Moving household goods to new home in Spokane Valley, 1908, probably near East Farms No. 1 . Source: Charles Libby Collection.

In this 1908 photograph, a family is moving into a brand new home in what is now Spokane Valley. Although the house is strikingly modern-looking, it was built by hand, probably by the owner and some hired help. There was almost certainly no architect or general contractor involved, which demonstrates the kind of drive and ingenuity nineteenth-century people brought to their daily lives before the advent of modern conveniences. Notice also the pile of stones in the foreground, which were probably removed from the homesite painstakingly, one by one. You can view this and other Libby photographs in the Charles Libby Collection.

Written by Frank Oesterheld