The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper The Spokesman-Review
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
Current Temperature
49°F
Current Conditions
Overcast clouds
View complete weather report

Color Scheme

Subscribe now

Then and Now: Spokane Bridge

1940: A new four-lane concrete bridge over the Spokane River near the Washington-Idaho line was opened in May 1940 by officials from Spokane and Idaho with dedication ceremonies. The bridge was part of a new 41/2-mile connecting highway from Spokane. In the upper right-hand section of the picture, a steel bridge dating back to 1911 can be seen. The new bridge carried traffic from Spokane to Coeur d’Alene more than 20 years before Interstate 90 would be completed. (SPOKESMAN-REVIEW PHOTO ARCHIVES)
1940: A new four-lane concrete bridge over the Spokane River near the Washington-Idaho line was opened in May 1940 by officials from Spokane and Idaho with dedication ceremonies. The bridge was part of a new 41/2-mile connecting highway from Spokane. In the upper right-hand section of the picture, a steel bridge dating back to 1911 can be seen. The new bridge carried traffic from Spokane to Coeur d’Alene more than 20 years before Interstate 90 would be completed. (SPOKESMAN-REVIEW PHOTO ARCHIVES)
By Jesse Tinsley jesset@spokesman.com(509) 459-5378

Long before Spokane was settled or Washington and Idaho became states, the Spokane River near the Washington-Idaho state line was an important spot for people to cross.

Before bridges, the first river crossing in the area was a ferry set up by Antoine Plante, a former fur trapper for the Hudson Bay Company who had French Canadian and Native heritage. Starting around 1854, Plante could charge $3 to $4 to carry a vehicle, like a wagon, with two draft animals. He charged 50 cents for a person and 15 cents for an animal on his ferry boat, which was pulled by hand across the river on a cable.

Early travelers were traders, settlers, missionaries and crews building the Mullan Road and the road to Colville. The lucrative ferry business continued until around 1865, when the first bridge was built upstream.

Private bridges also charged crossing fees, but they were cheaper than what Plante charged.

A settlement called Spokane Bridge grew up around that first bridge, though it was just a few houses and businesses. This non-Native settlement predates the settlement of Spokane by several years. One of those early pioneers was A.C. “Charles” Kendall, whose businesses included a hotel and blacksmith shop. He would also purchase that first wooden bridge and operate a store nearby. The town got a post office, likely in Kendall’s store, around 1867. His name would be used in a new Spokane neighborhood, Kendall Yards.

That first bridge diminished Plante’s income and he moved to Montana. Early wooden bridges occasionally washed out were rebuilt.

The last wooden bridge near the state line was constructed by James Bayley in 1898 for M.M. Cowley. But a steel-framed bridge was built across the river in 1911. Railroads also built bridges to carry trains.

In 1940, a concrete four-lane bridge was built across the river that connected Appleway in Spokane County and Seltice Way in Post Falls. The new bridge was part of more than 4 miles of new pavement coming from Spokane, greatly speeding up auto travel between Coeur d’Alene and Spokane.

The 1940 bridge was demolished and rebuilt in 2010, opening in October 2011.

Little remains of the town of Spokane Bridge, outside of the Rockin’ B Ranch, which operated as a cowboy-themed entertainment venue for more than 20 years.