100 years ago: Shipyard workers who lost jobs after World War I ends help create Spokane boom as they seek jobs

Spokane was in the midst of a serious housing shortage because of an “influx of people from the Coast and Middle West.”

The city’s rental agencies said that there were only about 230 vacant rental houses in the city and many of those were “inhabitable and needing repair.”

At least part of the influx was due to the return of workers from Seattle, Portland and Tacoma after they had gone to work in shipyards during wartime.

From the streetcar beat: A compromise was in the works for Spokane’s troubled streetcar system. The two private streetcar companies, Washington Water Power and the Spokane Traction Co. had a complex plan in mind.

The proposal included these basic proposals:

• A merger of the two companies.
• A fare increase from 5 cents to 6 cents.
• Various concessions from the city on taxes and fees.

From the presidential beat: Talk of a Spokane presidential candidate continued.

Reports form “Eastern political circles” indicated that four men were considered prime prospects to be the Republican presidential nominee, and one of them was Sen. Miles Poindexter of Spokane. The other prospects included Warren G. Harding, who would eventually prevail.