Cache is placed with permission and is obtainable from the sidewalk. Do not disturb anything living near the cache. Only inanimate objects need be touched. Should be obvious to a cacher, not to a muggle. This is NOT inside the building, though if they're open, you are welcome to visit. Please rehide well.
"Hillyard, known today as a neighborhood in Spokane's northeast quadrant, began as a separate town in 1892. It was built around the Great Northern Railroad's rail yards and named after Great Northern magnate James J. Hill (1838-1916): literally, Hill's Yard. Before that, Hudson's Bay fur traders referred to Hillyard and the surrounding areas as Horse Plains or Wild Horse Prairie. Hillyard was first platted as a townsite in 1892 when the Great Northern Railroad arrived and chose this flat ground as the site for its rail yards, machine shops, and roundhouse. By 1895 it had 486 residents, but as the rail yards expanded over the next two decades it experienced a boom in population to about 4,000 by 1916. Many of these new residents were immigrant laborers, and Hillyard came to be known for its Italian and Japanese neighborhoods. In 1924, Spokane annexed Hillyard and it has been part of the city ever since, retaining its own industrial, blue-collar character. Hillyard has long been known as an economically depressed part of Spokane, a problem exacerbated by the closing of the last remnants of the rail yards in 1982. Hillyard continues to have one of the lowest per capita income levels in Spokane and in the state. Yet it also has well-groomed neighborhoods, a golf course, and a thriving antiques district. New residents from Russia and Southeast Asia have recently arrived, continuing Hillyard’s legacy as a haven for immigrants. The neighborhood's historic business district is on both the Spokane Register of Historic Districts and the National Register of Historic Places.
Hillyard has also been active in preserving its historic heritage. Over 85 percent of central Hillyard's historic buildings are still intact, many built before 1910. In 2002, the Hillyard Market Street District became the first Spokane neighborhood to be accepted onto the National Register of Historic Places. The Hillyard Historic Business District was placed on the Spokane Register of Historic Districts in 2004.
A drive has also begun to build a Hillyard Heritage Museum. A proposed visitor's center still awaits funding, yet the museum already has a few outdoor displays that perfectly symbolize the history of Hillyard: Several historic rail cars, open to the public upon request. " (source- Jim Kershner, Spokesman-Review, through HistoryLink.org)
2015 was the inaugural year of Spokane Geocache Tour. This Spokane County tour sent geocachers on a trip through Spokane History, finding caches in areas of historical significance. Visiting urban and rural gems, historic farming communities, forts and geological marvels. The Spokane History Geocache Tour rewarded those who completed with a commemorative Geocoin featuring the native Spokane Salish language.
Visit SpokaneGeoTour.com for additional details on the current Geocache Tour.
Spokane History Geocache Tour: sponsored by Spokane County TPA, Cache Advance, and Washington State Geocaching Association (WSGA)
