Spokane's most well-known gambling entrepreneur was Jacob "Dutch Jake" Goetz, who flourished throughout the city's tumultuous early decades. German by birth, he arrived in the Pacific Northwest in 1875 and quickly created a network of tent hotels, cafes, and saloons between railroad construction camps and mining towns. 
During the 1885 gold rush in Idaho, he and his business partner Harry Baer amassed a fortune through their ownership of the Bunker Hill and Sullivan Mines. Using a portion of his share, Goetz was able to invite every miner in the district to his wedding, which was a legendary affair that included explosives and champagne. Goetz and Baer invested the remainder of their funds in the construction of a sophisticated restaurant-saloon-casino in Spokane. 
It would be destroyed in the Great Fire of Spokane in 1889 (covered waaay back in episode 1, and will soon be revisited for episode 50.) 
Several days later, they had set up a massive tent enterprise known as Dutch Jake's Beer Garden, which drew anywhere from 600 to 1,000 men per night. In 1894, Goetz and Baer constructed the Coeur d'Alene Hotel and Variety Theater in Spokane, which was one of the largest gambling and drinking facilities in the entire Pacific Northwest at the time of its construction. 
Going against the tide of anti-prohibition opinion, Goetz transformed it into the luxurious Hotel Coeur d'Alene in 1910, complete with a facsimile of a steamer on the roof.
Listen now learn more about this fascinating character in the history of the Lilac City!

A special thank you goes out to Al Hirsch for providing the music for the podcast, check him out on YouTube.
Find merchandise for the podcast now available at:     https://washington-history-by-jon-c.creator-spring.com
If you enjoy the podcast and would like to contribute, please visit: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Evergreenpod
If you have any questions, episode ideas you'd like to see explored, or just have a general comment, please reach out at [email protected]
To keep up on news for the podcast and other related announcements, please like and follow:
https://www.facebook.com/Historyoftheevergreenstatepodcast
Thank you for listening!