The Great Fire (Spokane)

The Great Fire was a major fire which affected downtown Spokane, Washington on August 4, 1889. It began just after 6:00 p.m. and destroyed the city's downtown commercial district.[1] Due to technical problems with a pump station, there was no water pressure in the city when the fire started.[2] In desperate bid to starve the fire, firefighters began razing buildings with dynamite. Eventually winds died down and the fire exhausted of its own accord. As a result of the fire and its aftermath, 32 blocks of Spokane's downtown core were destroyed and one person was killed.[1]

Despite this catastrophe, Spokane continued to grow; the fire set the stage for a building boom. After The Great Fire of 1889 and the rebuilding of the downtown, the city was reincorporated under the present name of "Spokane" in 1891. Just three years after the fire, in 1892, James J. Hill's Great Northern Railway had arrived in the newly created township of Hillyard (annexed by Spokane in 1924)β€”the chosen site for Hill's rail yards.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 Arksey, Laura (20 March 2006). "Great Spokane Fire destroys downtown Spokane Falls on August 4, 1889". Essay 7696. HistoryLink. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  2. ↑ Schmeltzer (1988), pp. 42–43
  3. ↑ Kershner, Jim (15 December 2007). "Spokane Neighborhoods: Hillyard -- Thumbnail History". Essay 8406. HistoryLink. Retrieved 19 November 2014.

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