Byron Riblet: Forgotten Engineering Genius with Ty Brown

How could one of the twentieth century’s most prolific engineers rise to greatness only to become lost to time? Hear the tale of a man who went from riches to rags, accomplished impressive engineering feats in North and South America during the early 1900s, but who has since been nearly forgotten. Ty Brown shares his nonfiction book Byron Riblet: Forgotten Engineering Genius as well as Riblet’s contributions to the Spokane area. The Riblet Tramway Company became the world’s leading producer of aerial tramways and ski chairlifts; however, Byron’s achievements in mining and ski transportation have been incorrectly attributed to his younger brother, Royal. Byron Riblet’s contributions to the development of early Spokane have also gone mostly unrecognized. He designed large railway projects, platted new additions, laid courses for the city’s first steam-driven and electric railways, and designed the waterworks that provide clean drinking water for the city to this day. After Riblet died in 1952, his cremated remains went unclaimed and lay in storage for nearly 70 years. Come hear the tale of this prolific engineer.

Presented by Ty Brown, local author

An America’s 250th program

Sponsored by the Friends of the Argonne Library