Fort George Wright
Fort George Wright Historic District | |
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Nearest city | Spokane, Washington |
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Coordinates | 47°40′42″N117°28′27″W/ 47.67833°N 117.47417°W |
Area | 250 acres (100 ha) |
Built | 1896, 128 years ago |
Architect | U.S. Government |
Architectural style | Colonial Revival, Queen Anne, GeorgianRevival |
NRHP referenceNo. | 76001918[1] |
Added to NRHP | May 17, 1976 |
Fort George Wrightis a land area in thenorthwestUnited States,located inSpokane, Washington'sWest Hillsneighborhood. It is named after GeneralGeorge Wright,who had been stationed in the area.
History[edit]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/Fort_George_Wright%2C_Washington%2C_ca_1918_%28WASTATE_1084%29.jpeg/220px-Fort_George_Wright%2C_Washington%2C_ca_1918_%28WASTATE_1084%29.jpeg)
In 1895, local residents purchased the area then known asTwickenham Park,which was deeded to the government for the construction of a military post. WithCongress’authorization, the $40,000 purchase of 1,022 acres (414 ha) was made in 1896.
Construction of the fort began in 1897 and it officially opened in 1899. Most of the buildings present were built between 1897 and 1906.
In 1909-1910 the fort was used to imprison members of theIndustrial Workers of the Worldarrested during theSpokane Free Speech Fight.[2]
"Between 1899 and 1940, it primarily housed mounted infantry units such as the24thand25th "Buffalo soldier" regiments,and the4th Infantry Divisionwhich served during the massiveSt. MihielandMeuse-Argonne Offensivesin WWI and would go on to land on the beaches of Normandy in WWII. "[3]
In September 1915, then LieutenantOmar Bradleyreported to the14th Infantry Regiment (United States)in Ft. Wright.[4]
World War II[edit]
Fort George Wright became headquarters for theNorthwest Air Districton 9 January 1941, responsible for air defense and antisubmarine patrols for the Pacific northwest of the United States.
On 28 February 1941, the headquarters staff of the Northwest Air District moved fromFelts Fieldto new headquarters offices at Fort George Wright. From there the air activities of eleven northwest states would be directed.[5]The District was redesignated2d Air Forceon 26 March 1941.
Clark Gable,ofGone with the Windfame, was briefly stationed at Fort George Wright in January 1943 for training on his special assignment working on a recruitment film in an effort to recruit more gunners for the Army Air Force.[6]
The parade ground was opened to air traffic on 12 June 1942, accommodating liaison and courier planes in support of the HQ 2d AF mission.[7]
The headquarters of the 2d Air Force relocated in June 1943 toColorado Springs,Colorado.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/Greetings_from_Fort_George_Wright_Washington_%28NBY_430088%29.jpg/220px-Greetings_from_Fort_George_Wright_Washington_%28NBY_430088%29.jpg)
Post-war[edit]
Fort Wright was used for military purposes until 1957, when the government declared the fort surplus and gave educational facilities priority to purchase the property. Some of the land was used forSpokane Falls Community Collegein 1960.[8][9]
In May 1976, the campus was listed as the Fort George Wright Historic District in theNational Register of Historic Places.This was because on the site there is also located St. Michael's Mission; the building of 1882 was originally located near the Bigelow Gulch Road and was moved to the Fort Wright campus.
The Fort George Wrightcemetery,a small square lot northwest of Fort George Wright, is also located on the land. It is managed by Fairchild AFB. It includes service men and families.
The original grass field for Memorial Stadium (nowJoe Albi Stadium) was taken from the lush sod of the parade grounds at the fort in the summer of 1950.[10][11][12]
In 2020, spurred on by calls for racial justice in the wake of theGeorge Floyd protests,Fort George Wright Drive, which runs through the area, was renamed Whistalks Way.[13]In 2021, the campus of the Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute was renamed as well, to Mukogawa U.S. Campus.[14]
External links[edit]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
References[edit]
- ^"National Register Information System".National Register of Historic Places.National Park Service.March 13, 2009.
- ^John Duda (ed.),Wanted: Men to Fill the Jails of Spokane!: Fighting for Free Speech with the Hobo Agitatos of the I.W.W.,Chicago: Charles H. Kerr, 2009, page 103.
- ^Nilsson, Lee."Welcome to Historic Fort George Wright - Fort George Wright Tour".Spokane Historical.Retrieved26 December2018.
- ^Zaloga, Steve (2012-05-20).Omar bradley: leadership, strategy, conflict.Noon, Steve. Botley, Oxford.ISBN9781849086615.OCLC749854262.
{{cite book}}
:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^Staff, "Staff Is Moved To Fort Wright - Northwest Air Headquarters Evacuate Felts Field for Army Post",The Spokesman-Review,Spokane, Washington, Saturday 1 March 1941, Volume 58, Number 291, page 6.
- ^"Clark Gable Is Here With 2d Air Force".Spokane Daily Chronicle.January 11, 1943. p. 1.RetrievedJuly 29,2020.
- ^Staff, "Planes Now Landing At Fort Wright",The Spokesman-Review,Spokane, Washington, Saturday 13 June 1942, Volume 60, Number 30, page 6.
- ^"Spokane urged to build college at Fort Wright".Spokesman-Review.July 14, 1960. p. 10.
- ^Prager, Mike (April 11, 1989)."Fort George Wright offered for sale as park plan is studied".Spokesman-Review.p. A1.
- ^"Stadium to get turf from fort".Spokane Daily Chronicle.July 21, 1950. p. 1.
- ^"Sod for stadium".Spokane Daily Chronicle.August 8, 1950. p. 1.
- ^"Turf promises good playing field".Spokesman-Review.August 18, 1950. p. 18.
- ^Shanks, Adam (15 December 2020)."Fort George Wright Drive renamed".The Spokesman-Review.Retrieved28 June2022.
- ^Dodd, Amber D. (27 August 2021)."After George Wright's street name change, Mukogawa follows".The Spokesman-Review.Retrieved28 June2022.
- Queen Anne architecture in Washington (state)
- Colonial Revival architecture in Washington (state)
- 1896 establishments in Washington (state)
- Forts in Washington (state)
- National Register of Historic Places in Spokane, Washington
- Buildings and structures in Spokane, Washington
- Forts on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state)
- Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state)