The countryside and climate around Spokane in Washington State can be said to be either “picturesque” or “challenging” depending on your point of view. The first known hunter gatherer inhabitants of some ten thousand years ago evolved to become the Spokane (“sun people”) tribe and no doubt they appreciated the game to be hunted in this land of plains and forests located at the foothills of what are now known as the Rocky Mountains. The area’s hot and somewhat arid summers probably suited them well; but dealing with the moist, cold and snowy winters could not have been very pleasant for them.
It Changed In 1810
1810 was the year when the Northwest Fur Company sent two trappers west of the Rocky Mountains in search of animal furs (notably beaver) and to setup trading posts and trade with the local inhabitants; specifically around the Spokane Rivers. This resulted in the first settlement of Europeans in what is, now, Washington State; the Spokane House trading post, at the confluence of the little and main Spokane Rivers, was in operation from 1810 to 1826.
The area was not only ideal for fur trapping but was also rich in resources – both the obvious potential for lumber and the discovery of rich mineral deposits. The main influx of American settlers came in the 1880’s onwards after the area had been pacified and coinciding with the advent of the railroad. Homes and commercial buildings started to appear and, since the settlers wanted good roofs over their heads; there was work for a Spokane roofing company.
From Log Cabins To Timber Frame Houses
At first, settlers could construct their own “rough and ready” cabins; but, once towns started to develop; better constructed buildings became the order of the day. With an abundance of lumber in the area; wood based construction methods were the obvious choice. Larger buildings would usually be given a sloping (or pitched) roof of wooden shingles and the open spaces between the upright frame posts would be filled in with wooden panels. With such a preponderance of wood, it became practice to contract most, if not all, of the building’s exterior construction to one company; which would usually be a Spokane roofing company. Today, the successors of the early roofers offer a full service portfolio of external house construction, repair and renovation – roofing, sidings, gutters, windows, etc are all within the abilities of a Spokane roofing company.
