Foothills History

Early Rural Schools of Spokane

Erika Deasy, a local Spokane author recently published a book on Early Rural Schools of Spokane. She was our featured speaker at the FRA Annual Meeting in 2023 and she includes information about schools in the Foothills.

Purchase the book on Amazon

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, rural Spokane County was peppered with small country schoolhouses that served the children of our early pioneers and settlers. With a lard pail for a lunch box and mismatched books, many of these young scholars would have to traverse miles through rain, snow, or shine to one of these often primative schools that didn't have the comforts and conveniences we have today. All of the grades (1-8) were usually taught by one teacher in a small one-room schoolhouse and high school wasn't always an option.

Between 1880 and 1929, there had been 188 school districts established in Spokane County and over 220 schools served children in the vast rural territory of the county. For over a century, these schools became the building blocks for the school districts that now serve the students in every corner of Spokane County. This book tells the history of each of these schools, their districts and the lives of those living in the communities in which they served. Most of these iconic schoolhouses have vanished, either fallen to age or lost to progress, but their stories still echo from the past generations who build them, operated them, or spent their youthful days attending them. This book intends to tell those stories and allow us to understand this important chapter in Spokane County's history.

Foothills Community Center

The Foothills Community Center, located on Forker Road, adjacent to the Foothills Fire Station, exists as a result of community efforts to save and renovate the former Foothills School Building. The Center, used for many community activities, is maintained and supported by the Foothills Rural Association. It is available for use by members of the Foothills Rural Association for a nominal utilities charge and by non-members for a reasonable rental fee. The community center includes complete kitchen facilities.

The Old Foothills Store

The store and gas pumps just north of the church was built in 1904 and owned by Jim and Ole Olinger from 1947-63. It was torn down around 1954 and the lumber used to build the family home that stands there now.

Frog Pond School

From 1904 to 1920, this school was located 1/4 mile south of Temple Road and 1/8 mile east of Forker. Cost of the building was $898. In 1927, part of this building was moved near the Foothills school for use as a teacher's cottage.

Gust Johnson

with a bear killed near the current location of the Foothills Community Center prior to 1900, according to Jess Kronquist.

Kronquist Mill

About 1906, the mill was located near Temple and Forker roads. The mill burned here in 1910. It was rebuilt on the Kronquist place, about ½ mile north and a bit west of the house presently resided in by Lloyd Lancaster. It operated here until about 1922. Arthur and Elmer Johnson bought it about 1928. They set it up about ½ mile northeast of the east end of Lincoln Road where it still stands. Clark Peterson is the present owner.

John Miller

Crewman at the Kronquist Mill about 1900 - probably taken by Tom Casey.

Christmas, 1900 - Kronquist Sawmill

This tent is near the site of the present Foothills Church. The mill was located across the creek from Kevin Kaelins. A good water supply was needed for the steam power. Tents were used by some of the mill crew for cooking and sleeping. Jess Kronquist is the small boy on the right in the front row.

The "Cottage"

The “Cottage” is a little white house on the Fire Department land lying just southwest of the Community Center. It was originally built out of recycled materials from other buildings in the Foothills. This cottage served as the residence of the schoolteacher for the Foothills School that now serves as the Community Center. The school closed about 1960. Fire District #9 owns the land and all of these buildings, which are leased to the Foothills Rural Association for their community benefit.

The Peterson Home Built 1895

This was one of the first modern rural homes built in Spokane County. It had hot and cold water and a copper bathtub. The home was located in the Foothills about a third of a mile south of Judkins Road and about 400 yards east of the extension of Morrison Road. The house burned down about 1966 at which time it was owned by Everett Martin.

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