Image: 1888 Spocan waterfalls

The first people settled in the territory of Spokane 8-12 thousand years ago. They were hunter-gatherer communities attracted by the fertile land of the region. Over time, forests began to deplete, and native American tribes became more dependent on root, berries, and fish production. The Spokane tribe, which was later named the city, is believed to be a direct descendant of the hunter-gatherer tribe or descendants of the Great Ravnin tribes. First European researchers learned from local tribes that their ancestors came "from the north." Spokane's waterfalls were a hub of trade and fishing for the local tribes.

In the early 19th century, the Northwest Company sent two gun hunters west of the Rocky Mountains in search of fur mining sites. These hunters were the first white men to meet the Spokane tribe. The Indians considered them Saints, and asked them to stop for a winter camp in the Colville Valley. Later, the tribe saw that the guests had not brought them any "great magic", as their tribesmen continued to die massively from syphilis, the epidemic of which first appeared in 1782, taking the lives of more than half of the tribe's inhabitants.

Trade post

The internal Northwest Region was first examined by a geography scientist David Thompson, who was the head of the Northwest Company's office in the District of Columbia. Crossing the area around the modern Canadian-American border to travel from British Columbia, Thompson wanted to expand the Northwest Company's operations further south, looking for cannon mining sites, mostly beavers. Following the establishment of the Kallispell House and Salish House trading posts where Idaho and Montana are now located, Thompson wanted to expand further westward. In 1810, Thompson sent hunters Jacques Rafael Finley and Finan McDonald to the Spokane River to build a shopping mall in eastern Washington, to be used for exchanges with the local Indian tribes of Spokane and Colville.

In the area of the confluence of the Maly Spokane and Spokane rivers, Finlay and McDonald built a new trading post, which became the first long-term European settlement in the state of Washington. This trading post, known as Spokane House, or simply "Spokane," worked from 1810 to 1826. Spocan House, run by the British Northwest Company, and later Hudson Bay Company, has been the center of cannon trade between the Rocky and Cascading Mountains for 16 years. After the Hudson Bay Company's takeover of the Northwest Company in 1821, the activity was transferred from Spokane House to Fort Colville; however, the company continued to operate near Spokane.

American settlement

The joint Anglo-American ownership of the Oregon lands, as established by the 1818 Anglo-American Convention, eventually led to a dispute over the Oregon border over a large influx of American settlers on the Oregon Route. The dispute ended with the signing of the Oregon Treaty in 1846, whereby Britain ceded all land rights to the south of the 49th parallel, the modern border with Canada.

The first American settlers, squatters Jay Downing and S. R. Scranton, occupied the site near the Spokane Waterfalls in 1871. Together, they built a small sawmill on a plot near the southern coast of the Spokanské Waterfalls. Oregonians James N. Glover and Jasper Matini, who crossed the region in 1873, praised the importance of the Spocan River and its waterfalls. They saw the investment potential and bought from Downing and Scranton a plot of 160 acres (0.65 km²) and a sawmill for $4,000. Glover and Matini knew that the North Pacific Railway Company had received a government order to build a branch in the north. Glover later became known as "The Father of Spokane."

On October 21, 1880, the U.S. Army under the command of Lt. Col. Henry Clay Merriam established the Spokane Camp 56 miles (90 kilometers) northwest of Spokane at the mouth of the rivers Columbia and Spokane. The camp's strategic position was defined by the need to protect the North Pacific Railway and protect the American settlements.

Spot's ok. 1895

By 1881, the North Pacific Railway had been completed, bringing European settlers into those areas. The town of Spokane Waterfalls (which was renamed Spokane in 1891) was officially founded on November 29, 1881, with a population of about 1,000. The urban population had rapidly increased to 19,922 by 1,890, and to 36,848 by 1900 due to the railway. This attracted settlers from both close regions (Minnesota, South and North Dakota) and far-flung countries such as Finland, Germany and England. By 1910, the population had reached 104,000; the development of the North Pacific Railway has helped Spokane surpass Walla Walla as the commercial center of the Inner Northwest Region.

The spokane was steadily expanding until August 4, 1889, when the fire, now known as the Great Fire, started around 6 a.m. and destroyed the city's central commercial area. Due to technical problems at the pumping station, there was no pressure in the city water supply network when the fire started. In an effort to prevent the spread of fire, firefighters started destroying buildings with dynamite. Despite these measures, the fire continued to expand, jumping over cleared spaces. When the volunteers tried to suppress the flame, they found their hoses unsuitable for this purpose. As a result, because the gusts of the wind died down, the fire stopped by itself. The result of the fire was the destruction of 32 quarters and the death of one person.

Despite the extensive destruction caused by the fire, Spokane has not stopped in his development; The fire cleared the place for a large construction boom. After the Great Fire of 1889 and the restoration of the central part of the city, it was re-registered under its modern name "Spokane" in 1891. Just three years after the fire, in 1892, James Jay Hill Grand North Railway reached the newly established Hillyard town (which was absorbed by Spacan in 1924), a place that was chosen for the construction of workshops and depots because of the plains relief. The presence of the railway line has contributed to the transformation of the city into an important transport hub of the whole Inner North-West region. Thanks to its location between the farming and mining regions, Spokane has become an important railway and logistics center. After the arrival of railway operators such as Northern Pacific, Union Pacific Railroad, Great Northern, and Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific, Spokane has become one of the most important railway centers in the western United States.

XX century

The Great Northern Depot Chapel and the United States Pavilion in Riverfront Park

Spocan is known as "Fathers' Day Homeland." A resident of Spokana, Sonora Smart Dodd, is considered the founder of this annual holiday. Sonora, often called "Mother's Day", was 16 when her mother died, leaving her father to raise Sonora and her five younger brothers on a remote farm in eastern Washington. In 1909, when Sonora heard the Mother's Day sermon at Spocan's Central United Methodist Church, she was inspired by the desire to offer the same respect to her fathers. The following year, she shared her idea with the local branch of YMCA, which, like the Ministerial Alliance, supported her idea and helped organize the event for the first time in 1910 in Spokana. Sonora suggested celebrating her father's birthday on June 5. However, the pastors took more time to prepare and therefore the first Father's Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910.

The growth and development of the city of Spokane was sharply halted in the second decade of the 20th century, which was also accompanied by a decline in population. Much of the reason for this was the economic slowdown. Control of local mines and resource extraction fell into the hands of large national companies, which were withdrawing capital from the city, thereby reducing local investment. In the 1920s and 1930s, there was very little growth, also associated with negative economic conditions. The internal North-West region was largely dependent on a significantly reduced demand for minerals and agricultural and forestry products. The situation in Spokana improved after the outbreak of World War II as aluminum production was established in the Spokana Valley, owing to the low cost of electricity in the region and the increased demand for aircraft.

After decades of stagnation and sluggish growth, Spokane's businessmen, led by King Cole, established Spokane Anlimited, an organization that was supposed to revive business activity in the central part of the city. After a hard struggle, the deserved success came in the form of construction of a new parking lot in 1965. Soon, economic recovery efforts focused on improving the Havermeil Island in the central part of the city, where the railway depots and warehouses were mainly located. The recreation park with the demonstration of the Spocan waterfalls was the best choice, and the organization managed to persuade railway companies to move their infrastructure outside the island. In the 1970s, Spokane was approaching the celebration of her centennial, and Spokane Anlimited hired a private firm to prepare and hold festivities and fairs. The company offered to organize an international exhibition, which led to the holding of Expo-74.

Spokane held the first international exhibition on the theme "Environment" in 1974, becoming the smallest city to host the International Exhibition. Expo'74 was also the first American exhibition held after World War II, which was visited by representatives of the USSR. This event changed the city center, taking down the entire century of the rail industry that created the city and transforming the view of its central part. After Expo'74, the exhibition area turned into a 100-acre park (0.4 km²). The late 1970s was a period of growth for Spokane, which led to the construction of the two tallest buildings in the city in the early 80s — the 18-story building of the Pharm-Credit Bank and the 20-story building of the Financial Center of the Sifest, where today Bank is located F America.

The success of this period was interrupted again by the economic recession, in which prices for silver, wood, and agricultural products fell significantly. Despite this difficult period, Spokane's economy has benefited from diversification, owing to the existence of growing companies in the city such as Key Tronic and the availability of scientific, marketing, and productive capacity for other technology companies, which has helped to reduce Spokane's dependence on natural resource demand.

The twenty-first century

Spokana has extensive network of air corridors

In recent years, Spokane has experienced a global rebirth, based on three billion dollars in investment and the completion of the River Park Square Trade Center. The old Davenport Hotel, designed by Kirtland Kutter, underwent a complete renovation in 2002 after 20 years of inactivity. Other major projects include the renovation of the Holley Mason Building, the construction of the Big Easy Concert Hall (now known as Knitting Factory), the expansion of the Spokane Convention Center and the restoration of historic buildings at Montvale and Fox Theater (now known as the home hall of the Spokane Symphony Orchestra) phony). New construction projects are under development. Local developer Rob Brewster proposed to build a new VOX Tower, which could be the tallest structure in the city. The height of all new buildings is regulated by urban building regulations.

The construction of Kendall Yards in the western part of Spokane (along the northern bank of the Spokane River) will be one of the largest construction projects in the history of the city. The construction on the bank opposite the center of the River Spocan will combine residential and commercial areas, as well as the creation of areas and places for walks. Finally, the Kendall Yards project, located on 80 acres (0.32 km²), will consist of 2,600 residential units and about 1,000,000 square feet (93,000 m²) of office, commercial and commercial space.

In January 2011, an attempt to carry out a terrorist attack was prevented in Spokane.

On February 6, 2015, a strange white soda "dirty rain" started over the city. A few months later, scientists explained his origins: the storm that occurred over the alkaline lake Summer in Oregon carried a large amount of dust, consisting mainly of sodium carbonate, up to 800 kilometers from the lake, the mud mixed with a rain cloud, which resulted in unusual precipitation of at least 1 Five cities in three states.

Panorama of the central part of Spokane, view from the south, from the parking lot of the Deaconess Medical Center.

Topography

Spokane is located on the Spocan River in East Washington, near the eastern border of the same name State, 20 miles (32 km) from Idaho, 110 miles (180 km) south of the Canadian border, 280 miles (450 km) ) east of Seattle and 428 miles (689 km) southwest of Calgary. Spokan belongs to the Inner Northwest Region, which consists of eastern Washington, northern Idaho, western Montana and northeastern Oregon. According to the US Census Bureau, the city is 152 km², of which 150 km² is land and 2 km² is water.

River Spokane near the island of Canada

Spokane is located in the eastern part of the Columbia River Basin, a wide sloping plain rising east of the Rocky Mountains foothills, the Selkirk Mountains. The city lies in an interim zone between the desert of the Columbia Basin of central Washington and the forest-covered mountains of northern Idaho and northeastern Washington. The highest point in the Spocan district is Mount Spocan, which rises to an altitude of 5,883 feet (1,793 meters) above sea level, located on the eastern side of the Selkirk mountain range. The main source of water is the Spocan River, a 179-kilometer-long stream of the Columbia River, which originates from Lake Ker d'Alen in northern Idaho. The river flows westward through the state of Washington, crossing the central part of the city of Spokane, meets the river Lata Creek, which flows from the south right west of the city center, and then turns northwest where it connects to the river Little Spokane on its way to its main destination, the river Columbia , reaching it north of Davenport.

Spokane is 1,843 feet (562 meters) above sea level. The lowest point of the city is located near the northern border of the city, on the River Spokan (in the Riverside Park), at an altitude of 1608 feet (490 m), and the highest point is located in the northeastern part, near Hillyard, closer to Beacon Hill and Noril hillespoduar at an altitude of 2,591 feet (790 m).

Climate

Spocan is located in a humid continental climate (according to the classification of Köppen), a rare climate, due to its high location and high rainfall levels in the winter, making it difficult to classify it as a moderately dry climate. This area is characterized by a very warm, dry climate in summer months and a cold, humid climate in winter. The dominant seasons are winter and summer, while the transition seasons change quite quickly. On average, July and August are equally warm months, and the coldest month is December. In the summer there is a significant internal day temperature range, which reaches, and often exceeds, 30°F (17°C), and in the winter opposite - the range is 6°C. The average temperature in December is -2.7°C and the average temperature in July-August is 20.3°C.

The location of Spokane between the Cascading Mountains in the west and the Rocky Mountains in the north-east protects the city from the weather conditions typical of the main part of the Pacific Northwest. Cascading mountains form a barrier for the entry of humid and comparatively moderate air from the Pacific Ocean in winter, and cold air in summer. As a result of this action of the Cascading Mountains, the territory of Spokane is less than half of the level of rainfall of its western neighbor, Seattle. The average annual rainfall in Spokane is 430 mm, while the average annual rainfall in Seattle is 940 mm. The largest amount of rainfall occurs in December, while summer is the driest time of the year. Rocky mountains protect Spokane in the winter from the entry of cold air masses moving from the north, through Canada, and further south, thus protecting the city from the worst manifestations of winter Arctic air.

Temperatures are 42°C and -34°C, but temperatures above 38°C and below -23°C are very rare.

Night Spokane, view from the south-west

Spocan is surrounded by many engulfed and unabsorbed areas that make up the suburbs of Spokane. Among them: Greenacres, Washington, Medical Lake, Chiney, Airway Heights, Mead, Colbert, Spokane Valley, Milwood, Nine-Mail Falls, Otis Orchards and Libertess T-Lake. Through the border with Idaho is Kör d'Alen, which joins the Idahskaya part of the city territory, Heiden, Post Falls and Rasdrum.

Area

Most of Spokane's history is reflected in the wide variety of its surroundings. This range begins with the Victorian-style South Hill and Browne’s Addition, through the Davenport Arts District in the central part, to the more modern neighborhoods of Northern Spokane.

The city's surroundings attract attention with their history, as evidenced by the presence in the city of 18 historical districts included in the National Register of Historical Places of the USA. This is the highest rate among all cities in Washington State. More than 50% of central Spokane is recognized as a historical legacy consisting of three distinct historical sites in the US. In total, more than 1,300 individual properties registered in the National Register are located in the territory of the district of Spokane, 15 of which are districts.

According to the American Public Survey 2005-2007, 86.4% of the population was of the European race, 3.1% of the population was African-American, 3.5% of the population was American Indians or Alaska Native, 3 .7% - Asians, 0.6% - Native Hawaiians and other islands, 1.1% - representatives of other races. 3.9% of the total population was made up of members of Latin American nationalities. 26.5% of the population had a bachelor's degree or higher.

According to the 2000 census, the city had 195,629 inhabitants, 81,512 households and 47,276 families living in 87,941 housing units, with a population density of 3,387 per square mile (1,330) 7.7/km²). The racial composition of the city was as follows: 89.5% - White, 2.1% - African-Americans, 1.8% - American indigenous peoples, 2.3% - Asian, 0.2% - Oceania, 0.9% - other races, and 3.4% - representatives of two or more races. Latinos of any race made up 3.0% of the total population.

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, there were 208,916 residents in the city, making Spokane the largest city in America.

Of the 81,512 households, 29.4 per cent lived with children under the age of 18, 41.3 per cent were married couples, 12.4 per cent were single families and 42.0 per cent were non-family. 33.9% were households with single people, and 11.7% were single people aged 65 and over. The average household size was 2.32, the average family size was 2.98.

The age distribution of the population is as follows: 24.8% - under 18 years of age, 11.1% of 18-24 years of age, 29.6% of 25-44 years of age, 20.5% of 45-64 years of age, and 14.0% -6 years of age and over. The average age was 35 years. There are 93 men for every 100 women. For every 100 women over the age of 18, there are 89.9 men.

The average income in the city was $32,273, and the average income per family was $41,316. The average income of men was $31,676 compared to $24,833 for women. Per capita income in the city was $18,451. About 11.1 per cent of households and 15.9 per cent of the population lived below the poverty line, including 19.3 per cent of the population aged 18 and 9.6 per cent aged 65 and over.

According to the 2000 report of the Association of Archives of Religious Data, the religious composition of the inhabitants of the Spokan Municipal Statistical District was as follows: 43,397 Protestant evangelists, 32,207 Protestants; 776 - Orthodox; 57,187 — Catholics; 17,351 were of other faiths and 267,021 did not indicate their religious affiliation.

The Spokan Stock Exchange was previously in The Peyton Building

In 1883, gold and silver were found in the Inner North-West Region; at that time, the city, acting as a logistics center, provided supplies for the miners who passed through Spokane on the road to Ker d'Alyon, as well as to the areas of Colville and Kutenai. In the mid-1890s, large-scale mining operations were carried out in the region. The Territory is considered one of the largest mining areas in North America. Natural resources have traditionally played a significant role in the economic life of Spokane, the main center for timber, minerals and agricultural products.

Manufacturing leaders of the region are wood-based factories, mining and processing plants and food producers. The headquarters of Potlatch Corporation, ranked as Fortune 1000, and operates as an investment trust (REIT) in Arkansas, Idaho, Minnesota, and Oregon. in Spokane. The adjoining area, especially in the south, is a productive agricultural region known as Palouse. Several winemakers and breweries also operate in the Spokane area.

Forestry and agriculture continue to be important elements of the local economy, but Spokane is also actively developing other sectors, including biotechnology and high-tech industries. Signature Genomic Laboratories, a fast-growing genetics company, has its headquarters in Spokane, and Itron's main office is located near Liberty Lake , manufacturer of software for measurement and data collection. Red Lion Hotels Corporation also has its main office in the city. Spocan attracts companies with easy access to raw materials, as well as low operating costs, due, for example, to low electricity prices. Spokane's economic development is concentrated in six main sectors: manufacturing, aerospace, healthcare, information technology, clean-up technologies, and digital media. The center of Spokane is the place where the 100-block wireless network is deployed, one of the largest of its kind in the country, which is a symbol of the city's commitment to the development of technological capabilities and resources.

In 2000, the leading branches of Spokane for the employed population 16 years and over were: education, health and social services, 23.8%, and retail, 12.7%. Health care is a large, ever-expanding segment of the city's industry; The city provides medical services to patients from all the North-West region, to the border with Canada. Other important industries include: construction, production, transport, mining, communications, financial services, insurance, real estate, and the political sector. In addition, all types of U.S. forces are represented in Spokane County. The largest military institution is Air Force Base Fairchild, home to the 92nd Airborne refueling unit (92 ARW). The major companies located in Spokane are Cisco, F5 Networks, Goodrich Corporation, Itron , Kaiser Aluminum, Telect and Triumph Composite Systems.

As the capital center of the NWR, Southern British Columbia and Alberta, Spokane is an important center of commercial, industrial, medical, transport and trade activities, as well as a center of entertainment. The city has a wide network of services, as well as a large shopping area serving the entire North-West region, covering 80,000 square miles (210,000 km²). Spokane is the administrative center of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane, the Episcopal Diocese of Spokane and the Synod of Eastern Washington, D.C., Idaho. Because Spokane is the largest city between Seattle and Minneapolis, and because it is at the crossroads of many places of interest, tourism is developing rapidly in the region. Spokane is known as the "base camp" for rafting, camping, and other tourism.

North-West Museum of Culture and Arts

Spokane's life is heavily influenced by climate and geography. Spocan is in a 4-season climate, close to many rivers and lakes, where you can swim, swim by boat, fish and rafting. There is a mountainous area nearby, where you can ski, walk or ride a bicycle. A short drive from the city, residents and guests can visit 76 lakes, 33 golf courses, 11 wineries, 5 ski resorts, 5 large national parks, the Gorge of the River Columbia, and Dambu Grand Cooli. Gleischer National Park is a four-hour journey from Spokane, while Mount Reinir National Park and North Cascades National Park are four and a half hours from the city. Other parks, including Yellowstone National Park and Banf and Jasper National Park, can be reached in less than eight hours.

Spocan can offer all the pleasures of a large city while combining them with the traditions and activities carried out in the atmosphere of a small town. The National Civil League awarded the city the All-American City Award in 1974 and 2004. The National Civil League is an organization that recognizes citizens' communities that work together to identify important societal goals and achieve significant results in addressing them. There are several museums in the city, the main of which are the North-West Museum of Culture and Arts (MAC), the Smithsonian Museum, which is home to a large collection of artifacts of Native Americans and regional and national art samples of various arts. Located in Browne’s Addition among the buildings of the golden age of Spokane (XIX century), the museum is only a few blocks from the center of the city.

Art and Theater

Fox Theater

Spokan has a wide variety of visual art places, as well as scenes for performances of theater groups. Such attractions are considered the main city theater, several smaller theaters, the Spocan Symphony Orchestra, jazz orchestra, opera theater and other musical places. However, the Spocan music community needs what they call an established place for musical performances for different age groups.

In Spokana very bright cultural events are held. The main dates of cultural events (the first Friday of February and October) gather huge crowds in the art quarters. These areas are Davenport, Garland Business and East Spring. On the first Friday of each month, processions of local artists are held, demonstrating their skills throughout the city center. There are many art galleries in the Davenport area, as well as some of the main performances of theater groups.

Spokane offers to get acquainted with a lot of musical groups, for the widest range of listeners. The Spocan Symphony Orchestra represents all facets of classical music, while Spocan's Jazz Orchestra plays jazz music. The Symphony Orchestra is a non-profit organization established in 1945 and named the Spocan Philharmonic. The Spocan Jazz Orchestra is also a non-profit organization, formed in 1962, which has been recognized nationwide as the oldest collective of 17 people, with continuous performances at a professional level, enjoying the support of its fellow countrymen.

The theater is organized by the only local professional company, Interplayers Ensemble. Theater events are also held by the Spocan Civil Theater and several amateur theaters and small collectives. The Fox Theater, which was restored to its original Art Deco style in 1931, is now the home scene of the Spokana Symphony Orchestra. The City Art Center was rebuilt in 1988 and renamed in 2006 as the Bing Crosby Theater, a native of Spokane.

Parks and places of rest

Spocan and its surroundings offer plenty of outdoor activities that can satisfy the taste of the widest range of people, including kilometers of recreational roads, many lakes for fishing and water entertainment, and several large parks. In 1907, the Spocan Parks Commission hired Olmsted Brothers to develop a plan to create urban parks. A large number of parks were organized by the city before the First World War, making the city one of the leaders in the development of parks among all Western cities. Today, Spocan has more than 75 parks with a total area of 3,488 acres (14.12 km²). The most notable parks in the city are the Riverfront Park, the Manito Park and Botanical Gardens, Riverside Park, Mount Spokan Park, St. Michael's Park, Bowl & Pitcher Park and Dendrary John Finch.

Duncan Garden in Manito Park

The Riverfront Park, created after Expo'74 on the same territory, occupies 100 acres (0.4 km²) of the central part of the city and is the center of the largest city events. From the park you can see the Spocan waterfalls, as well as visit a number of attractions such as Skyride, which imitates a gondola ride on a turbulent river, the 5-story IMAX cinema, and a small amusement park (which turns into a winter ice rink). The park hosts all kinds of family entertainment and major urban events such as the Flower Day, street basketball competitions, IMAX Film Festival, Spocan Music Festival, Pig Out in the Park, Restaurant Exhibition, Pow Wow, First Night of Spocan, personal concerts and other public events. The park also features a handmade Riverfront Park carousel, created in 1909 by Charles Luff as a wedding gift for his daughter. Carousel is still working, and visitors can compete in a ring fishing contest. Whoever gets lucky to catch the ring gets a free ride on the carousel. The Riverfront Park offers a beautiful view of the waterfalls of Spokane, as well as the very beautiful area of the Spocan River. The Manito Park, in the South Hill area, offers visitors to admire the duck lake, Dr. David Geiser Central Conservatory, the classic Duncan garden, created in the Renaissance style, and Japan's Nisino Garden created by Nagao Sakurai. Riverside Park is a stage park located near the city center, where you can walk, ride mountain bikes and practice rafting. Dendrary Jonah Fincha is a public park with an area of 57 acres (0.23 km²), where you can get acquainted with rare representatives of the local flora and fauna.

During the warm season, 6 new aqua centers, including the Comstock Park Pool, operate in Spokana with its historical baths. In 2008, voters approved a $43 million loan, which allowed for a complete reconstruction of the city's swimming pools and the creation of a new facility near Shadle Park High School.

An even more active way to get acquainted with the natural attractions of the Spokan region is to travel along the Spokan River Route, which is about 37 miles (60 km) of hiking routes along the Spocan River from Sontag Park in the west of Spokane to the east bank |Lake Ker d'Alen in Idaho. This route goes further under the name of the Northern Idaho Hune Hundred Trail and is often used for all kinds of active recreation, such as running, walking, cycling or roller-riding.

In addition to urban parking systems, there are many places for outdoor activities. There are several rivers and 76 lakes in the Spokana area, where you can swim, play water sports and rafting, fishermen and campsite. In the summer, visitors can visit the large enough lakes of northern Idaho (Lake Ker d'Alen, Lake Pand Ore, Lake Pryst) and smaller lakes. The largest and deepest reservoir nearby is Pand Ore Lake, with an area of 383 km² and a maximum depth of 351 m. In the winter you can visit 5 ski resorts, 2 hours away from the city, including Schweitzer Mountain Resort in Sandpiint, Idaho Silver Mountain Resort in Kelloga, Idaho, Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area in Mall an, Idaho and 49 Degrees North Ski Area in Chevela, Washington. The nearest ski resort is Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park, managed by a non-profit organization. There are tracks for skiing, dog-sledging and snowshoe walks. During the warm season, hikers and mountain biking can use these paths.

Events and festivals

Spokane is a venue for annual events that attract people from nearby regions. Every year in May, Spokane holds the Purple Festival, during which (on the third Sunday of May) a parade of the Armed Forces is held. The race on the Day of Flowers is held on the first Sunday of May and is a competition of athletes at a distance of 7.46 miles (12 km) which gathers about 45,000 participants. Spokansky Kupfest is the world's largest street basketball competition 3-on-3, with 26,000 participants in 2010. It is estimated that during this competition 40 quarters of the central part of the city turn into basketball courts, which visit about 200,000 people, which is almost equal to the total number of inhabitants of the city.

Flower Day Run

Spocan's main film festivals include the Spocan International Film Festival and the Spocan Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. The Spocan International Film Festival, held annually in February, is a small festival at which the jury assesses documentary and short works from all over the world. The other, named film festival, is held annually in November and presents a modern independent film for the LGBT community. The Garland Village Arts & Music Festival is also held every second Saturday in August.

Other notable events in the city's life are the Spokana Fair, the Spokansk Komik Kon, Japanese Week, Get Lit!, and the Spokansk Pride parade. The Spocan fair is held annually in September at the Exhibition Center, which was recently expanded by construction worth $18 million. The Japanese Week is held in April to celebrate the fraternal friendship between the cities of Spokane and Nishinomiya, demonstrating the common features of these cities. Students at the Spockan Branch of Mukogaua University and the Whitworth, Gonzaga, Spokane Falls and Sponkana City College are conducting a series of Japanese culture-style events, combined with other events throughout the city. Get Lit! is an annual literary festival held in April for all readers and writers and sponsored by Eastern Washington University Press. Get Lit! presents author presentations, workshops, and writers' visits to schools throughout East Washington and North Idaho. The Spocan Pride Parade is held in June and brings together gays, lesbians, and people who share their views to promote the value of diversity in this world.

Spokane Arena, Spokane Chiefs and Spokane Shock home arena

Spokane Shock, Spokane Indians, Spokane Chiefs (Western Hockey League), and Spokane Spokane Indians (Northwest Baseball League) are professional sports teams working for Spokane Chiefs (Western Hockey League). kane Black Widows. Valery Bure (1991-1994), Pavel Bure's brother, performed at Spokane Chiefs Hockey Club Spokane Chiefs.

The university teams in Spokane are: Gonzaga Bulldogs, who speak at the West Coast Conference (WCC), Washington State Cougars, Eastern Washington Eagles, and Idaho Vandals.

In 1995, Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, the Spokane Department of Public Institutions, opened a central venue for sports events to replace the outdated Spokane Coliseum. Since its opening, Arena Spokana, together with the city, held a number of major sports competitions. The first such important event was the Memorial Cup - 1998, the final game for the title of champion of the Canadian Hockey League. Four years later, in 2002, Spokane hosted the 2002 Skate America figure skating competition, as well as the first two rounds of the NCAA Division I women's basketball competition. The Spocan Arena is a permanent venue for the State Basketball Championship, which is attended by athletes and fans from all over the state.

In 2007, Spokane hosted the U.S. figure skating championship on the Spokane Arena. This event set a record of attendance, was sold about 155 thousand tickets, which allowed to get the title "Sports Event of the Year" according to the magazine Sports Travel Magazine, surpassing even such big events as Super Bowl XLI. Admirers, analysts and athletes, including ice-dancing champion Tanit Belbin, highly appreciated the level of organization of the event city, and a large number of visitors of its fans of sports. Later, Spokane once again hosted the U.S. figure skating championship 2010, which ended 18 days before the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Speedball

The game, which was very popular during the American physical education class, was invented in Spokane by the school of Lewis & Clark Highschool. It was invented in the late 70s and still remains popular. This school has its own team, which competes with many other schools from Spokane and Kor d'Alen. The Gonzaga Preparatory School team, also in Spokane, is leading a great historical confrontation on the speedball of Lewis and Clark. Paul McCartney so liked the spidball games he saw while visiting Spokane before his concert on March 20, 2000 that he applied to include this type of competition in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games program in Beijing, but it was rejected.

Spidbol's Hall of Fame is across from Lewis and Clark School, near the 280th exit of the I-90 highway.

Review Building

A large number of publications are published in Spokane. The newspapers include the main daily newspaper, The Spokesman-Review, and more specialized publications, including the weekly newspaper, The Pacific Northwest Inlander, the biweekly business magazine The Spokane Journal of Business. a monthly newspaper for parents, Children's Newspaper, a monthly news magazine GLBTQ View Northwest, a monthly survey of active leisure outside There Monthly, and a monthly newspaper about events in the Garland area The Garland Times.

The spork also publishes magazines — Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living — a monthly magazine about home and style, The Spokane Sidekick guide on entertainment and cultural events, The Word — a monthly humorous publication, HomeTeam Sports is a tabloid dedicated to local sporting events and The Family Guide, an annual publication distributed in schools in Spokane and Kor d'Alena that contains materials on strengthening family values in the Inner Northwest Region. There are also a number of online publications dedicated to the events in Spokana and the surrounding regions.

According to Arbitron, Spokane is the 92nd largest market for radio^[specify] in the US, the number of students aged 12 and over is 502,600. Twenty-eight AM and FM radio stations broadcast in Spokane. The city also has one public (LPFM) station, KYRS-LP. KYRS broadcasts on promising topics that are of interest to all groups in the local community.

Spokane is the 75th largest television market in the United States^[specify], which contains 0.364% of the total number of households in the US watching TV. The city has six television stations representing major commercial networks and public television. Spokane is a TV broadcasting center for much of eastern Washington (except for the Yakima and Tri-Cities regions), north Idaho, northwest Montana, northeast Oregon, and part of Canada (via cable TV). The broadcast in Spokana takes place in North American time, the weekday prime time starts at 20.00. Montana and Alberta are in the Mountain Time Zone and receive a delay of one hour (that is, the prime time starts at 19:00 for the local stations of Montana, and at 21:00 for stations broadcasting from Spokane). The main TV networks in the city include KREM (TV) 2 (CBS), KXLY-TV 4 (ABC), KHQ-TV 6 (NBC) (the first TV station that started broadcasting in Spokana on December 20, 195 2 years old), KSPS-TV 7 (PBS), KXMN-LP 11 (MNTV), KSKN-TV 22 (CW), KCDT-TV 26 (PBS broadcast outside of Ker-d' Alain (Idaho), KAYU 28 (Fox), KGPX-TV 34 (ION), KQUP 47LP (RTN; Channel 24 translator in Pulman), K55EB 55 (TBN; KTBN) and KHBA-LP 39.1-4.

Spocan City Council

The city of Spokane is governed by a model consisting of a mayor and a city council, also known as a "strong mayor." Spokane moved to this system of management in January 2001, after 40 years of management under the system Board-Managing. An initiative to change the form of government was held in Spokane in November 1999. According to the current form of leadership, the city has two independent branches of government: Executive (represented by the Mayor) and Legislative (City Council). The City Council sets the main directions in the city's politics. The Mayor, as the highest official of the city of Spokane, is responsible for the administration and implementation of the decisions taken by the City Council.

The other key representatives are the seven members of the Spocan City Council (2 from each of the three districts plus the President), elected by the population, who perform a legislative function in the city's governance. In addition to defining directions in the city's policy, the City Council issues resolutions and provides legal support for the city's activities.

Mary Werner is now the mayor of Spokane; who took office on November 27, 2007, replacing Dennis Hession, who left office on November 9, 2007. Hession was sworn in on January 3, 2006, after the previous mayor, Jim West, was recalled.

Spokan District Court Building

Spokane is part of Washington State's 5th district for Congress elections, represented by the Republican Kathy McMorris Rogers, elected in 2004. The state's senior representative in the US Senate is the Democrat Patty Murray, elected in 1992. The US Senate's junior representative is Democrat Maria Cantwell, elected in 2000. The governor of Washington State since 2004 is Democrat Christine Gregoire.

Spokane is recognized as a city with conservative views that favors Republicans in elections. Although John McCain won the Spocan district election with a result of 50%-48% in the US presidential election (2008), Obama won the city with a result of 60%-37%. The former speaker of the US House of Representatives, Democrat Tom Foley, has worked as a representative of Washington's 5th District for 30 years, enjoying huge support in Spokane, until he was defeated in the 1994 elections called the "Republican Revolution." In 1981, James Everett Chase was elected the first African-American mayor in the city, and after his departure, the city chose the first female mayor, Vicki McNeil.

Gonzaga University

Two public libraries serve the general educational needs of the local population — the Spocan Public Library (located within the city) and the Spocan District Library. Founded in 1904 by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, the Spokane Public Library consists of a central office and 6 district libraries. Special collections include materials on the history of the North West, genealogy, the history of the state of Washington and government documents of the district of Spokane.

The Spokana Department of Public Schools (Area 81) is the largest public school system in Spokana and the second largest in the state, serving approximately 30,000 students in 6 high schools, 6 high schools and 34 primary schools. Other school departments are Central Valley School District, Mead School District, and West Valley School District. A significant number of private primary and secondary schools that have passed the State certification have expanded the public school system.

Spokane is also home to high-level educational institutions. Among them are private universities of Gonzaga and Whitworth, the public system of the colleges of Spokane, as well as the university campuses ITT Tech and the University of Phoenix. The University of Gonzaga and the Law School were founded by the Jesuits in 1887. Whitworth was founded in 1890 and is closely connected with the Presbyterian Church. Even though Spokane is one of the few big cities in the US that doesn't have a major university campus at a public university; The University of East Washington (EWU) and Washington State University (WSU) operate in Riverpoint Campus, right next to the city center, across the river from the Gonzaga campus. EWU is the main university campus located 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Spokane near Cheney, and WSU is located 65 miles (105 km) south in Pulman.

Deaconess Medical Center

Health

Spokane is the center of medical services for the whole Internal Northwest Region. Six main hospitals are located in the city, four of which provide a full range of health services. The region's health care is mainly provided by non-profit Providence Health & Services from Seattle and a commercial company from Tennessee Community Health Systems, which manage the city's two largest hospitals, the Sacred Heart Medical Center and the Deaconess Medical Center, respectively. Both hospitals, together with other health facilities, are located in Lower-South Hill, south of the city center. A large number of health facilities in the area, located close to each other, have led to the formation of the so-called "medical neighborhood" of Spokane.

Other hospitals include Spokane Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the north-western part of the city, Holy Family Hospital in the north, and Valley Hospital and Medical Center in Spokane Valley. Shriners Hospital is one of 20 hospitals in Spokane.

Transport

Roads and highways

The streets of Spokane are built on the principle of a road grid, oriented on four sides of the world. As a rule, in Spokane, roads from east to west are called avenue, and from south to north are called streets. The main roads in the city are Francis, Wellesley, Mission, Sprague and 29th Avenue. The main carriageways from the south to the north are Maple-Ash, Monroe, Division, Hamilton, Greene-Market (north of the I-90 motorway), and Ray-Freya (south of I-90). The section from the I-90 in the north to the US 2-US 395 intersection, called the North Division, is the busiest transport corridor in Spokane, with more than 40,000 cars passing daily.

I-90 at the entrance to Spokane down the Sunset Hill

The main service of Spokane is the I-90 Motorway, which runs east to west from Seattle, through the center of Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, and further east via Coeur d’Alene through the states of Idaho and Montana, towards Chicago. Unlike the I-90, the US 2 and US 395 roads are unrestricted roads and pass through Spokane from the west, through I-90 and further north through Division Street. These 2 highways go the same way until they reach the "Y", where US 395 continues its way north to Deer Park and further to Canada, and US 2 turns northeast and moves through Mead, Chattaroy, Newport, and Sandpoint .

Over the past 10 years, the Washington State Transport Department (WSDOT) has aggressively worked to improve the road network to keep pace with the region's development and prevent traffic congestion, which is common in many large cities across the country. In 2005, WSDOT completed the first two phases of the project to expand the I-90 Spokan-Idaho motorway. At the moment, the line has been extended to 6 lanes to Spokane Valley, but it is still necessary to invest 210 million dollars in the extension of the last stretch between Sullivan Road and Idaho state.

Northern Sloan Corridor

The Transportation Department is currently working on the construction of the Northern Spot Corridor. Once completed, the project will become a 10.5 mile (16.9 km) restricted access highway that runs from the I-90 motorway near the Thor/Freya intersection north through Spokane and will meet the existing US 395 highway south of the field for Wandermere golf. More than $2 billion (more than $3 billion based on inflation) will be spent on the construction of this highway. The first site was officially opened on 22 August 2009. It stretches from Farwell Road near US 2 South Road to Francis Avenue and Market Street (approximately 4 miles or 6.4 km). Now^{[when? ]} The construction is under way on the US 2 highway near Shady Slope Road, where contractors are expanding a water channel that will serve as a way for fish and other animal life through the construction of the new highway, and are building a fork that will connect US 2 to the Northern Spot Corridor; the site is scheduled to open in mid-2011, before proceeding to the final stage of the northern part project, which will connect the US 395 highway to the SSC in 2012. The remaining site will be completed once the necessary funding is made available.

Public transport

Bus STA

Prior to the widespread use of cars, people moved around the city using the Spokane Tram System. Many of the city's ancient streets are still visible on the roadside, as some of them have never been dismantled. Since 1922, tram services have been gradually reduced due to reduced passenger traffic, and by August 1936, all tram lines had ceased to exist or were converted to bus routes.

Today, mass passenger transportation is provided by the Spokane Transit Agency (STA). Currently, STA operates approximately 150 buses and serves an area of 143 square miles (370 km²). Most of the STA routes are sent from the central site, the STA Square, in the center of Spokane. Passengers who travel through this site have the opportunity to get to almost any transport route in the city.

In the late 1990s, there was widespread talk of introducing a high-speed system, using a light-rail system that was preferred to an alternative bus-express system. The proposed new line is to go from Square to the east via Spokane Valley to Liberty Lake, and then the lines from Square to Spokane International Airport, from Liberty Lake to Coeur d'Alene, and the line passing by the media for the new Northern Spot Corridor will be added. In 2006, the $263 million project was voted down, postponing implementation indefinitely. The Inland Empire Rail Transit Association (also known as InlandRail) was created to continue the dialog.

Spokane Intermodal Center offers a rail and bus service from Amtrak and Greyhound. Amtrak Empire Builder passenger train stops in the city on its way from Chicago. There are also night flights to Seattle and Portland, left behind by the old Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway.

Airports

Spokane, East Washington and North Idaho are served by the Spocan International Airport (GEG). Spokane International Airport is the second largest airport in the state of Washington, recognized by the U.S. Federal Civil Aviation Authority as a small transport hub. The airport is located 5 miles (8 km) west of the center of Spokane, about a 10-minute drive away. The airport is used by ten major airlines and three air cargo carriers. The international abbreviation of the airport, "GEG", is based on the historical name Geiger Field used before 1960, named after Air Major Harold Geiger in 1941.

Felts Field Airport, located in the east of Spokane along the Spocan River, is the general aviation airport serving the Spokane district. It was used as the main airport, before the construction of the Spocan International Airport.

The Mead Flying Service is a small private airport located about 1 mile (1.6 km) north of the Mid area in Spokan district. Deep Park Airport is about 22 miles (35 km) north of Spokane. Despite its small size, the economic activity of its two take-off lanes brought the city $4,077,316.

A dam on Monroe Street

Utilities

The city of Spokane manages municipal water, sewerage and solid waste collection systems. Spokane is the only plant in the state of Washington that recycles waste into energy, as well as two solid waste collection and sorting stations created under the Spocan Regional Solid Waste System, established in collaboration with the city of Spokane and the district of Spokane. Electricity generated by the refinery is used to operate the complex, and excess quantity is sold by Puget Sound Energy. Natural gas and electricity supplies are provided by Avista Utilities, while TV, Internet and telephony services are provided by Qwest Communications and Comcast.

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