A 100-Acre Bet on North Spokane
An Eastern investor buys a tract north of the river for $12,500 and plans to plat it into lots and build houses—classic Spokane booster speculation.
Some time ago a tract of land of 100 acres in close proximity to the city, lying on the north side of the river, was bonded to F. T. Clarke, one of our most active real estate agents, by D. Ide, and a few days since Mr. Clarke sold the entire piece to F. D. Chamberlain, recently from Boston, for the comfortable sum of $12,500. Mr. C. has been lingering about the town for some time with his eyes open for a good buy. He had charge of some capital of friends at the East, who desired to invest in this city, and caught up this offer so soon as all necessary arrangements could be made. As the land is within a short distance of the new Pine Street bridge it is brought in easy reach of the business part of the city. Mr. Chamberlain does not propose to allow his land to lay idle. In the spring a number of substantial dwellings will be run up, the tract laid out as an addition to the city and the lots be put upon the market. It is a very desirable location and by next fall we expect a large number of homes will be built on that side of the river, so many indeed as to justify the residents in dubbing their village North Spokane.
“Mr. Chamberlain does not propose to allow his land to lay idle. In the spring a number of substantial dwellings will be run up, the tract laid out as an addition to the city and the lots be put upon the market.”
Spokane grew by this exact playbook: buy open land near a new bridge, plat it, and sell the future. North Spokane became a residential district, and the same bridge-and-lots logic still shapes fights over housing supply, density and who can live near downtown.
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