Editing Spokane, Washington (section)

===Early 20th century===
[[File:MonroeStreetBridgea.jpg|thumb|upright=1.85|alt=Construction of the Monroe Street Bridge, August 3, 1911|The [[Monroe Street Bridge (Spokane River)|Monroe Street Bridge]], 1911]]

Expansion abruptly stopped in the 1910s and was followed by a period of population decline,<ref name="Stagnation">{{harvp|Stratton|2005|p=35}}</ref> due in large part to Spokane's slowing economy. Control of regional mines and resources became increasingly dominated by national corporations rather than local people and organizations, diverting capital outside of Spokane and decreasing growth and investment opportunities in the city.<ref name="Stagnation" /> During this time of stagnation, unrest was prevalent among the area's unemployed, who became victimized by "job sharks", who charged a fee for signing up workers in the logging camps. Job sharks and employment agencies were known to cheat itinerant workers, sometimes paying bribes to periodically fire entire work crews, thus generating repetitive fees for themselves.<ref>{{cite web |last=Reider |first=Ross |title=IWW formally begins Spokane free-speech fight on November 2, 1909 |work=Essay 7357 |publisher=HistoryLink |date=June 22, 2005 |url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=7357| access-date = December 7, 2014}}</ref> Crime spiked in the 1890s and 1900s,<ref>{{harvp|Stratton|2005|pp=148-151}}</ref><ref>Kienholz (1999), p. 209–210</ref> with eruptions of violent activity involving unions such as the [[Industrial Workers of the World]] (IWW), or "Wobblies" as they were often known, whose [[Free speech fights#Spokane free speech fight|free speech fights]] had begun to garner national attention.<ref name="p. 52">{{harvp|Stratton|2005|p=152}}</ref> Now, with grievances concerning the unethical practices of the employment agencies, they initiated a free speech fight in September 1908 by purposely breaking a city ordinance on [[soapbox]]ing.<ref name="p. 52"/> With IWW encouragement, union members from many western states came to Spokane to take part in what had become a publicity stunt. Many Wobblies were incarcerated, including feminist labor leader [[Elizabeth Gurley Flynn]], who published her account in the local ''[[Industrial Worker]]''.<ref name="p. 52"/>

[[File:Riverside Ave, Spokane, Washington, ca 1923 (WASTATE 448).jpeg|thumb|left|alt=Riverside Avenue c. 1923|Riverside Avenue c. 1923]]

After mining declined at the turn of the 20th century, agriculture and logging became the primary influences in the Spokane economy.<ref name="Kenselp.25">Kensel (1968), p. 25</ref> The population explosion and the building of homes, railroads, and mines in northern Idaho and southern British Columbia fueled the logging industry.<ref name="Kenselp.25" /> Although overshadowed in importance by the vast timbered areas on the coastal regions west of the Cascades, and burdened with monopolistic rail freight rates and stiff competition, Spokane became a noted leader in the manufacture of doors, [[sash window|window sashes]], blinds, and other [[planing mill]] products.<ref>Kensel (1968), pp. 28–29, 31</ref> Rail freight rates were much higher in Spokane than the rates in coastal [[seaport]] cities such as Seattle and Portland, so much so that [[Minneapolis]] merchants could ship goods first to Seattle and then back to Spokane for less than shipping directly to Spokane, even though the rail line ran through Spokane on the way to the coast.<ref name="Malone"/><ref>Durham (1912), p. 598</ref>{{ref|Hepburn|[f]}}

The Inland Northwest region has also long been associated with farming, especially [[wheat]] production.<ref name="p. 119">{{harvp|Stratton|2005|p=119}}</ref> Initially, the Palouse was thought to be unsuitable for wheat production due to the hilly terrain, believing wheat could not be cultivated on the tops of the hills, but the region showed great promise for wheat production when it began in the late 1850s in part due to the hilltops.<ref name="p. 119"/> The Palouse was and still is a [[breadbasket]] and was able to develop and grow with the completion of several railroad networks as well as a highway system that began to center around the city of Spokane, aiding farmers from around the region in distributing their products to market.<ref>{{harvp|Stratton|2005|pp=126-127}}</ref> Inland Empire farmers exported wheat, livestock and other agricultural products to ports such as New York, Liverpool and Tokyo.<ref name="p. 127">{{harvp|Stratton|2005|p=127}}</ref>

Local morale was affected for years by the collapse of the [[Division Street Bridge (Spokane, Washington)|Division Street Bridge]] early in the morning on December 15, 1915, which killed five people and injured over 20, but a new bridge was built (eventually replaced in 1994).<ref>Creighton (2013), p. 82</ref> The 1920 census showed a net increase of just 35 individuals, which actually indicates that thousands left the city when considering the natural growth rate of a population.<ref name="Stagnation"/> Growth in the 1920s and 1930s remained slow but less drastically so, forcing city boosters to market the city as a quiet, comfortable place suitable for raising a family rather than a dynamic community full of opportunity.<ref>{{harvp|Stratton|2005|p=35-36}}</ref> The Inland Empire was heavily dependent on natural resources and [[wikt:extractive|extractive]] goods produced from mines, forests, and farms, which experienced a fall in demand.<ref name="p. 38">{{harvp|Stratton|2005|p=38}}</ref> The situation improved slightly with the start of World War II as aluminum production commenced in Spokane due to the area's cheap electricity (produced from regional dams) and the increased demand for airplanes.<ref name="p. 38"/>