The MV ''Spokane'' is a operated by

Washington State Ferries Washington State Ferries (WSF) is a government agency that operates automobile and passenger ferry service in the U.S. state of Washington as part of the Washington State Department of Transportation. It runs ten routes serving 20 terminals loc ...

. She was built in 1972 by the

Todd Shipyards Todd or Todds may refer to: Places ;Australia: * Todd River, an ephemeral river ;United States: * Todd Valley, California, also known as Todd, an unincorporated community * Todd, Missouri, a ghost town * Todd, North Carolina, an unincorporated ...

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region o ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, for the Seattle–Bainbridge route. The ship remained assigned there until the construction of the in the late 1990s displaced her to the Edmonds–Kingston route, where she has remained since. Perhaps one of the most notable features of the ''Spokane'' is her colorful interior which she has sported since being rebuilt in the mid 1990s.

Naming

''Spokane'' was named for the

Spokane tribe The Spokan or Spokane people are a Native American Plateau tribe who inhabit the eastern portion of present-day Washington state and parts of northern Idaho in the United States of America. The current Spokane Indian Reservation is located in ...

by the

Washington State Highway Commission The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT or WashDOT, both ) is a governmental agency that constructs, maintains, and regulates the use of transportation infrastructure in the U.S. state of Washington. Established in 1905, it is ...

, continuing the tradition of naming ferry vessels for Native American tribes that was started by the

Puget Sound Navigation Company The Puget Sound Navigation Company (PSNC) was founded by Charles E. Peabody in 1898. Today the company operates an international passenger and vehicle ferry service between Port Angeles, WA and Victoria, BC on the Coho. History In the past, t ...

. At least seven other vessels had carried the name "Spokane" prior to the launch of the ferry in 1972.

History

''Spokane'' was launched by Todd Shipyards on April 14, 1972, and christened by Carol Stearns of the

. On the same day, the

keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element on a vessel. On some sailboats, it may have a hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose, as well. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in the construction of a ship, in Br ...

for was laid at the shipyard. Both vessels cost $17.7 million to construct. She made her ceremonial maiden voyage on February 13, 1973, departing from

Colman Dock Colman Dock, also called Pier 52, is the primary ferry terminal in Seattle, Washington, United States. The original pier is no longer in existence, but the terminal, now used by the Washington State Ferry system, is still called "Colman Dock". ...

in Seattle carrying Governor Dan Evans, the mayors of Seattle and Spokane, and members of the Spokane tribe. At long and with a capacity of 206 cars, the ''Spokane'' was the largest ferry in the

system when she entered service. The ferry made her first regular commuter run on the morning of February 24, 1973. Riders onboard complimented the "superferry" on her luxurious look, cleanliness, and handling. With the launch of the ferries and in 1998, ''Spokane'' was moved to the Edmonds–Kingston route alongside .

References

External links

*
Spokane vessel info from WSDOT
Washington State Ferries vessels 1972 ships Ships built in Seattle {{ferry-stub