This cache is part of the 2018 Spokane Trains And Railroads GeoChallenge. If you are participating in this GeoChallenge be sure to download and print your STAR Passport and find other helpful resources at STAR Challenge and get started today.
and get started today.
This cache is placed and maintained by Trevor and Kate.
Since 1881, with the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railroad, Spokane has been the hub of commerce in the Inland Northwest. The first railroads transported materials to Spokane, along with new residents hoping for new opportunities in the Inland Northwest. Trains played an essential role in Spokane’s early development. Spokane’s rail system was expanded to include streetcars and dedicated regional passenger trains.
The first streetcar line into East Central was finally completed by the Spokane Street Railway Company in May of 1892. It was at this time the idea of a regional passenger train emerged. The idea was to connect Spokane and Coeur d’Alene with a 28 mile train line, which would carry freight as well as passengers. The Spokane Street Railway Company never built the Spokane-Coeur d’Alene line, but this interurban line was eventually built in 1903 by Idaho lumberman, F.A. Blackwell. By this time Spokane was already a booming metropolitan city. Wealthy mining entrepreneur, J.P. Graves, witnessed the success of the line and loved the idea. Soon Graves partnered with F.A. Blackwell to pursue another train line into the Palouse. In 1904 Graves and his partners built the Palouse train line and created the Spokane & Inland Empire Railroad Company, an umbrella company for both of the interurban lines. Both of the new trains connected Spokane with other towns and cities throughout the region. The interurban line in East Central connected people to destinations such as Fairfield, Garfield and Colfax. Blackwell and Graves’ other Spokane-Coeur d’Alene Interurban line connected people to leisure destinations such as Liberty, Hayden and Coeur d’Alene lakes. Each of the lakes had what was referred to as a recreation park or resort. F. Lewis Clark and J.P. Graves each owned lakeside recreation resorts. Today, a portion of the old Spokane & Inland Empire Interurban line is now the Ben Burr Trail which connects Liberty Park to Underhill Park.
Parking and Trail Access
Park at Liberty Park, near E. 3rd Avenue and Liberty Park Place. You can also park near the swimming pool at Liberty, at Pittsburg Street and E. 5th Avenue. Parking is available on the southeast end of the trail at Underhill Park (the end of Fiske St. near E. 8th Ave.).
This cache is part of the 2018 Spokane Trains And Railroads GeoChallenge. Spokane has a strong history as a major train hub, and in many ways still is. The STAR Challenge will take geocachers on an adventure, finding caches in places significant to railroads past and present. You will visit locations featuring retired train cars, streetcar rails, bridges, graves and rail yards. Successful completion of the STAR Challenge is rewarded with a trackable Geocoin.
- All caches begin with the series name STAR: followed by a location-specific name so they are easy to search. We also made a STAR Bookmark of the caches.
- To qualify for a Geocoin, find the code word or stamp in each geocache and record it on your passport.
- Visit STAR Challenge and get started today.
to find the challenge rules, a printable STAR Passport and map view of qualifying caches.
The Spokane Trains And Railroads GeoChallenge is sponsored by Cache Advance, and by donation from local cachers. We hope you enjoy!
