Greenacres, Washington, began with an ambitious plan to turn dry land east of Spokane into productive farmland. In 1901, the Spokane Valley Land and Water Company announced a settlement built around roughly 1,000 acres divided into 10- and 20-acre tracts. The project depended on irrigation, with water carried through a system of canals that became known locally as the Corbin Ditch. John Hatch moved onto the first irrigated tract in 1902, and the Spokane and Inland Empire electric railway reached the area soon afterward. By 1904, the Greenacres town plat had been filed, helping establish a permanent community around the farms and orchards taking shape in the valley.

Irrigation changed both the value and use of the land. Property that had once been difficult to farm became suitable for orchards, and apples became an important crop throughout the Spokane Valley. The Greenacres Irrigation District was formally organized in 1922 to help manage the system of canals and laterals serving local properties. The community eventually shifted away from its agricultural beginnings as housing and commercial development spread east from Spokane. Greenacres is no longer counted as a separate census-designated place and has an estimated population of 21,615.

Greenacres Park keeps some of that agricultural history visible. Spokane Valley purchased the property in 2007, and the first phase of the park was completed in 2012. Its farm-themed playground includes an oversized apple and a cow sculpture, both tied to the area’s farming past. It was also the first new park developed by Spokane Valley after the city was incorporated in 2003. The park has expanded considerably since then. A major project completed in 2025 added six pickleball courts, a tennis court, two basketball courts, a community garden, an expanded playground, and a paved perimeter trail. The park also includes a splash pad, open fields, and picnic areas.

Another piece of local history has been reused rather than removed. The Appleway Trail follows the former Milwaukee Railroad right-of-way through Spokane Valley. The paved trail stretches 5.8 miles from Farr Road east to Tschirley Road, where another paved route continues toward Liberty Lake. What once served rail traffic now provides a route for walking and bicycling through residential and commercial areas. The trail also reflects how transportation in this part of the valley has changed, from rail lines that supported early settlement and agriculture to a corridor now used for recreation and neighborhood connections.

Dodo’s at the High Spot opened in late 2025 inside a building constructed in 1927. Chef Joe Absolor and longtime friend Todd Zyph bought the property and preserved much of the original structure during renovation. While working on the building, they uncovered an old metal sign reading “The High Spot,” which became part of the restaurant’s name. The menu is modern American rather than tied to one type of cuisine, with dishes that have included clam chowder pot pie, scallops in Thai red curry, and chicken-fried pork chop.

River City Pizza is another local business with ties to the eastern Spokane Valley. Phillip and Jacqueline Barnard purchased the original Otis Orchards location in 2016 and later expanded the business. The Greenacres-area restaurant serves specialty pizzas along with stromboli, calzones, wings, and loaded tater tots. Pizza choices include the Cowboy with pepperoni, salami, and sausage, the Greek with spinach, feta, and kalamata olives, and the Spicy Thai Chicken with pineapple, shredded carrot, and teriyaki sauce. The company makes its dough fresh daily and grates its mozzarella from the block.

The Boneyard on Appleway offers something different. Founder Dillon Hueser came from the craft brewing and distilling industry and developed the business around cocktails and house-made syrups. The adults-only lounge serves cocktails, local beer, and wine, along with a small food menu. It also hosts events such as trivia nights and has a private party room. Its location along Appleway puts it in an area that looks very different from the orchards and irrigated farm tracts that once defined Greenacres.

As homes, restaurants, and businesses have replaced much of the old farmland, pests have found plenty of new places to settle in as well. Spokane Pest Pro handles ants, spiders, mice, wasps, and other common pest problems throughout Greenacres, with treatment based on the pest and what is happening at the property. If you’re finding pests around your home or business, contact us today for more information.