Near the south edge of the fort's grounds, the Quartermaster Stable is the second building one will encounter upon entering the site. On the road leading into the fort is a large white painted archway. Shortly after passing through the archway one will come upon the large wood frame stable which is about 200 feet to the south of the road. A walking trail leads to the stable from the road. Definitely the largest building which remains, the stable may have been the largest building built at the fort. A full description of the 1884 Quartermaster Stable, from the NRHP Inventory Sheet, is below. The inventory sheets for extant buildings include photos, architectural drawings and maps.
Built in 1880, Fort Spokane served as a frontier military post until the troops were transferred to Cuba to fight in the Spanish-American War in 1898. Government officials who ran the Colville and Spokane Indian Agencies then took over the fort and by 1900 it became the Fort Spokane Indian Boarding School. Teachers, clergy and Indian children came to live here. The last people to occupy the fort were the doctors, nurses and patients of the Tuberculosis Hospital and Sanitarium that served the tribes of the area starting in 1910 until Fort Spokane's final closure in 1929.
Fort Spokane was transferred to the National Park Service in 1960, and major restoration began on the four remaining original buildings: the Quartermaster Stable, built in 1884, the Powder Magazine, built in 1888, the Reservoir, built in 1889, and the Guardhouse, built in 1892.
In essence the entire site is a museum, with the Guardhouse now serving as the visitor center housing cultural and interpretive displays. It is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day of each year, from 9:30 am to 5 pm. The visitor center and museum may be opened upon request the rest of the year. The other three buildings are open to visitors from May through September. The grounds are open to explore year round.
Fort Spokane
Exhibits
The military of the "Indian Frontier" was different than any Civil War regiment in many ways. Uniforms, weapons and photographs of the military are on exhibit in the historic guardhouse. When the military left in 1899 the buildings were converted into an Indian Boarding School run by the government. Photographs and first hand accounts of life at the boarding school are exhibited throughout the guardhouse. All exhibits and programs are free of charge.
Available Services
Fort Spokane is your one-stop shop for travel and park information.
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Exhibits on Ice Age Floods, Military History, 19th Century Native American Boardings Schools, and more.
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11 minute video on the history of Fort Spokane
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Travel information, including park maps
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America the Beautiful: Senior and Access passes (formerly Golden Age and Access passes)
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Bookstore: books, stuffed animals, and educational DVDs
Programs
Ranger Talks
Seasonally, rangers give a variety of talks about the Fort Spokane area's history, culture, and natural resources. The 10-minute park film is also available upon request. Call the visitor center or check us out
on Facebook to see program topics and times.
School Field Trips
Programs are available with reservation. Learn more about
field trips.
From the National Park Service