The community lies within territory once occupied by the Upper Spokane, a tribe of Interior Salish who practiced a yearly subsistence pattern of hunting and gathering. Though the area was relatively dry most of the year, there was a sandy meadow of grasses in the early spring where they met and raced horses. The Salish name for the area was translated as “Wild Horse Prairie,” and the name remained
until Hillyard, to the south, was platted. In the early 1900’s, George Colburn and Daniel Morgan obtained 640 acres and began developing it. Real estate developer, Morgan figured out that this dry area sat above the aquifer, and in 1906 the Colburn and Morgan Water Company was established. An eight-foot diameter, hand-dug well was dug. It went down 250 feet to the aquifer and was lined with hand-laid brick. In 1909, a diesel pumping system was built to irrigate the small, one to five acre farms. Most of the lots remain platted as they were almost one hundred years ago. Remnants of the past, such as farm structures, tools, and milking equipment, can still be found. The original well remains, and North Spokane Irrigation District has evolved from providing irrigation to become an urban water district. The original wooden reservoir was replaced in 1923 with steel, and 80% of the system has been replaced and updated since 1980. Current residents purchase the lots for the same reason the original owners did—for the water system and the closeness to the city. They also appreciate the semi rural feel that is created by the large lots and the ability to keep an animal or two if they desire. Daniel Morgan’s vision for the land remains strong in those who have chosen the area for their home.
