▁about ▁ 1 9 1 2 , ▁a ▁great ▁fl ur ry ▁of ▁construction ▁created ▁a ▁modern ▁urban ▁profile ▁of ▁office ▁buildings , ▁banks , ▁department ▁stores , ▁hot els ▁and ▁other ▁commercial ▁institutions " ▁which ▁stretch ed ▁from ▁the ▁Sp ok ane ▁River ▁to ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁Northern ▁Pacific ▁rail road ▁tracks ▁below ▁the ▁South ▁Hill . ▁Yet ▁the ▁re building ▁and ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁was ▁far ▁from ▁smooth : ▁between ▁ 1 8 8 9 ▁and ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁alone , ▁all ▁six ▁brid ges ▁over ▁the ▁Sp ok ane ▁River ▁were ▁destroyed ▁by ▁flo ods ▁before ▁their ▁completion . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 0 s ▁the ▁city ▁was ▁subject ▁to ▁intr ast ate ▁migration ▁by ▁African - Amer icans ▁from ▁Ros lyn , ▁looking ▁for ▁work ▁after ▁the ▁closure ▁of ▁the ▁area ' s ▁mines . ▁Two ▁African - American ▁churches , ▁Cal v ary ▁Bapt ist ▁and ▁Beth el ▁African ▁Method ist ▁Epis cop al , ▁were ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 0 . ▁Just ▁three ▁years ▁after ▁the ▁fire , ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 2 , ▁James ▁J . ▁Hill ' s ▁Great ▁Northern ▁Railway ▁arrived ▁in ▁the ▁chosen ▁site ▁for ▁Hill ' s ▁rail ▁yards , ▁the ▁newly ▁created ▁town ship ▁of ▁H illy ard ▁( anne x ed ▁by ▁Sp ok ane ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 4 ). ▁Sp ok ane ▁became ▁an ▁important ▁rail ▁sh ipping ▁and ▁transport ation ▁hub ▁for ▁the ▁In land ▁Empire ,