This day in history: Aluminum industry makes up for quarter of manufacturing jobs in Spokane County

From 1974: A new report attempted to show how crucial the aluminum industry was to Spokane’s economy.

Aluminum production accounted for “25 percent of total manufacturing employment” in Spokane County, said the report.

Aluminum employment was important not only for Spokane, but for the entire Northwest.

Washington, Oregon and Montana had a total of 11,300 workers.

The study was commissioned by the aluminum producers themselves, who had been stung by recent criticism “because of its energy requirements and impact on the environment.”

Some critics were taking aim at a relatively new product that was creating “image problems”: aluminum cans. However, only about 14% of aluminum output was used for cans.

From 1924: The assistant manager of the Davenport Hotel was called to the stand in the sensational national case of Charles Forbes, former director of the U.S. Veterans Bureau.

Forbes, formerly of Spokane, was accused of fraudulent dealings in awarding veterans hospital contracts.

The Davenport assistant manager had only a small role to play in the trial, which was being held in Chicago. He was called to the stand only to verify the registrations of members of the Forbes party when they stayed in Spokane.

The conspiracy to defraud was allegedly hatched during that western trip by Forbes and his entourage.