The Inland Northwest and the Great War

November 11, 2018 marks the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, which ended World War I. The war was a global conflict but it impacted communities across the United States, including Spokane. Thousands of residents played an important part in the war effort at home and abroad, and it affected daily life for everyone in the Inland Northwest.

Pulling from the museum’s rich history and archival collections, this exhibit features stories and artifacts from soldiers and families in Eastern Washington whose lives were forever altered by this international conflict. The exhibit will include World War I uniforms, trench warfare items, posters, letters from the front, historic photographs, and other items, all with a focus on the war’s impact on the Inland Northwest, and the Inland Northwest's impact on the war.

One of the featured stories is that of 1st Lt. William Weaver Powell who served in France during World War I with the 20th Engineers. While serving overseas, his wife Helen Campbell Powell, gave birth to their first son, William Junior. In 1919, William returned to Spokane to meet his son for the first time. The letters in which Helen informed William of his son’s birth are on display in the exhibit.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website