The city of Spokane was originally founded in 1881 under the name Spokan Falls (not a typo!). The initial population of 1000 grew steadily over the next few years, aided considerably by the recently completed Northern Pacific Railway. By 1891, when the city was officially renamed Spokane, there were over 20,000 residents.
However, the city was forced to go through a rebuilding phase after a raging fire destroyed much of the downtown commercial district in 1889. In a case of incredibly unfortunate timing, there was no water pressure in the city when the blaze started, leaving firefighters virtually helpless. The only thing they could do was attempt to contain the fire by destroying surrounding buildings with dynamite. However, strong winds allowed the flames to jump the gaps and continue to spread, wiping out 32 city blocks.
Fortunately, a number of Dutch businessmen had begun investing in Spokane in the years prior, and it was they who led the rebuilding project. The Northwestern and Pacific Mortgage Company, formed in 1885 by a Dutch investor, was responsible for rebuilding a large portion of the downtown district with brick and granite buildings. The result was a major boom in real estate development, boosted further by the arrival of the Great Northern Railway in 1892.
Spokane soon became a major center for the transportation of goods in the Inland Northwest, thanks to the railroads and its location between major mining and farming areas. Mining had been a big part of Spokane's economy ever since gold and silver were first discovered in 1883, and it continues to be a solid contributor to this day.
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