Spokane Valley

Originally populated by the Spokane and Coeur d'Alene tribes, the first white settler in the Spokane Valley was Antoine Plante, a former fur trader, who operated a ferry over the river beginning in about 1854. Throughout the rest of the 19th century, settlers arrived, establishing farms, orchards, and businesses. Irrigation vastly increated the productivity of the land with apples being the chief crop. Industries, such as the Inland Empire Paper Company in Millwood became large employers in the early 20th century. This collection of images of the Spokane Valley includes agriculture, homes, industries and people. Many of these photographs were donated by the Spokane Valley Pioneer Museum.