
From 1976: The promoters of a gigantic Liberty Lake area rock festival expressed their frustration after the county commissioners rejected their permit.
This day in history: 14 were jailed in Salmon River fishing protest. Spokane Shrine brought joy to 100 ‘shut-ins’
From 1976: About 250 people staged a “fish-in” protest on the Salmon River in Idaho, and 14 ended up in jail.
This day in history: A push to gather support for eventual president Jimmy Carter landed in Spokane
From 1976: The Western states’ campaign coordinator for Jimmy Carter who had emerged as a front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination – arrived in Spokane to drum up support in …
This day in history: Potential mega concert with Beach Boys, Olivia Newton-John and more rejected by judge. Oakesdale was shaken by assault by acid.
From 1976: Superior Court Judge George Shields put a final end to plans for a gigantic rock festival at Holiday Hills near Liberty Lake.
This day in history: Pullman mayor warned of decaying town. Judge declined to grant woman a divorce despite extensive testimony of abuse
From 1976: The Spokane Chronicle was “shining a spotlight” on the region’s cities and towns, and this day’s installment was about Pullman.
This day in history: Bing Crosby performed comeback concert in LA. Piano tuner warned of calamity facing nation
From 1976: Bing Crosby, Spokane’s biggest celebrity, returned to the concert stage in Los Angeles to celebrate his “demicentennial in show business.”
This day in history: Foley called for reopening of Millwood Post Office. 2 miners were trapped in Mullan
From 1976: The Millwood post office was abruptly closed by the federal government and U.S. Rep. Tom Foley was hopping mad.
This day in history: 70 Kaiser Aluminum employees would return to work as plant reopens Mead location. Woman convicted for marrying while still wed to first husband just wanted to keep the second out of prison
From 1976: Spokane received some welcome economic news when the Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corp. announced that it planned to restart one of its two idle potlines at the Mead …
This day in history: Bear shot and given funeral after it escaped Natatorium Park cage. Students backed Hubert Humphrey for president at student convention at Gonzaga
From 1976: The student delegates at a simulated Democratic convention at Gonzaga University chose Hubert Humphrey as their 1976 presidential candidate and California Gov. Edmund G. Brown as his running …
This day in history: As Sea World used explosives and airplanes to capture orcas in Puget Sound, 2 escaped through net
From 1976: The saga of five captured orcas in Puget Sound – a story which had captivated the state for days – took a dramatic turn when two of the …
This day in history: Spokane, Chattaroy registered highest radiation readings in Washington. Vigilante farmers capture potato thieves
From 1976: Spokane and Chattaroy residents had a dubious distinction: They were exposed to the highest amount of natural radiation in the state.
This day in history: Rum runners stole booze from rum runner after riddling his auto with bullets. House committee backed bill requiring car emission checks
From 1976: The U.S. House Commerce Committee approved legislation that would have an impact on every driver in the Inland Northwest – mandatory annual emissions checks.
This day in history: Chamber pulled plug on Miss Spokane contest. Liberty Lake resort set for big improvements
From 1976: A long-running Spokane tradition – the Miss Spokane Contest – was coming to an end after 29 years.
This day in history: Debate on art sparked mass resignation from Spokane museum board. Spokane voters backed auditorium and schools as Seattle elected first woman mayor
From 1976: A dispute over how to present art in Spokane resulted in the resignation of 10 members of the Eastern Washington State Historical Society Art Committee.
This day in history: State canceling land leases leads to controversy over 1911 agreement; Safecrackers take old-fashioned transportation on getaway
From 1976: The owners of about 200 cabins and cottages at Heyburn State Park on Lake Coeur d’Alene received some bad news: Their leases were being canceled.
This day in history: Eastern Washington State College’s director of Black studies said promises to students weren’t kept. Elaborate multi-faith funeral planned
From 1976: Clarence Williams, director of Eastern Washington State College’s Black Studies program, told a Spokane audience that “the people of Eastern need an education – many of the 8,000 …
This day in history: Last pair of trumpeter swans in Washington made home at Turnbull. Chewelah was building new high school
From 1976: The Spokesman-Review ran a photo of two trumpeter swans at the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge and noted that they “part of the only flock of trumpeters existing in …
This day in history: CdA Tribe said state should turn back land. Spokane museum about to open in mansion
From 1976: The Coeur d’Alene Tribe was “pleased” – in part – with the Department of Interior’s ruling on the Heyburn State Park case.
This day in history: Coeur d’Alene Tribe cabins were at risk of being ‘forfeited to the federal government’
From 1976: Word arrived that the Coeur d’Alene Tribe had won its federal case against Heyburn State Park and that unless “immediate corrective action is taken,” the park “may be …
This day in history: 5 snowmobilers were rescued in North Idaho. In an era of bobs, Spokane County pioneer women grew her hair to the floor
From 1976: Five snowmobilers were rescued by helicopter and were being treated in a Coeur d’Alene hospital for frostbite after spending a bitter cold night in North Idaho’s Fourth of …
This day in history: Man with no teeth argued beer with egg his only option to avoid starvation. Bailiff backed butcher’s beef
From 1976: A bailiff who cooked some hamburger helped settle a small claims court case in Spokane.
This day in history: CB radio thefts grow 500% from previous year. Air mail gets a boost, now able to arrive in Spokane within 40 and a half hours from NYC
From 1976: The country was in the midst of a citizen band radio craze, and in Spokane, that meant a big increase in CB radio thefts.