100 years ago in Spokane: Daily Chronicle announces it will get new home designed by Kirtland Cutter

The Spokane Daily Chronicle announced that work would soon begin on a building that would be the “finest in the West:” The Spokane Chronicle’s own building.

“A steel frame fireproof building six stories high, massive but beautiful, planned strictly for newspaper business, is to rise this year at the northeast corner of Sprague and Monroe.”

Architect Kirtland Cutter said, “The Chronicle building will be the finest in Spokane – I am staking my reputation on it.”

He likened the design to “the Woolworth building of New York, the super-excellence of architectural attainment.”

Did the finished building live up to this billing? You can see for yourself. The Chronicle bit the dust in 1992, but the building still stands on that corner. The upper four floors are currently being converted to apartments.

From the baseball beat: The Spokane Indians baseball team signed catcher Kan Yen, a member of the All-Chinese team of Honolulu.

Kan Yen exhibited a throwing arm that caused the Indians owner to “sit up and take notice” while the team was practicing in Honolulu.

“With startling regularity, the Coast (League) players have been cut down while trying to pilfer sacks in the practice games, and with the willow (bat) the Chinese backstop has managed to connect for daily hits,” the Chronicle said.

Also on this date

(From the Associated Press)

1857: The U.S. Supreme Court, in Dred Scott v. Sandford, ruled 7-2 that Scott, a slave, was not an American citizen and therefore could not sue for his freedom in federal court.

2016: Former first lady Nancy Reagan died in Los Angeles at age 94.