Things you didn't know about Fort Spokane

Today when someone mentions the name Fort Spokane, most people immediately think of the swim area and campground operated by the National Park Service. These areas are indeed a great asset to Lincoln County, but just above these recreational sites lies the remnants of the last frontier military fort ever built by the US military.

Historic Fort Spokane dates back to 1880 when the last of the west was slowly being settled by our pioneers who were a bit cautious of potential conflict with Native Americans. The army's solution was to build strategic forts along the frontier to keep the peace and the fort did just that until 1898 when the soldiers were needed for the Spanish American War. Many of you probably know the fort later became home to a boarding school and tuberculosis sanitorium, but here are a few things you probably didn't know about Fort Spokane.

The site for the fort was originally suggested by Lt. Colonial, Henry Clay Merriam, and was considered the most beautiful frontier fort in the country. Davenport citizens might recognize his last name as one of Davenport's city streets and would be right in assuming Merriam Street was named after Colonial Merriam who commanded the early day operations at Fort Spokane. Merriam was a medal of honor recipient from the civil war and a well-respected military man from Maine, and also an inventor whose work still affects our lives today. Merriam created what he named "The Merriam Pack" for soldiers to carry their gear more efficiently. Turns out Merriam's invention was not well liked by the soldiers, but served as the basis for the modern-day backpack.

The soldiers most likely didn't like the backpack because they were forced to carry even more weight than previously, but they apparently also had an aversion to pennies. A story passed down through the Zack Harris family, who was a soldier at Fort Spokane before marrying into the Bockemuehl family, suggests soldiers did not like carrying pennies due to their weight. Harris told his family when soldiers received their pay they would simply "broadcast their pennies" into the dirt. A local archeologist who worked the site of the old fort recently confirmed that numerous Indian head pennies have been found in the past, and it had been a bit of a mystery as to why so many where present on the grounds.

Another intriguing story involves one of the three remaining buildings on the grounds today in the guardhouse which was built in 1892 to replace an older building. This building was built by a civilian carpenter, Henry Plough, who lived at the fort like several other civilian contractors. Plough was in the middle of building the fort and employed the services of his young grandson, Walter Plough, who lived with him on site for several years. The young Plough was hired to collect glass bottles with his wagon from the garbage dump near the fort. Walter received ten cents a wagon load for these glass bottles which Plough ground up and mixed into the concrete floor of the jail cells, making it nearly impossible for anyone to dig out.

There are several stories of early soldiers spending time in the guardhouse jail cells, and not surprisingly, most of the offenses related to alcohol abuse. While the frontier fort was considered a beautiful setting, the soldiers were often bored and had little to do outside of their regimented work day. Soldiers spent free time abusing alcohol, playing cards, target shooting, and recreating at the confluence of the Spokane and Columbia Rivers. Prior to the Grand Coulee Damn, these rivers had fierce rapids and rocks and numerous soldiers sadly drowned while stationed there. Death records from the fort show multiple drownings and suicides in the early years with soldiers being buried on site. The original cemetery contained 44 graves which were moved to The Fort George Wright Cemetery in 1900.

To help combat mental health concerns at the fort, the army responded by offering additional recreation activities, building a gym, establishing a Fort Canteen, and creating a baseball team which competed with teams from local communities. These efforts led to a drastic decrease in soldiers abandoning their post. During the years of operation, a total of 167 soldiers were guilty of desertion. Many of the soldiers at Fort Spokane were young men who had immigrated to the United States from other countries in search for a better life. They found steady employment through the military, but often lived fairly isolated lives with their fellow soldiers outside of the occasional interesting visitor to the fort.

One such visitor which is not known to most people is that of General William Tecumseh Sherman. Sherman visited the fort while in the territory inspecting frontier army forts. To refresh your memory, General Sherman's claim to fame comes from his "March to Sea" during the Civil War in which he led over 60,000 troops from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia leaving a path of destruction in what has been described as "total war". Sherman's actions in the Civil War were a key factor in the surrender of the confederacy. Sherman was later appointed by President Ulysses S. Grant to replace him as general commander of the entire US Army. Sherman would later turn down numerous requests to run for president.

As you can see, the treasure that remains in old Fort Spokane is more than a few old restored buildings and trails offering a glimpse into the past, but rather a time capsule with untold stories of how a small frontier fort in Lincoln County, WA connects to the history of The United States of America. From the idea of manifest destiny, the invention of the backpack, to a famous visitor from the civil war, the fort proudly stands today as a vessel of untold history, and one you should take the opportunity to visit on your next trip to the lake.