Then and now: Spokane Coliseum

As early as 1912, when the city hit 100,000 residents, Spokane city leaders desired a civic auditorium for important events.

Section:Gallery

Sun., July 7, 2019

In 1956, the Marian year Mass brought out the the largest throng of Catholic faithful ever to attend a single Spokane event: 11,000 people, who jammed into every corner of the Spokane Memorial Coliseum and overflowed to the aisles. Firefighters decided it constituted a hazard, but crowds of 6,000 to 8,000 became common in the Coliseum. The Catholic Marian year is when the Pope declares a special time for veneration of the Virgin Mary.

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The 1,250 graduates of Gonzaga University’s Class of 2019 fill the floor of the Spokane Arena on May 12, 2019.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo