Stories
The Big Burn of 1910
August 20th and 21st saw one of the largest wildfires on record in the Inland Northwest, known as the Great Fire of 1910, the Big Blowup, the Big Burn or the Devil’s Broom Fire.
Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer
The Spokane Valley is watered by the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer. Learn more about the aquifer, its management and more with SVHM.
Clearing the Land: The Disposal and Use of Rock in the Spokane Valley Area
The rocky landscape of the Spokane Valley is a result of floods that occurred 16,000 years ago. When settlers began to move to the area in the 19th century, the rock and bolder deposits impeded agriculture, road paving, home building and the establishment of...
The Harlem Club: Spokane’s Lively Jazz Club
Built in 1929, the Harlem Club was a restaurant and jazz club. Famous jazz performers such as Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Peal Bailey, and Nat King Cole played at the Harlem Club.
The Mammoths of Latah
Mammoth remains were discovered in the Spring of 1876, after heavy rains worsened the swampy conditions of the bog-like environment of Latah.
Vegalene
An early Spokane Valley company enters the race for fuel. Vegalene! With rapid growth of the auto industry, an alt fuel company was started.
Hydroplane Races
Hydroplane races attracted many visitors to the Spokane Valley over the years.
Bridge Builders and Ferry Men in the Spokane Valley
In the early 1800s the first white men came into the Spokane Valley. These were mainly fur trappers and military personnel. The options for crossing the Spokane River were few. At this time these men crossed at a few different fords used by the Indians, places...
Pioneer Families
From The Current: Trent, Trentwood, Steno, Irvin - all are names that have been used to describe a section of the north central Valley. By 1882, the Northern Pacific Railroad had completed tracks through the Spokane Valley, The origin of the name Trent is unclear....
Meet The Lake Men
From The Current: The "Lake Men" were very early pioneers in the Spokane valley. Three of them, Courchaine, Liberty, and Newman, settled at Saltese, Liberty and Newman Lake. Morrison, who arrived in the Valley about 20 years later, was equally influential. His...
Current Exhibits
Ice Age Floods and the History of Grand Coulee Dam
What sculpted the modern landscape of Spokane Valley? Come learn more at the new exhibit, Ice Age Floods and the History of Grand Coulee Dam.
Chaos, Change & Culture
Visit the tumultuous decade of the 1960s. Tragedies and triumphs marked a decade of social and political change. Learn about events and people that changed the Nation. Civil Rights, Apollo 11, Vietnam, the Summer of Love, and more.
Interactive and Immersive Exhibits
Explore the extraordinary artifacts and photos showcasing nearly every aspect of the Spokane Valley’s and the surrounding area’s early history.
The Apple Was King
Apple orchards were the chief economic driver in Spokane Valley’s early years. Without water, however, none of it was possible.
Under One Sky
The exhibit features the early history (1850s-1890s) of the Spokane Valley’s native tribes, settlers, missions, the Mullan Military Road, and more.