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R. L. Rotchford, Postmaster LbNA #17772 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Aug 30, 2005
Location:
City:Liberty Lake
County:Spokane
State:Washington
Boxes:1
Planted by:colls & DB
Found by: Storm Crow
Last found:Oct 29, 2006
Status:FFFFOFFFFr
Last edited:Aug 30, 2005
AUGUST, 2007 -- BOX NOT AVAILABLE
This section of the Spokane River bank is scheduled for cleanup by the Dept of Ecology and the area is closed until October, 2007. I pulled the letterbox and will re-plant it after the coast is clear...as it were.





R. L. Rotchford, noted valley pioneer, came to Spokane as a young man of 21. He started the first weather bureau in Spokane. He and his wife Eva had 13 children and raised them on the north bluff of the Spokane River at the trading post and house he bought from M. M. Cowley in 1887.

In 1891, Rotchford, along with other valley Catholics met with Father Barnabas Held to discuss plans for their own church at Trent. R. L., a skilled carpenter, designed the white frame church and it was build at a total cost of $1,650. He served as postmaster of Spokane Bridge from 1888 to 1897. For the last 10 years of his life he farmed at Vera, where he donated the land to build Central Valley High School. R. L. died in 1920, the cause of death was Sleeping Sickness.

To the house and your prize: Take the Stateline exit (299) off of I90, head north on Spokane Bridge Road, take the right to State Line and cross the river. Just east of the bridge, take a left then head west on Wellesley to 26606. The Rotchford House (formerly the Cowley House) hides behind chainlink and plywood, but is a remnant of a bygone era.

Heading west from the Rotchford House, take a left onto River Avenue: follow the river and enjoy the view. Past State, at Murray turn left into the parking lot. Take a look at the brown sign - How big is this park?

SUMMER/LOW WATER CLUES
Your route begins at the east end of the lot. Pass the mound that guards the trail. Pass the rocky beach that could be no beach at all in early spring. Past the log that could be a telephone pole if it was longer, upright, and had wires. Did you see the old Siamese-twin cherry tree? How about the three old snags at the water’s edge? When the trail leads to a clearing, look for a faint trail uphill. You can see the river's sandy peninsula and quiet inlet to the east. Climb up 12 paces, then once above the bushes and trees take 7 paces downriver. Your prize is at the base of an aged bush. Should you spot the Habitat please turn around, you've gone too far east.

WINTER/HIGH WATER CLUES
From the yellow <---->, walk east 85 steps along River Road. Walk down the path that travels downhill and east. Continue east along this trail until you stumble over a pair of rocks, smack dab in the middle of the path. From the rocks, count 11 more steps. You find yourself midway between a ratty 2 trunk snag and a Christmas tree. The prize is just below you, sitting near the base of an aged bush. Don't go any further east past the Habitat.