Then and Now: Appleway Motors

Nov. 27—A small rural Chevrolet dealer, named for the apple orchards that once lined Sprague Avenue through the valley, grew to be one of the region's biggest automotive enterprises.

John A. Pring, born in Lewiston in 1906, grew up doing farm work and, at age 12, drove horses to the Walla Walla area to harvest crops. He left high school in 10th grade to try prospecting in California. He competed on the rodeo circuit. He started working for Piggly Wiggly markets and became a manager at age 21. But his life changed course when he was hired at Appleway Motors in Dishman in 1928. He would become a partner with owner Charles H. Stevens, then buy Stevens out in the 1930s to become sole owner.

During the difficult years of the Great Depression, Pring added Dodge automobiles and other car lines and branched out into land development and construction. He married Pauline Weitz in 1929, and they welcomed their first child, John "Jack" Pring Jr., in 1931.

In the 1940s, Pring started Dishman Bank. Seattle First National Bank bought him out in 1955, the year Jack Pring took over the dealership. John Pring also owned Western Major Supply Co, a manufacturer of mining, logging and construction, which he sold in 1966.

John Pring enjoyed aviation and survived six small plane crashes through his life. He died at home at 85 in 1992. He is credited with developing the Dishman area and the extended Spokane Valley region before it was incorporated as a city.

Jack Pring continued building the Appleway Automotive Group, adding a Toyota dealership in 1982, a Subaru dealership in 1984 and adding Volkswagen, Audi, Mitsubishi and Lexus later on. Jack bought the Playfair race track in 1981 and owned it through the 1980s. The track closed in 2000.

Jack Pring brought his children, including sons Tim and Brad and daughter Susan, into the business. Tim was leading the business when he died of cancer in 2001.

Jack Pring died earlier this year. The Pring family patriarchs are remembered for their large automotive business, their influence on land development in Spokane Valley and generous philanthropy in several fields of interest.

After the senior Pring died in 1992, Spokane Valley accountant Lawrence Peretti said, "He was one of the pioneers who helped develop this Valley over the years. He left a great legacy for a lot of us to follow through with."

An earlier version of this story misspelled Lawrence Peretti's name.