A book about a newspaper - almost sounds nepotistic, doesn't it? The full title of the book is
News for an Empire: The Story of the Spokesman Review of Spokane, Washington and of the Field It Serves, pretty wordy. The 658 page book was written by Ralph E. Dyar, with an Introduction by W. H. Cowles. Originally published in 1952, it is now in reprint by Literary Licensing, LLC.
The Spokesman-Review still publishes from within this landmark building completed in 1891. Under the name of The Review, the newspaper was launched on May 19, 1883 in nearby Cheney by Frank Dallam as Spokane had no printing press that he could use. His own printing press arrived shortly and he moved the paper into Spokane. The existing newspaper in Spokane was the Democratic Chronicle. The Review, being of Republican leaning, and the Chronicle became bitter enemies, with the circulation of the Review soon exceeding that of the Chronicle. In 1883, Andrew Pritchard, first discoverer of gold in the Coeur d'Alene area, brought his ore samples to Dallam's office. Seeing the story in this event Dallam published the story in the next issue, which sold out all over the west, and as far east as Minnesota, thereby starting Spokane's first population boom.
Eight years down the road, this building is completed and on October 24th, 1891 the Review holds a party to celebrate the dedication of the new building. Being a newspaper, it is quite understandable that they should publish a one and a half page article on the occasion of its dedication.
The article begins on the second page of
This Edition
The Spokesman-Review
The Review Building houses the offices of the Spokesman-Review, Spokane’s principal newspaper. It is one of the tallest buildings in Spokane; its tower is taller than the main roofs of the Paulsen Medical and Dental and Old National Bank buildings. Since its construction, it has been one of the most conspicuous buildings in town. Located on an irregular lot, its architect, Chauncey B. Seaton designed it to fit the shape of the lot well. Seaton came to Spokane in the aftermath of the Spokane Fire in 1889 to help rebuild Spokane. In 1890, he designed and supervised the construction of the Spokane Exposition Building. Although he designed the Review Building, he left before it was completed.
In its early days, the building housed the Hotel Review in the upper floors. It also housed the Spokane Daily Chronicle until the building became too crowded, and the Chronicle moved into its own building, next south in 1921.
The Review Building was erected to house the Review, an evening daily paper, which was established by Frank Dallam as a weekly paper in 1883. Its closest competitor was the Spokesman, a democratic paper owned by a group of Spokane businessmen. In 1893, the competition between the two newspapers necessitated a merger if either was to survive. Out of this the Spokane Morning Review was born, under the management of Harvey Scott, H. L. Pittock, Anthony Cannon, and W. H. Cowles. The Panic of 1893 severely hurt the paper, and Cowles came to Spokane from Chicago to salvage it. He gained total control and created the Spokesman Review.
W. H. Cowles was an important and influential businessman in Spokane. He was a founding member of the Spokane Chamber of Commerce, regional director of the Boy Scouts of America, and director for the Associated Press for thirty-three years. Theodore Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, and William Howard Taft sought his advice. The family still owns and runs the paper and are generous civic benefactors in Spokane.
From Historic Spokane