City (pop., 2000: 195,629), eastern Washington, U.S. Situated at the falls of the Spokane River, the city was settled on the site of a trading post established in 1810.
It was incorporated in 1881 after the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railway . A fire in 1889 destroyed much of the city, but it soon was rebuilt and developed into a trade and shipping hub for the surrounding region. Completion of the Grand Coulee Dam Project (1941) assured industrial growth. Spokane is home to Gonzaga University (1887) and is a gateway to the resorts of Mount Spokane and several national forests.