This day in history: Havermale Island’s post-expo life was looking good, and enrollment at both community colleges was way up

From 1975: The Spokane YMCA building on Havermale Island reopened after being leased to Expo ’74 during the fair.

The YMCA used the proceeds from that lease to remodel much of the interior. The executive director said the YMCA would now be more than a recreation center. It would now be a “Community Involvement Center,” and would be home to a number of other service organizations.

In other news, enrollment at Spokane’s two community colleges was booming.

Spokane Community College’s enrollment was up by 361 students over the previous year. Spokane Falls Community College’s enrollment was up 803. Together, the two colleges boasted an 18.7% increase over the same period in 1974.

From 1925: Disaster struck in Lewiston when 4 million gallons of water broke out of “the new upper city reservoir” in the wee hours of the morning and “swept with a roar down 24th Street.”

The water tore up that street and “covered Main Street in the east of town with two feet of water and mud.”

“Many beautiful lawns are covered with mud and the water in some cases flowed over porches and into houses,” a correspondent reported.

The new reservoir had just been completed that summer. Somehow, a hole developed in the northwest corner and “practically all the water escaped.”

Also on this day

(From onthisday.com)

1903: President Theodore Roosevelt signs a bill into law establishing the U.S. Department of Commerce.