As a mining, agriculture, and forestry hub, beginning in the late 19th century, Spokane has played an important role in shaping the Pacific Northwest, despite being overshadowed by other cities in the region like Seattle and Portland. But I found that the city offers so much colorful history and character via its downtown and three of its residential neighborhoods. In this first part, I’ll share with you what I found exploring the vibrant downtown, where history comes alive at the turn of many corners.
I soon found out while walking in Old Town that one doesn’t just share sidewalks with droves of locals and tourists wearing shorts (whether they look good in them or not), but many other two-footed creatures who have ditched their short shorts altogether — chickens. While these fowl have been around for almost two centuries, their numbers especially grew in the 1950s after Cubans fleeing their homeland brought them for use in cock fighting and food consumption.