Deborah Cuyle - Ghosts and Legends of Spokane

Published by Haunted America

A Division of The History Press

Charleston, SC

www.historypress.com

Copyright 2021 by Deborah Cuyle

All rights reserved

Front cover: The Davenport Hotel.

E-Book year 2021

First published 2021

ISBN 978.1.4396.7331.7

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021938362

Print Edition ISBN 978.1.4671.4635.7

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

DEDICATION

Why do they say ghosts are cold? Mine are warm, a breath dampening your cheek, a voice when you thought you were alone.

Julie Buntin, Marlena

I dedicate this book to my incredible son, Dane Brown, who has always been my best friend and cohort in the passion for writing and anything scary. Also, to my wonderful Middy, who never complains when I am writing nonstop even though a yummy dinner and a couple cold cocktails are waiting for me to share with him. My appreciation also goes to all my BFFs who have joined me in a little ghost hunting now and then and support my paranormal research and beliefs. An open mind is an open door. I personally have experienced so many unexplained things that I cannot explain that I can no longer even remotely doubt the existence of ghosts or spirits. In fact, the century-plus-year-old home I am living in now in the quaint old silver mining town of Wallacean hour from Spokaneis extremely haunted by two friendly ghosts.

And last but not least, to my incredible and loving mom, Roxine, who always believed I could do whatever I set my mind to do. I swear she somehow still visits my sisters and me in times of sorrow or if we are just missing her.

My books are also dedicated to all of my fellow ghost hunters out there. Without them, I would be wandering around dark rooms all by myself with my EMF detector and my cellphone application Ghost Radarand that wouldnt be very much fun at all.

Happy ghost hunting!

Deb

FOREWORD

The dead are watching, whether or not we choose to listen to their stories.

Colin Dickey, Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places

Considering the length of time Eastern Washington has been settled by Euro-Americans, there is a considerable amount of paranormal activity throughout this region. As cofounder of the Spokane Paranormal Society, I have seen, heard and felt many unknown instances where our team could not find reason for what has just happened. This area has had its fair share of natural events, hauntings both positive and negative, and atrocities committed by settlers and government against the Native Americans of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Deborah has the unique ability of presenting the unique history with experiences and lore of the locals to convey to her readers just how the place she is writing about is seen.

This book will delve into the Spokane area to give you a firsthand knowledge of the history and events from the stately manors in Brownes Edition and Upper South Hill to the formative years of the Downtown region and the working mans residences in Hillyard, the Lower South Hill and the East Side.

Much of the area will start to take shape from the Indian Wars of Eastern Washington and running through the mining barons and industrial age. Many of Spokanes elite of the early 1900s have their mansions talked about by the people of Spokane, as the haunted happenings documented here. As someone who has investigated many of them, I can tell you in my opinion, yes, they are most definitely haunted! This is my personal opinion.

By the end of this book, you will not only understand better the history of Spokane and how it came to be but also strange things that do happen in its historical places. Chapters will fly by, people from the past will stick in your head and the stories of some of those people from after they have passed away will truly amaze you. You have yourself a memorable read you will come back to more than once.

For now, grab a beverage, find a comfortable spot and turn your phone off. It is time to immerse yourself in the world of Ghosts and Legends of Spokane!

Mark Porter

PREFACE

Maybe all the people who say ghosts dont exist are just afraid to admit that they do.

Michael Ende, The Neverending Story

I hope readers visit many of these sites as they learn about the fascinating history of each of these haunted places. As is common with my books, I try to incorporate as many historical facts, names and dates as possible in each chapter. I feel this brings the ghosts and their stories to life and makes learning about the towns more interesting.

Many of my readers tell me they enjoy both aspectslearning about the towns history while reading about the local ghosts that haunt the buildings. Teachers and parents both contact me to thank me, stating that many of their students and children are not interested in local history at all but that they love to read about it in my books. For this I am grateful and hope to continue to enrich their minds and hopefully open up a world that they will find both fascinating and interesting!

I love hearing a good ghost story, and after researching the building, I can actually find evidence of someone with that name who actually lived at that location (or died there) at one time or another.

Being a NDE (near death experience) survivor, I am probably a little more open-minded than most people. Perhaps someday science can prove what really happens to us after we diethe eternal mystery questioned by every living beingbut until the riddle is solved, it is all just speculation. Religion and science may someday agree, but they likely will not. I see both sides of the debate. Too many unexplained events happen to each of us to not entertain the idea of ghosts and the spirit world. I read somewhere that God or spirits do give us signs when we ask for them, but we, as humans, are too busy or too close-minded to see them or recognize them. I often wonder what life would be like if people were not so skeptical of the possibility of the spirit world. How would that change the way people behave in this world today? Would it be reassuring or terrifying to most people? I am often baffled by people who tell me that they believe in the afterlife but not in spirits. How can the two really be separated? Perhaps some dead people just choose to haunt a place while other spirits choose not to? It is a wonderful mystery.

This recent book project exists because I have great interest and respect for the early pioneers and a fascination for local history and old buildings. I love all the lore and legends that ghosts and spirit storytellers have shared with me. It is fun to walk the same streets today that early settlers once walked and think of how it was back in the old days. Imagine the pioneers who trekked to Washington with little more than a dream, a horse and a few dollarsonly to soon become one of the listed millionaires! When I look at old brick buildings or original hardwood floors, I try to envision the thousands of people who once walked these streets or visited these buildings, the horses that pulled wagons and goods, the gunslingers and outlaws, the bartenders and shopkeepersall of them living their lives and going about their business, just as we all do today. I would have loved to have been alive in the late 1800s!