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Spokane, Washington
Image:SpokaneFromSouthHill.JPG Downtown looking North
Image:SpokaneCitySeal.png Seal
Nickname: "The Lilac City"
Image:Spokane in Spokane County.png Location of Spokane in Spokane County and Washington
Coordinates: 47°40′24″N, 117°24′37″W
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Spokane
Mayor	Dennis P. Hession
Area
- City	151.6 km²
- Land	149.6 km²
- Water	2.0 km²
Population
- City (April 1, 2006)	201,600
- Metro	443,800
Time zone	PST (UTC-8)
- Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)
Website: www.spokanecity.org

Spokane (pronounced spō-CAN [spoʊ ˈkæn]) is the second largest city in Washington state, the third largest city in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest. It is the county seat of Spokane County in the State of Washington, USA. It was originally incorporated as "Spokan Falls" (without an 'e' at the end), drawing on the Native American tribe known as the Spokane, which means "Children of the Sun.” It is often mispronounced as "Spo cane",when it's actually pronounced like "spo can".

The town site was originally platted, about 1880, surrounding the falls of the Spokane River, where the river descends from the Selkirk Mountain range into the Columbia Plateau. Spokane is 280 miles east of Seattle and 375 miles northeast of Portland. The 2000 U.S. census showed that the city population was 197,400, and the county had a population of 417,939. The most recent state figures, released in April of 2006, show that the city population has since increased to 201,600, while metropolitan estimates show the area has more than half a million people, and may be approaching 600,000.

Contents 1 Government 2 History 2.1 The Great Fire 2.2 Great Northern Railway 2.3 1974 World's Fair 3 Geography and climate 4 Demographics 5 Education 5.1 Colleges and universities 6 Transportation 6.1 Highways 6.1.1 Fighting Congestion 6.2 Air Travel 6.3 Mass Transit 7 Parks and recreation 8 Sports teams and events 9 Events and activities 10 Notable Spokanites 10.1 Musicians 10.2 Artists 10.3 Sports 10.4 Actors 10.5 Politicians 10.6 Other 11 Local media 11.1 Print media 11.2 Television 11.3 Radio 12 Sister cities 13 See also 14 External links 14.1 Annual events 14.2 Maps

[edit] Government

The City of Spokane has operated under a Mayor-Council form of government, also referred to as "Strong Mayor," since January 2001, after 40 years under a Council-Manager system.

Dennis P. Hession, formerly the City Council President, became the new mayor on December 16, 2005 after the recall of the late Jim West. The City Council consists of seven members: two elected from each of three districts, plus a president elected at large. The current City Council President is Joe Shogan.

Spokane is in Washington's 5th congressional district, and is currently represented by freshman Representative Cathy McMorris (a Republican).

[edit] History

Main article: History of Spokane

Spokane Falls was a gathering place for the area's indigenous people due to the abundance of salmon in the Spokane River. Camp Spokane was established by the U.S. Army at a location 56 Miles Northwest of Spokane as a consolidation of the garrisons at Fort Colville, and Camp Chelan on October 21, 1880. The intent was to protect the construction of the Northern Pacific Railway, and to secure the location for U.S. settlement. By 1881, the Northern Pacific Railway was completed at this point, bringing European settlement. The city of Spokan Falls (without an 'e') was officially incorporated on November 29, 1881. In 1883, the name was changed to Spokane [1]. The President of the first City Council, was mill owner and Methodist minister Samuel G. Havermale.

[edit] The Great Fire

In the summer of 1889, a fire destroyed the city's downtown commercial district. Due to technical problems with a pump station, there was no water pressure in the city when the fire started. When volunteer fire fighters attempted to quench the flames, they found their hoses were unusable. Eventually winds died down and the fire exhausted of its own accord. 27 blocks of Spokane's downtown were destroyed.

[edit] Great Northern Railway

While the damage caused by the fire was a devastating blow, Spokane continued to grow. Just three years after the fire, in 1892, the Great Northern railroad reached Spokane and built a rail yard that made Spokane a transportation hub for the area. The first rail yard, built by James J. Hill, was completed in 1902. The clock tower currently in Riverfront Park was built as part of the depot and is one of the biggest in the Northwest, with each side measuring 9 feet (2.7 m) across. The clock tower is the only part of the depot that remains to this day.

[edit] 1974 World's Fair

Main article: Expo '74

Spokane hosted the environmentally themed Expo '74, becoming the then-smallest city to ever host a World's Fair. This event transformed Spokane's downtown, removing a century of railroad industry that built the city and reinventing the urban core.

Many of the structures built for the World's Fair are still standing and in use. The United States Pavilion now houses an IMAX theater, and the Washington State Pavilion became the INB Performing Arts Center. The Expo site itself became the 100-acre (400,000 m²) Riverfront Park, containing, among other features, the U.S. Pavilion, the turn-of-the-20th-century (and meticulously preserved) Looff Carousel, and the Great Northern Railway clock tower, the last remnant of the vast rail depot that was demolished for Expo '74. The U.S. Pavilion and the clock tower are prominently featured in the park's logo.

[edit] Geography and climate

Spokane is located at the eastern edge of the Columbia Plateau's wheat farms and steppe, where they meet the forested Rocky Mountain foothills, the Selkirk Mountains. The Spokane River, a major tributary of the Columbia River, passes through the city, tumbling through a series of falls in the middle of downtown.

Spokane has a continental, semi-arid climate, with cold winters and warm summers. The Cascade Mountains to the west shield the city from the direct modifying effect of Pacific Ocean air, and Idaho's mountains to the east help to protect it from the worst effects of arctic air in winter. Precipitation is concentrated in the cooler half of the year, with the summer typically having dry and stable weather.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 151.6 km² (58.5 mi²). 149.6 km² (57.8 mi²) of it is land and 2.0 km² (0.8 mi²) of it (1.30%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 199,630 people, 81,512 households, and 47,276 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,307.7/km² (3,387.0/mi²). There were 87,941 housing units at an average density of 587.8/km² (1,522.6/mi²).

The most recent ethnic percentages are as follows:

• 86.4% White
• 3.4% Multiracial
• 3.0% Hispanic
• 2.2% Asian
• 2.1% African American
• 1.8% Native American
• 0.9% from other races
• 0.2% Pacific Islander

There were 81,512 households out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.0% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,273, and the median income for a family was $41,316. Males had a median income of $31,676 versus $24,833 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,451. 15.9% of the population and 11.1% of families were below the poverty line. 19.3% of those under the age of 18 and 9.6% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Since February 2005 the population has seen a rapid increase, which attributed to the decrease in the average cost of living and and increase in the job market.^{[citation needed]} Spokane was #49 on the Men's Journal 2005 "50 Best Places to Live" list[2], #5 on the Forbes Magazine 2005 "Safest Places to Live" list[3], and #35 on the Inc. Magazine 2005 "Top US Cities for Doing Business" list.[4]

[edit] Education

[edit] Colleges and universities

• Eastern Washington University
• Gonzaga University
• Whitworth College
• Washington State University Spokane
• Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute - American campus of Mukogawa Women's University, Nishinomiya, Japan.

Community Colleges

• Spokane Community College
• Spokane Falls Community College

Historical

• Spokane University in the Spokane Valley, closed in 1933
• Spokane Art Center, a Federal Art Project during the Great Depression
• Holy Names College (1960–1963) later named Fort George Wright College (1963–1982) eventually merged with the adjacent Spokane Falls Community College

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Highways

• The major interstate running through Spokane is I-90. Starting from the west, I-90 runs through Downtown Spokane, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, and continues east to Coeur d'Alene.
• US-2 and US-395 enter Spokane from the west via I-90 and continue north through Spokane via Division St. The two highways share the same route until they reach "The Y", where US-395 continues northward to Deer Park, and US-2 branches off to the northeast, continuing to Mead, Colbert, Chattaroy, and Sandpoint.

[edit] Fighting Congestion

In an attempt to avoid the future nightmare of major gridlock, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), in the past 10 years, has aggressively improved local highways, and looks to continually keep up with the region's growth in the future.

• I-90 has been widened to 6 lanes from Havana St. to Sullivan Rd.
• Traffic cameras have been installed along the I-90 corridor and in various spots in Spokane so that traffic flow can be closely monitored and dealt with accordingly.
• The construction of the US 395 NSC, more commonly known as the North Spokane Corridor, or simply the North-South Freeway, is the biggest road construction project (with the exception of the construction of I-90) ever to be implemented in Spokane. Currently under construction, the plan is to build a 10.5 mile, limited-access corridor that will link I-90 from about Freya Street to US-395 at Wandermere. As of today, a three and a half mile section has been graded on the north end, with four interchange bridges built. If the project is fully funded today, the earliest it could be completed would be 10 years from now.

[edit] Air Travel

Spokane and Eastern Washington are served by Spokane International Airport. The airport lies west of the city, and is only a 10 minute drive to downtown. Felts Field is a small airport serving the north Spokane Valley.

[edit] Mass Transit

Spokane is served by a bus system that is run by the Spokane Transit Authority(STA). There is currently a light rail project in the works. If passed by voters, the light rail system will run from Spokane to Liberty Lake, with future extensions east to Coeur d'Alene, west to Spokane International Airport, and north along the US 395 NSC.

[edit] Parks and recreation

In 1907, Spokane's board of park commissioners retained the services of the Olmsted Brothers to draw up a plan for Spokane parks. Today, Spokane has a system of over 75 parks totaling 3,500 acres, with parks ranging in size from the quarter-acre Skeet-So-Mish Park playground to the 464-acre Palisades Park conservation area. Some of the parks in Spokane’s extensive park system are listed below:

• Riverfront Park, created after Expo '74 and occupying the same site, is one hundred acres in downtown Spokane and the site of some of Spokane's largest events. The park has views of the Spokane Falls, and holds a number of civic attractions, including the Skyride (a recently rebuilt gondola that carries visitors across the falls from high above the river gorge), the 5-story IMAX theatre, and numerous rides and concessions. Various festivals are held in the park throughout the year. A new "Great Gorge Park," originally designed by the Olmsted Brothers, is being proposed as an extension of Riverfront Park along the deep river gorge through the Peaceful Valley neighborhood.
• Manito Park and Botanical Gardens, on Spokane's South Hill, has a duck pond, a central conservatory named in memory of Dr. David Gaiser, Duncan Garden, a classical European Renaissance style garden and the Nishinomiya Japanese Garden.
• Riverside State Park is close to downtown and is a site for hiking, mountain biking, rafting, and also has scenic views.
• The Centennial Trail has over thirty-seven miles of paved trails running along the Spokane River and across the metropolitan area for running, walking, bicycling or inline skating. Informational signs and parking are provided along the trail.
• Highbridge Park and People's Park: These two parks, located in Peaceful Valley where it meets Hangman Valley, are centers of Spokane's nudist culture, though the parks are open to all.
• The John A. Finch Arboretum is a 57-acre public arboretum featuring a variety of rare and native trees and wildlife.
• Downriver Park, near Riverside State Park and Downriver Golf Course, has a championship 21-hole disc golf course adjoining the Spokane River. Another 18-hole disc golf course can be found in High Bridge Park, near downtown. Maps and information are available at: Spokane Disc Golf Association
• Award-winning, city-owned golf courses include: The Creek at Qualchan, Indian Canyon, Esmerelda, Downriver, and Hangman golf courses. In addition, the Spokane Country Club and Manito Country Club offer private memberships to their own courses. Spokane County also runs a number of public courses
• In the summer Spokane residents may visit Lake Coeur d'Alene, Priest Lake, Lake Pend O'Reille, or one of the other nearby bodies of water. The Spokane area has numerous lakes and rivers, where various water sports, fishing, camping, and rafting take place.
• In the winter, Spokane residents have access to five ski resorts within a few hours of the city. A non-profit organization operates nearby Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park. Mt. Spokane also has trails for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and dog sledding. During the non-winter months, hikers and mountain bikers use the trails.

[edit] Sports teams and events

Club	Sport	League	Stadium (or Arena)	Logo
Spokane Indians	Baseball	Northwest League (Eastern Division)	Avista Stadium	Image:SpokaneINDIANSLogo.jpg
Spokane Chiefs	Ice Hockey	Western Hockey League (U.S. Division)	Spokane Arena	Image:Spokanechiefslogo.jpg
Spokane Shock	Arena Football	af2 (National West)	Spokane Arena	Image:SpokaneShockLogo.jpg
Spokane Sabercats	Football	Evergreen League		Image:Spokanesabercatslogo.jpg
Spokane Braves	Ice Hockey	Kootenay International Jr Hockey League (U.S. Division)	Eagles Ice Arena

Spokane hosted the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournaments in 2002 (Women's) and 2003 (Men's) at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. The Tournaments will again be held in Spokane in 2007 (Men's) and 2008 (Women's).

Spokane will host the 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, and was a candidate city for the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships, losing its bid to Los Angeles.

The Spokane Arena is also the perennial host to the State 'B' Basketball Tournament, which brings athletes and fans from many of Washington's smaller high schools to town. In 2007 it will be host to the State 2B (the states second smallest class) Championships.

[edit] Events and activities

Spokane is home to a number of annual events and attractions that draw people from a large surrounding area:

• The Lilac Bloomsday Run, a 7.46 mile race for walkers and competitive runners, is the largest timed road race in the world, typically drawing about 45,000 participants [5]. It is held on the first Sunday of each May.
• Hoopfest is the largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament in the world. It is held the last weekend in June, and has a variety of participants, from kids, teens, and adults to former college and NBA players, in their respective brackets. Started in 1989 with just 300+ teams, the event now annually averages more than 25,000 participants or around 6,000 3-man teams.
• Each April, Japan Week celebrates the sister-city relationship with Nishinomiya, Japan, demonstrating the many commonalities shared between the two cities. Students from the Spokane campus of Mukogawa Institute, Whitworth College, Gonzaga University, Spokane Falls and Spokane Community College organize an array of Japanese cultural events, in addition to a number of others that take place around the city.
• The Garland Village Arts & Music Festival takes place the second Saturday each August. 2006 will mark the 4th annual street fair. More information can be found at The Garland Village.
• Pig-Out In The Park is an annual summer festival celebrating the joy of food. Local restaurants set up booths all around Riverfront Park. Visitors can browse for food and listen to local bands perform. It is traditionally held over Labor Day weekend in early September.
• Tour Des Lacs is a two-day benefit bike ride that takes place in September. The route takes riders from Spokane to Coeur d'Alene and back, and includes short route options along the Centennial Trail. Routes vary in length from 80 to almost 200 miles and include breakfast, dinner, and food stops.
• Spokane is also home to a National Historic Landmark hand-carved carousel, created in 1909 by Charles I. D. Looff as a wedding present for his daughter. The carousel still operates in Riverfront Park, downtown, where riders can participate in an old-time ring toss. The carousel continues to offer a free ride to the rider who grabs the brass ring.
• The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture [6] houses a large collection of Native American artifacts as well as regional and national traveling art exhibits. Located in Browne's Addition amid the mansions of Spokane's late 19th-century golden age, the Museum is in a secluded setting a few blocks from the center of downtown.
• The Spokane Symphony performs a full season of concerts and the Spokane Jazz Orchestra is the oldest performing jazz orchestra in the United States.
• The Spokane Folklore Society hosts its annual Fall Folk Festival the first full weekend of November at the Spokane Community College.
• Mobius is a science center and children's museum.
• Gay Pride is the Inland Northwest's largest Gay & Lesbian celebration held every June.
• The Northwest Renaissance Festival is a renaissance festival north of Spokane that began in 1995. The festival's 13th Season will be open every weekend from June 23rd to July 15th, 2007 11am to 7pm.

[edit] Notable Spokanites