Jim Kershner’s this day in history

From our archives, 100 years ago

The new 1915 Polk City Directory was out and it contained “the name of every resident of the city.”

At least, that was the claim. It showed approximately 110,050 residents of Spokane, which was quite a bit below the 1914 government estimate of 138,000.

Both numbers probably included residents outside the city limits, since the official U.S. Census of 1910 showed a city population of only 104,402, while the 1920 census showed little change to 104,437. For comparison purposes, the state’s latest (2014) estimate of the city’s population is 212,300 and the county’s is 484,500.

From the obituary beat: Mrs. Nancy Arnold, 69, a milliner in Hartline, Wash., died of an unusual cause.

Her death “was the result of shock, when the bandits who attempted the robbery of the Hartline Bank shot out every window in her house, which adjoined the bank.”

This robbery had occurred months before, in September 1914. She “narrowly escaped being shot.” 

However, her health immediately began to fail, according to the news report. She lingered a few more months until her death.

Also on this date

(From the Associated Press)

1914: The County of Los Angeles opened the country’s first public defender’s office.