SpokesmanReview.com - A Century in Review

ASH SUNDAY. The May 18, 1980, eruption of Mount St. Helens sent a plume of ash into parts of Washington and North Idaho while blotting out the sun for several hours. The ash fell like snow, drifting as deep as two feet and crushing crops, halting transportation and causing schools and businesses to close.

In this report:

Fire and ice

Through the years

In the news

Photographs

In this series:

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

More on the millennium:
"Spirit of the West" special report explores themes that help us understand who we are and what makes this part of the United States unique and full of promise.

Nature's wrath
PART FOUR -- 1976 - 1999
The final quarter of the 20th century begins with great promise for the Inland Northwest. Soon, though, fate turns cruel. Mother Nature strikes -- from Mount St. Helens ash in 1980 to Firestorm '91 to Ice Storm '96. Inflation and high interest rates blunt timber, mining and agriculture. Unemployment skyrockets as the region's economy suffers throughout the '80s. But residents band together and turn things around as we head into a new millennium.

"A Century in Review" is a celebration of the 20th century in the region. This keepsake edition looks at the area's history from 1976-1999. The first section, published March 28, covered the first quarter of the 1900s. The second, published June 20, covered 1926-1950, and the third, on Sept. 19, went from 1951-1975. The sections are filled with stories and photographs that appeared in The Spokesman-Review and the Spokane Chronicle during each quarter-century.

We hope you enjoy the look back.