Welcome to West Central Neighborhood!
In 1887, The Spokane Falls Review wrote about the land that would become known as the West Central Neighborhood: “This high level plain slopes gently on both sides to the river bank. From every portion a view of the city and surrounding country can be obtained.”
When Colonel Jenkins first homesteaded in the area in 1879, West Central was a wilderness only reachable by a simple ferry. Those who dared to go across the river fell in love with the view and saw potential in the land. Visionaries like William Pettet, Hiram Muzzy, Colonel Jenkins, and the Nettleton family saw that potential and were integral figures in creating what is now West Central.
During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Northern Pacific Railroad and Union Pacific Railroads built routes through the neighborhood, which were abandoned by the early 1970s. An amusement park was located at the western terminus of the Boone Avenue rail line. First known in 1889 as West Central
Ingersoll’s, the park was later reopened as Twickenham Park. It featured a forty-piece band and people traveled for miles to hear them play. In 1893 the Spokane Street Railway, a part of Washington Water Power, bought the whole park and expanded it into an amusement park patterned after Coney Island. Renamed Natatorium Park (named for the large swimming pool built in the park), it quickly became the recreation destination for Spokane residents. In 1909, the Looff Carousel (now located in downtown Spokane at Riverfront Park) became a centerpiece for the park. At its peak, Natatorium Park featured a heated indoor Olympic-sized swimming pool, amusement park rides, roller-coasters, miniature rail-road rides, and a baseball park. With the loss of rail car lines in 1939 and more people watching television in the 1950s, the park slowly faded from popularity. Natatorium Park was finally closed and dismantled in 1968.
Today, everyday life in West Central has many contrasts. People of all ages, backgrounds, and income levels live, work, and play in this neighborhood. The mixture of old and new single and multi-family housing, light industrial, commercial, institutional and government facilities, scenic open space, and the proximity to downtown give the area a blending of sights, sounds, and activities. The Spokane County Courthouse complex is a major center of local governmental functions which brings constant activity on weekdays.
The West Central Community Center, Native American Community Center, and A.M. Cannon Park, Dutch Jakes Park, and Olmstead Brothers Green provide facilities to help improve the lives of citizens in multiple ways. The popular Centennial Trail travels through West Central along the bluff of the Spokane River. The paved trail provides a significant non-motorized transportation route. Small and mid-sized businesses are located along Maple, Ash, and Monroe streets, serving a variety of needs of the community and greater Spokane. The neighborhood also has a small industrial presence with a number of light industrial businesses south of Maxwell Avenue. West Central still has the look and feel of its historical past, from the ever present courthouse tower, old streetcar rails remaining in the street pavement, and block after block of tightly built houses from the early twentieth century. In contrast, the new 77 acre, mixed-use community of Kendall Yards offers a modern and walkable living environment in the heart of Spokane.
Visitors are encouraged to spend time in West Central Neighborhood, whether its on our trails, in our parks spaces, at our local businesses and eateries or at the many block parties and community events that are hosted annually.
