The Salvation Army Spokane - A Brief History

1891

August of 1891, the work of The Army is begun in Spokane. A marching band consisting of three female officers Ensign McAbee, Captain Long, and Lieutenant Tilden, and an unidentified male dressed in traditional Army attire marched through the small downtown core, ending at the corner of Howard and Riverside where they conducted the Army's first official open air service. Several different downtown sites are rented over the years to facilitate the Army's work until a permanent structure is built in 1902.

1912

A new building with larger accommodations is erected at 3422 W. Garland, and the name is changed to Booth Memorial Hospital. The original program included rescue cases, women court parolees, unmarried mothers and boarding children. Over the years the program changed to focus primarily on the needs of unwed mothers until it was closed in 1981.

1921

The Salvation Army purchases Camp Cougar eventually renamed Camp Gifford at Deer Lake, to operate as a residential summer camping program providing fun and adventure to low income boys, girls and teens.

1922

A permanent home for the Spokane Corps is erected. A four-story structure at 245 W. Main Avenue in downtown Spokane, the new building provided a gym, class rooms, meeting rooms, offices and housing for transient men.

1970

The Spokane Corps conducts a Capital Campaign to construct a new Corps Community Center at its current site at 222 E. Indiana.

1972

The new Corps Community Center is opened.

1973

The Men's social program closes.

1980

The Thrift Store at Riverside and Division experiences a major fire, and undergoes extensive renovation.

1981

The Booth Memorial Hospital closes.

1983

The Thrift Store at Riverside and Division suffers second major fire with a total loss to the building. Retail operations relocated to temporary site until new facility is constructed. A Capital Campaign is conducted to purchase property and build a new Thrift Store and Outpatient Treatment facility located at 2020 N. Division, to construct a new Administration Building (Administrative Services relocated from the Community Center), and to remodel the Community Center to enclose the Atrium and renovate all recreation and meeting spaces.

1984

The Hillyard and Valley Thrift Stores are closed. The Booth Memorial Hospital facility is reopened as a residential treatment facility for alcoholics and chemically dependent men and women.

1985

Grand Opening of new Thrift Store and Outpatient Treatment facility located at 2020 N. Division. Completion of new Administration Building and remodeling of the Community Center to enclose the Atrium and renovate all recreation and meeting spaces.

1985

In response to a community-wide unmet need, the Spokane Corps partitions part of the Booth Memorial Hospital facility into five domiciles to accommodate homeless single-parent and two-parent families.

1987

A former nursing home located at 1403 W. Broadway is acquired to house the expanded Salvation Army Family Emergency (SAFE) Center homeless family shelter, it includes space for a Family Services Case Management Department and Food Bank.

1992

Construction of Camp Gifford multi-purpose activity Pavilion.

1997

The Spokane Corps Chemical Dependency Treatment Program is terminated and transferred into the possession of a private service provider.

1998

Family Services is moved from the basement of the SAFE Center to new offices, in the former Outpatient Treatment facility located at 2020 N. Division.

2000

125 acres acquired adjacent to Camp Gifford to facilitate the development of a Teen Wilderness Camp and future expansion. Initiation of $11.65 million Family Resource Campus Capital and Endowment Campaign.

2001

Completion of Camp Gifford Dining Hall and Program building.

2002

Completion of Community Center renovation of Aquatics, recreation, and sanctuary spaces; and remodeling of lower level to accommodate the Sally's House program, which starts the same year.

2004

The first phase of the Capital Campaign is completed. The new Transitional Housing building provides accomodation for 30 families.