Spokane Falls, on the Spokane River in downtown Spokane, has long been central to the area’s identity. Known to Native people as Stluputqu, or “swift water,” it was once the site of a large Spokane village, linking the falls to a deep human history before later industrial growth. The falls are divided into Upper and Lower Falls, where hydroelectric dams built in 1920 and 1890 harness the river for power. The Monroe Street Dam was the first on the Spokane River and is Washington state’s longest-running hydroelectric facility. Surrounded by land remade from rail yard to park and fairgrounds, the falls remain both a power source and downtown’s natural focal point.