History
Spokane’s first residents were Native American. From the Spokanes, we get our name, which means "Children of the Sun." Spokane became an incorporated City on Nov. 29, 1881, encompassing 1.56 square miles. Back then, the City was known as Spokan Falls and had 350 residents. The "e" was added to Spokane in 1883, and "Falls" was dropped in 1891. The City suffered, perhaps, its biggest setback in 1889, when a fire ravaged downtown destroying 32 blocks.The Spokane Indians lived in the region until the establishment of fur trading in 1810. In 1849, the first white settler located in the Spokane Valley in the Millwood area.

By 1881 the Northern Pacific Railroad reached the Spokane area, making the Valley and the City of Spokane more accessible. As the City of Spokane grew, many people chose to live “in the country” — east of the city limits — here in the Spokane Valley.

Looking north from Greenacres
The year 1889 saw the development of communities that grew up around irrigation routes from nearby lakes, the Spokane River, and the aquifer.

Different plats were laid out and given names such as: East Farms, Opportunity, Dishman, Orchard Avenue, Vera, Millwood, Otis Orchards, Greenacres, Liberty Lake, Newman Lake, Pasadena Park, Trentwood, Chester, and others. Of all the communities, Millwood was the only one to incorporate as a town

A new City Hall was built at the southwest corner of Spokane Falls Boulevard and Wall Street in 1913, serving as the City's main offices until the City’s centennial year—1981. The 1920s-era Montgomery Wards building at Spokane Falls Boulevard and Post Street was renovated then to house the City’s offices. Old City Hall now is home to restaurants and shops.

In 1974, Spokane hosted a World's Fair. Expo '74's lasting legacy is Riverfront Park—once a highly used rail yard, the property was converted into a park to host the fair.

Today, Spokane continues to grow and change. We're the second largest City in Washington state and the biggest City between Seattle and Minneapolis.