The Cold Millions: Historical Fact and Fiction and the Spokane Free Speech Fight
Faculty Mentor
Larry Cebula
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
4-14-2026 2:00 PM
End Date
4-14-2026 4:00 PM
Location
PUB NCR
Primary Discipline of Presentation
History
Abstract
The Cold Millions is a historical novel set against the background of Spokane's free speech fight of 1909. Author Jess Walter paints vivid portraits of laborers and capitalists, saloons and brothels. The characters in the Cold Millions are a mix of historical figures such as Chief of Police John Sullivan and labor activist Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, and fictional characters including laborers Gig and Rye Dolan. Walters' deeply researched portrayal of Spokane is a character in itself. This exhibit created by Eastern Washington Students explores the local history tied to this book, with a focus on the Free Speech Fight of 1909. It dives into the city of Spokane in this time frame and all the different groups of people (police, capitalists, the labor class, and more) who lived here.
Recommended Citation
Claypool, Holly; Ives-Crow, Jaeden; and Gallon, Benjamin, "The Cold Millions: Historical Fact and Fiction and the Spokane Free Speech Fight" (2026). 2026 Symposium. 31.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2026/ps_2026/p3_2026/31
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
The Cold Millions: Historical Fact and Fiction and the Spokane Free Speech Fight
PUB NCR
The Cold Millions is a historical novel set against the background of Spokane's free speech fight of 1909. Author Jess Walter paints vivid portraits of laborers and capitalists, saloons and brothels. The characters in the Cold Millions are a mix of historical figures such as Chief of Police John Sullivan and labor activist Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, and fictional characters including laborers Gig and Rye Dolan. Walters' deeply researched portrayal of Spokane is a character in itself. This exhibit created by Eastern Washington Students explores the local history tied to this book, with a focus on the Free Speech Fight of 1909. It dives into the city of Spokane in this time frame and all the different groups of people (police, capitalists, the labor class, and more) who lived here.
