It takes less than 40 minutes to travel from Spokane to Rosalia today, but back when four-legged steeds fueled by grass, water and words of encouragement were the most common mode of transportation, those 30 bumpy miles took an entire day. These horses would be replaced by four-wheeled vehicles capable of traveling hundreds of miles in one day – some of them powered by electricity, no less!
For decades, the C.J. Hall Blacksmithing and Wagon Shop, just down the dusty road from the post office, served as a way station for thousands of intrepid adventurers. By the time the final stagecoach rolled out of Rosalia in 1926, it did so from the Texaco Central Service Station, which Hall built in 1923, on the site of his former blacksmith shop. The Hall family operated the Texaco until it closed in 1980, and in 2000 the family donated the building to the Rosalia Chamber of Commerce.
Devoted volunteers rehabilitated the Texaco station and in 2004 the cleaned-up site was dedicated as the Rosalia Visitor Resource and Interpretive Center. For modern-day explorers making their way in electric vehicles, the former stagecoach stop now features an Avista Fast Charging Station capable of fully charging an electric vehicle in less than 20 minutes.
Avista is currently installing public, workspace and residential charging stations throughout the region. Apps like plugshare.com aggregate charging locations throughout the US, making worry over long-range road trips a thing of the past--and your next trip to the Palouse fast and fret-free.