Driving On WA SR-2 East In 1997 (Spokane)

Back in 1997, The Washington State Department of Transportation drove East on SR-2 and recorded video to document the highway. This was part of a project that photographed/videotaped the states highways every couple of years. This video now resides at The Washington State Archives who were kind enough to share it.

[@nordicpawsproductions465]

I was 8 years old. god, i remember when it used to look like this

[@Doobie1975]

14:00 I haven't seen a BEST store in years! I sure miss that store.

[@maggiepeterson7875]

Thank you for posting this! It’s so interesting to see what has changed-and how much has stayed the same. There are dozens of businesses on Division that are shown here that are still thriving today. I had forgotten how much the Gonzaga area has been built up in the last 10-15 years. It seems so crammed now compared to 1997. There seemed to be much fewer vacant buildings in 1997. Nowadays it seems there is a vacant building on every block. The hardware store up by Northwest Seed and Pet has been vacant forever. I wish Northtown had not constructed the parking garage. The mall complex looked so much more inviting without the garage. The now run-down parking garage isn’t doing the mall any favors with it’s faded/outdated signage and rusty stairwells. What an eyesore.

[@oliver_klozoff]

The mall itself is mostly abandoned most of the time. Sad days we live in with so many people shut in

[@debralounder3810]

I lived up off the Newport highway in 1980 and remember the zebra well and the icy dips on market , as well back then .

[@oliver_klozoff]

Seeing northtown mall actually have people there and those glorious obs Chevy trucks (possibly the best they ever made) at camp is great. Thanks. Also just wow. Amazing how fast north spokane (from the y up) developed. Between the 80s video you posted and this one is insane.

[@twcjim]

Thanks for posting this footage! My family and I often traveled to Spokane in the mid-to-late '90s before we moved to the city in 1999. I remember a few of the stores and buildings shown along this stretch of Division Street, a lot of them are now gone. On a related note, do you have any video of I-90 or adjacent highways in Grant County (Moses Lake/Ephrata) from the 1990s?

[@highwayvideos3434]

I do not unfortunately. Hopefully the Washington State Archives will be able to finish this project on their website and include more!

[@s.w.a.t.3057]

Wow! This is crazy. No North/South Corridor, no 940 North, no convention center. Forgot what things looked like back then.

[@MrElwoodjayblues]

10:58 If you faintly squint you can see Montgomery Ward. Yes, THAT Montgomery Ward. It is now a Burlington Coat Factory

[@larayaglsd]

I'm surprised that this footage has awesome audio quality.

[@beanme2422]

Brought back some memories

[@dgendvil]

A lot of improvements since 1983...

[@jonasbrothersrockist]

Damn, I was 3 years old in 1997. My birthday is February 19th, 1994.

[@riley1049]

Three months and a day before I was born.

[@ef5supercell]

was he driving with his hazards on?

[@sirreginaldthegreat7010]

It’s crazy to remember Spokane this way. Now this whole stretch is just homeless and junkies wandering around.

[@riley1049]

9:23 NorthTown Mall off to the right

[@5150Magic]

Please fix the title.