▁connecting ▁mines ▁in ▁the ▁Silver ▁Valley ▁with ▁agricult ural ▁areas ▁around ▁the ▁Pal ouse ▁region . ▁The ▁city ' s ▁population ▁bal lo oned ▁to ▁ 1 9 , 9 2 2 ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 0 , ▁and ▁to ▁ 3 6 , 8 4 8 ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 0 ▁with ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁additional ▁rail ro ads . ▁By ▁ 1 9 1 0 ▁the ▁population ▁had ▁hit ▁ 1 0 4 , 0 0 0 , ▁and ▁Sp ok ane ▁e cli ps ed ▁Wal la ▁Wal la ▁as ▁the ▁commercial ▁center ▁of ▁the ▁In land ▁Empire . ▁In ▁time ▁the ▁city ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" cap ital " ▁of ▁the ▁In land ▁Empire ▁and ▁the ▁heart ▁of ▁a ▁vast ▁trib ut ary ▁region . ▁After ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁the ▁Northern ▁Pacific , ▁Union ▁Pacific , ▁Great ▁Northern , ▁and ▁Chicago , ▁Mil w au kee , ▁St . ▁Paul ▁and ▁Pacific ▁rail ro ads , ▁Sp ok ane ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁rail ▁cent ers ▁in ▁the ▁western ▁U . S . ▁ ▁Early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁ ▁Exp ansion ▁ab rupt ly ▁stopped ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 1 0 s ▁and ▁was ▁followed ▁by ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁population ▁decl ine , ▁due ▁in ▁large ▁part ▁to ▁Sp ok ane ' s ▁slow ing ▁economy . ▁Control ▁of ▁regional ▁mines ▁and ▁resources ▁became ▁increasing ly ▁domin ated ▁by ▁national ▁corpor ations ▁rather ▁than ▁local ▁people ▁and ▁organizations ,