Monday, January 16, 2023, is an historic day in Spokane’s Riverside State Park. Thanks to generous donations from the Riverside State Park Foundation and the Friends of Spokane House, the park is hosting a Winter Quarters Event with emphasis on the year 1810, the year the fur trading post was founded.
When it was initially established, the Spokane House was the farthest outpost in the Columbia Basin. It was adjacent to Fort Spokane, right near the mouth of the Little Spokane River, approximately a mile downriver from present day Nine Mile Falls Dam. Then in 1826, the Spokane House was largely abandoned in favor of a new post that became Fort Colville.
The Winter Quarters Event celebrates the history of this famous location. Events will include readings from the Spokane House Trading Post Winter Journal. Historic games will be introduced, as well as tours of the Interpretive Center displays. Weather permitting, there will be a guided tour on the area grounds so bring snowshoes or traction spikes. Festivities start at 1 p.m. and end at 4 p.m. There will also be a bonfire, and free hot chocolate for the little ones. Make time to check out the newly repainted murals on the outside of the center. Lastly, remember your Discover Pass to park inside the park. For more information, check out the Friends of the Spokane House website.
