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Hants`aq`ilpench -Spokane Bridge LbNA #17696 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Aug 26, 2005
Location:
City:Liberty Lake
County:Spokane
State:Washington
Boxes:4
Planted by:Flying SquirrelSquad
Found by: Flying SquirrelSquad (4)
Last found:Jun 25, 2012
Status:FFFFFFFOr
Last edited:Aug 26, 2005
Clues updated 03/04/07
Terrain difficulty: ---the trail is flat, but some boxes are on slopes ,one box is 2 mile RT,
Clue difficulty: They range from a 2 rating to one box that is about 3.75
The name of this park is Gateway Park it was opened on October 4 2006 as Spokane County’s first off-leash dog park. This park was formerly the Stateline rest stop for I-90. It was closed for a time , then the county leased it and turned it into a park . When this area was an abandon rest stop, I received two strange reports about this park,suspicious behavior,( weirdo sightings). Hopefully the park has improve since the county has taken it over. But be careful if you go there alone (I don't think it's any worse than some of our other parks it's just isolated.) http://www.spokanecounty.org/animal/pdf/dogpark.pdf

Hantsàqìlpench or Spokane bridge -4 historical sites
There are four historical Sites near Spokane Bridge, that we wish to commemorate and there are four in our group. Each of us took a site, did the stamp, research, writing and planting himself ,so hopefully, even though they are in the same area, we hope they will each have a little different flavor.
Spokane Bridge was once a rival town to Spokane Falls, but Spokane Falls survived and Spokane Bridge is no more.
The four sites are The Spokane Bridge, The M.M. Cowley house, The First Post office and The Horse Slaughter Camp.

HOW TO GET TO THE PARKING LOT AT SPOKANE BRIDGE
Way #1 go down I-90 get off at the State line exit ,go north on Spokane bridge road, turn left on to E. Appleway , it is the road behind the old Rest Stop leading into the park.
Way #2 Get on Trent(hwy 290 ) take the exit to Otis Orchards, drive on Wellesley, as if you are headed to the Stateline, but when you get to the weigh station sign, turn right on that road, then turn back right (to the west ) on to E. Appleway, go to the end of the road. ( If you reach on Stateline by traveling on Seltice road you are lost, you missed the turn.) You can get a map at www.maps.google.com
You will need gloves, a compass and probably water to drink.

#1 SPOKANE BRIDGE BOX -by A Princess
CHECKED OK AS OF 11/24/07
01/02/2006 WE REPLACED THIS WITH A NEW BOX, STAMP AND BOOK AND planted it tad lower than before it went missing.
The first town in the area to have a designated post office (1867) was the city of Spokane Bridge built around the first bridge crossing the Spokane River. When this bridge was built it put Antonio Plante out of business.
Begin at the fish and poisonous river sign. There is a path behind the sign, take it. The trail soon splits into several different ones. Choose one, they all will shortly lead to another path that goes east to west along the edge of the river. From here turn right and follow the path. As you may observe, there are many many little paths that go off down the riverbank. There is also a lot of wild life and litter around (Please don’t add to the litter). Looking back you can see the sign. Being inconspicuous because you are so near the parking lot, go down the little path that the sign seems to point to. After seven paces or so there is another path. Turn right. Looking over the edge to the left but being careful not to fall off. You should see large slabs of asphalt on the beach: go until your path is blocked. Looking across the river you can see the remains of the Spokane Bridge bridge. The original bridge was built further up stream out of wood in 1854 by someone but was rebuilt four times. now look at the base of the tree to your left on the other side.

#2 M.M.COWLEY HOUSE BOX - by Soargeezer RETIRED
BOX CHECKED- OK- AS OF 11/24/07
Mr. Cowley was a true pioneer, and a central figure of Spokane Bridge. To learn about him you must:
Start at the fish of many tongues,
go above the river in the way of Hanch' amqinkwe,
past the place of crossings gone,
past the dip 'n rise,
past the road of the place where apple meets potato..
Continue on, nangasumbaadu, until you see the path of rocky destruction.
Do not take the path of destruction, but look upward.
Ánd your eyes will clearly see a cow's house at 325,
and notice the Cowley's house at 350,
and even enjoy the Falcon's house at 50.
From this place, turn around and go in the direction of the highest pointed peak.
36...37...38..OW ! That’s it.


#3 FIVE CENT STAMP BOX- by The Black Dalek-RETIRED (LOST)
THIS BOX WAS UNDERWATER AS OF 01/02/2006 and reported missing in June 2006
Starting at the fish follow the boulder trail around to the left. At the last rock take a reading of 32 degrees. Walk straight in that direction until you reach the gravel rainbow, that is straight ahead. At the rainbow you can see a gray monument standing in front of the abandoned rest area. The post office was located 600 ft north of this monument.
Standing at the top of the rainbow’s arch go down (at 230) into the valley. At the bottom take the trail marked by an uprooted sign post. At the bottom you will find another post. To the left of it is a large boulder. You will find the box underneath it (on the riverside).

HISTORY: In 1867 the first post office in Spokane county (then Idaho territory) was established. Prior to this mail often passed through Spokane Bridge because the Mullen Trail went through the settlement. The first post master was Timothy Lee. The amount of mail was so small they were able to make all their deliveries on one horse. Once a week the mail carrier would make a 90 mile trip to Colville

#4APPALOOSA BOX- by Tuppence( old trail name Rocky)
CHECKED OK AS OF 11/24/07 BOX HAS TO MOVED NEW CLUE
The monument memorializes the site of a horse slaughter, but I wanted to honor the excellent horses bred by the local tribes.

HISTORY: On September 8th 1858 , a few days after the battle of Spokane Plains, Col. George Wright and his men were near Liberty Lake, when they saw a cloud of dust, caused by 800 horses thought to belong to a Palouse chief. They captured the horses and penned them, in a corral formed by banks, the river and on the East side a rope fence. The officers kept 130 for themselves and killed the rest, it took 3 days.
These horses were probably Appaloosas. Horses had reached the Northwest from Mexico by the 1700s. The Nez Perce, who were skillful riders, are thought to be the first tribe to selectively breed horses for certain characteristics, they produced the Appaloosa. In 1806 Meriwether Lewis said of their horses “they appear to be of an excellent race, they are lofty, elegantly formed, active and durable.” The Settlers would see the spotted horses in the Palouse region and say “ there’s a Palouse” the expression morphed into the word “Appaloosa”.
Cayuse Ponies, were the type of horses belonging to the Spokane tribes in the Valley, they were named for the Cayuse tribe who bred them.
The Cayuse Pony of the Northwest is a distinctive breed, descended from the French Percherons and the Spanish Barbs, their influence can be seen in the Appaloosa, Paint and Pinto breeds. The Ponies were powerfully built, with high withers, a long cannon bone and a sloped pastern, able to survive under harsh conditions. *

Hike Info: This is a two mile around trip, it could take an hour or more depending on what you find when you get there, don’t leave just before dusk or you may have walk back by freeway light and it’s creepy. The trail is by the freeway but isolated at the same time you may not want to hike here alone.

TO THE BOX- Leave the parking lot, walk on the Centennial trail, head west, it goes behind the weigh station. You will be traveling from about the one mile marker, to a little past the two mile marker. Enjoy the view on the right, breath the freeway fumes from the left. A little after the 2 mile marker you will see the monument, (it has been moved two or three times since it was created, the description of the location isn’t exactly accurate. (You can enlarge an 1858 drawing ,of the actual location, by going to :http://gallery.unl.edu/picinfo/3848.html, but this is not need to find the box).
After the monument move down the road, to the bench, sit and contemplate the aquifer or ( the river pollution, the freeway and the horse slaughter.) After these thoughts you will be wanting to head down the trail directly in front of you, toward the river. BUT DON'T GO THERE YET THIS CLUE HAD TO BE CHANGED. LOOK UNDER THE EVERGREEN TREE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE BENCH AND SIGN. The box is on the riverside of the tree under pine needles. When you find it you might want to go down and sit by the river as you stamp in. PS. Remember all my horses like to live under bushes, on the North side of the trail.
* References: Florence Boutwell -History of the Spokane Valley,
www.Appaloosa.com www.ansiokstate.edu/breeds
www.spokaneoutdoors.com www.historylink.com