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History · Sprague

Sprague’s post office opened in 1880, and 55% of its homes were built before 1940

Its Register listing is the Mary Queen of Heaven Roman Catholic Church. Below: maps from 1884 on and the census since 1890.

1880first post office
1on the National Register
55%homes built before 1940
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Sprague began

When was Sprague founded?

1880

The Sprague post office opened in 1880, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 1,689 in 18902020 census: 495146 years
Founding year: the first Sprague post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

What stands out about Sprague’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Sprague are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Mapped building by building6 fire insurance maps, 1884 to 1909, drew every building in Sprague.Old housesHalf of Sprague’s homes were built before 1938.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Sprague’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Sprague’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Every building

Sprague, building by building, 1884–1909

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Sprague fire insurance map, 1884, sheet 11884Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

The story

How Sprague came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Sprague.

Read it all →

Sprague was first settled by William Newman, who established an inn at the location.

Sprague was officially incorporated on November 28, 1883. Originally called Hoodooville after William Burrows, a local character called Hoodoo Billy, the name was changed to honor General John W. Sprague, a railroad executive.

Sprague was destroyed by fire on August 3, 1895. The fire and subsequent decision by the Northern Pacific Railroad to not rebuild in the town resulted in the relocation of the county seat, held by Sprague after an election in 1884, to Davenport in 1896 after a controversial vote.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Sprague, 1880 to 1954

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1880Post officeThe Sprague post office opens
  3. 20th century
  4. 1905Born hereEugene E. Lindsey is born here
  5. 1954On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Sprague, decade by decade

Today18 recent
Sprague, WA2017Sprague, WASprague, WA2017Sprague, WANot exactly gentrified2017Not exactly gentrifiedMy speed, 7 miles per hour by bicycle in Sprague, WA2017My speed, 7 miles per hour by bicycle in Sprague, WAHistoric railroad depot, Sprague, WA2017Historic railroad depot, Sprague, WAFilling wheat truck in2017Filling wheat truck inEntering Whitman County along Highway 232017Entering Whitman County along Highway 23Cafe in2017Cafe inUntitled photo2017Untitled photoSprague Lake Rest Area, WA and clouds2016Sprague Lake Rest Area, WA and cloudsTrain and barn by Sprague, WA2013Train and barn by Sprague, WAAerial - eastern Lincoln County, WA with Sprague in foreground 01 - white balanced2013Aerial - eastern Lincoln County, WA with Sprague in f…Aerial - eastern Lincoln County, WA with Sprague in foreground 012013Aerial - eastern Lincoln County, WA with Sprague in f…Aerial - Lincoln County, WA with part of Sprague Lake 01 - white balanced2013Aerial - Lincoln County, WA with part of Sprague Lake…Aerial - Lincoln County, WA with part of Sprague Lake 012013Aerial - Lincoln County, WA with part of Sprague Lake…Sprague Washington IMG 14912008Sprague Washington IMG 1491Sprague Mary Queend of Heaven Catholic Church IMG 14922008Sprague Mary Queend of Heaven Catholic Church IMG 1492WAMap-doton-Sprague2004WAMap-doton-Sprague
On the map

Sprague on the map, 1954 to 1981

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Sprague. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Sprague on the 1954 USGS mapSprague on the 1981 USGS map1954Sprague sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Sprague.

On the National Register

1 historic place in Sprague

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
1
each building in a district counts
first listed
1990
Mary Queen of Heaven Roman Catholic Church
Mary Queen of Heaven Roman Catholic Church
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Gothic Revival1
Mary Queen of Heaven Roman Catholic ChurchGothic Revival

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Sprague, census by census

02004006008001,0001,2001,4001,6001,8001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 1,689

Between 410 and 1,689 people in every census since 1890.

14 censuses, 1890–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Sprague’s Wikipedia page.

Questions about Sprague’s history

What year was Sprague founded?

The Sprague post office opened in 1880, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

What is on the National Register in Sprague?

One place: the Mary Queen of Heaven Roman Catholic Church (listed 1990).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (18), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.