How Manito Park Got Its Name

For weeks now, we have been posting excerpts from the book “Manito Park:  A Reflection of Spokane’s Past”, by Tony Bamonte and Suzanne Schaeffer Bamonte of www.tornadocreekpublications.com.  We have explored several of Spokane’s founding fathers who were instrumental in building the Spokane metropolis as well as getting many of the public areas donated and set up – ala Manito Park.  If you would like to read some of the back chapters, click over to www.ManitoPark.org or to www.manitoparkorg.blogspot.com and get caught up.

Today, we will explore how Manito Park actually got its name, and learn of a few more fun facts about the park itself.  Be sure to check out the progress we make each week on one of the links above.

Although the Panic of 1893, and the depression that followed, had temporarily halted further development of Montrose/Manito Park until the early 1900s, with the renewed effort to create a park for the city, the naming of Manito Park was reported on July 31, 1903.  The headline in the Spokane Daily Chronicle” read:

IT IS NAMED MANITA PARK

Large New Addition on the Southern Hill

BOUNDS CHOSEN

 

The plat for the big addition which is to be put on the market by the Spokane-Washington Improvement company has been completed.  The addition, which is half a mile wide by a mile and a quarter long, has been named Manita [the spelling used in this article appears to have been a misprint and an isolated incident] Park, referring to its elevation, which affords a fine view of the city.  It is composed of 56 blocks of land…The addition is on the route of the line of the Spokane Traction company, the new street car system being installed by Jay P. Graves.  In fact the car line will run through nearly the entire center of the tract.  It is bounded on the north by Fourteenth avenue, on the south by Thirty-third avenue, on the east by Hatch street and on the west by Division street.  In all it contains 400 acres of land, 320 of which is in the city limits.  The remaining 80 acres is south of the city limits… The two drives through the addition will be Grand street and the boulevard [refers to Manito Boulevard], running parallel with each other north and south, or lengthwise through the tract.  Grand street is being graded 75 feet in width and will have a double car track for the new Graves system.  The boulevard will be 175 feet in width, with a 77 foot parking strip in the center, while on either side will be parking strips.

 

 

During the spring of 1904, Manito Park was officially deeded to the city by the Spokane-Washington Improvement Company and Spokane & Montrose Motor Railroad Co (Jay Graves’s companies), Washington Water Power, the Northwestern and Pacific Hypotheekbank, and Frank Hogan.  This gift came with specific conditions, which were outlined in the deeds.  They are condensed as follows:

1.       The donated park property must be used forever for the sole purpose of a public park.

2.       The donation is made subject to the city paying the 1903 taxes.

3.       The city shall construct a first class driveway, of not less than 50 feet in width.  This drive will service the entire area in the vicinity of the park and is to be completed by January 1, 1905.  The city is required to forever maintain this roadway.

4.       The city shall lay a ten-inch water main to the junction of Division Street and Fourteenth Avenue prior to November 1, 1905.  They must forever keep this water main filled with water.

5.       The city shall extend an eight-inch feeder line from the ten-inch main to other sections of the Manito Addition.  They must forever keep this line filled with water.

6.       Since the city will need a water reservoir to fulfill the conditions of providing water for the building sites around the park, the grantors also provide permission for the city to locate, construct and maintain a water reservoir on this newly-gifted park property.

7.       If the city fails to meet these conditions, the property will revert back to the granters.

An interesting point – considering the costs involved in the installation of roads, water sources and sewer lines – was the lack of publicity regarding the city’s future financial obligation in the acceptance of this land.  A number of private-interest groups, such as these Manito Park benefactors, had great influence on the local politicians and media, a practice common throughout Spokane involving many of the early parks.  Today, this conflict of interest would likely receive much public criticism and challenge.  However, at the time, it was key to the development of the parks and their surrounding neighborhoods.