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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1883 | 82 |
82 stories
- A Brutal Attack on a Prisoner
An Indigenous man held in the Spokane jail is shot through the bars by an unknown assailant in a cowardly act of violence.
- The Wild West at the N.P. Hotel
A young man, fueled by a 'periodic drunk,' terrorizes a hotel proprietor with a revolver in downtown Spokane.
- The Price of a Homeland: One Cow, One Wagon, One Plough
Chief Moses and his delegation come home through Spokane Falls with the government's terms in hand: surrender the country, remove to the Colville reservation, and be paid out in oxen, harness and farm tools.
- The Indian Scare That Wasn't
A rumor that Little Spokane Indians planned to burn out settlers sent twenty-two armed Spokane men rushing to Four Mile Prairie—where they found frightened neighbors and a land dispute, not an attack.
- Tragedy at the Falls
A young woman is found dead near the Spokane River following a flash flood.
- Spokane’s Vision for a Riverfront Drive
City boosters propose a scenic four-mile carriage road along the Spokane River to showcase the falls and surrounding wilderness.
- The Cheney War Scare
A false alarm regarding an Indigenous uprising sends the town of Cheney into a panicked frenzy.
- The Sting Operation at Squier’s Saloon
A Spokane businessman orchestrates a trap to catch a man selling liquor to local Indigenous people.
- When General Sherman Told Spokane Falls It Would Be a Great City
The Civil War hero arrived with Generals Miles and Tidball, drew a packed house at Canaan's Hall, and told the young town its water power could make it another Minneapolis.
- Sixty Armed Men Took the Jail at Dayton
A convicted murderer was hauled out of the Columbia County jail and strangled from a rope in the public square — the coroner's jury named no killers, and the local editor scolded lynch law while calling the mob 'cool and systematic.'
- The Grave Robbers of Spokane Falls
A quiet cemetery south of town is disturbed by a bizarre act of desecration, leaving a grieving family and a mystified community.
- A Blanket Theft, a Brutal Assault, and No Arrests in 1883 Spokane
Two Native American men attacked a Chinese camp over a blanket. The injured man was left in the care of his countrymen, and the attackers vanished.
- Spokane Falls Denounces the Legislator Who Would Keep the County Whole
At Cannon's Hall, citizens passed resolutions demanding that the Territorial Legislature ignore Jacob Stitzel and split Spokane County in two.
- Spokane's Date with Destiny: Welcoming the Northern Pacific Railroad
The completion of the transcontinental line brings Henry Villard and hundreds of guests to Spokane Falls, promising a new era of growth and connection.
- Spokane Wins the Land Office
After a desperate struggle against rival towns, Spokane Falls secures the U.S. Land Office, cementing its status as the region's rising metropolis.
- The Ghost of Octavia
In a small cabin near Spokane, a widower finds comfort in a persistent, loving vision of his long-dead wife.
- A Tragic Railroad Accident
A young man loses both feet after falling between train cars while riding illegally.
- The Death of Belle Lincoln
A woman dies after being found severely beaten in a remote area, highlighting the vulnerability of marginalized people in the frontier.
- The Battle for the Land Office
Spokane Falls and Cheney trade barbs over the relocation of the federal land office, a prize that signifies the region's future growth.
- The Fireman, the Broken Leg, and the Brotherhood
When a Spokane Falls railroad fireman was badly hurt and allegedly left untended, the railroad Brotherhood organized — demanding an investigation and that the company hospital be moved to Sprague.
- The Gun in the Wagon
H. P. Fox was scouting land near Loon Lake when a loaded shotgun discharged into his arm. Surgeons in Spokane Falls amputated, but the long ride and his weakened health were too much.
- The Widow, the Mayor, and the Killing of William Three Mountains
After a Spokane chief was killed, his widow walked into Mayor Glover’s office to settle a five-year-old debt—a story the paper framed with the era’s racism.
- Crushed by Logs at a Cheney Sawmill
Benjamin Inman, 26, was killed while unloading timber at Hinchcliff Bros.' mill, a reminder of the human cost of the region's timber boom.
- The Stolen Petition That Could Have Split Spokane County
In 1883, a push to carve a new county out of Spokane turned ugly when a 350-name petition vanished from a Howard Street law office.
- A Diphtheria Scare at the Falls
A young woman's battle with a deadly disease prompts a public health warning for Spokane.