1910: Spokane
By 1910 Spokane had tripled in size to over 104,000. The city had become a workingman's town for masses of migrant workers who came through the city looking for work in the mines, logging camps, and wheat fields. Additional workers were employed by the array of service industries that supported the economy of the region and city.
New uses of electricity and incandescent light bulbs were being tested in agricultural areas on the perimeter of the city. A December 1911 article in Popular Mechanics described one use:
"Electrocution of the codling moth is the latest method adopted to protect the trees by the apple orchardists in Spokane Valley and the various parts of eastern Washington." |