Liberty Lake, Washington — Spokane's “Inland Seashore” Became a City

Liberty Lake was a resort destination long before it became a municipality.

The lake was once known to non-Native settlers as Lake Grier before taking the name of Stephen Liberty, a French-Canadian homesteader who settled along its western shore in 1871.

Early twentieth-century interurban trains turned the lake into a Spokane getaway. Promoters called Liberty Lake Park the city's “Inland Seashore,” complete with boating, dancing, pavilions and summer crowds.

Automobiles eventually replaced excursion trains, but recreation remained part of the identity. Late-twentieth-century subdivisions, offices and industry then transformed the surrounding community again.

Residents voted to incorporate in 2000, and the city began operating in 2001.

There is one final geographic joke: much of the lake that gave the city its name lies outside the municipal boundary. The resort supplied the identity; suburban growth supplied the city hall.