Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Ruins of Spokane

Driving home from Spokane Valley, I pass the Hamilton Street Exit on Interstate 90, and looking toward the northwest, I notice an old stone structure on the hilltop, partially overgrown with vegetation. Exiting the freeway, I make my way back to the place I saw and find it on the corner of 3rd and Arthur, across the street from an office supply store.

Hidden in the overgrowth of shrubs and tall grass, I find old stairwells made of stone, leading no where in particular. Stone columns stand in a line, but no longer support any kind of structure or roofing.

"What is this place?" I wonder to myself. "Who built it and why was it abandoned? What was its purpose?"

I expect to find ruins in Rome or Mexico, but not Spokane. Of course, these ruins undoubtedly belong to the recent past, perhaps the last 100 years or so, and not to an ancient civilization. Nevertheless, I'm intrigued by the unseen history of places once valued, but now forgotten.

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