Built by William H. Cowles, the publishing business eventually constructed striking buildings in downtown Spokane for both papers.

William H. Cowles came to Spokane at age 24 to be the business manager of the Spokesman, which was founded less than two years before, and excelled at local news coverage.

Time magazine related the paper's success gaining lowered rates for freight carried to the Northwest United States and an improved park system and that helped the region.

Increasing its reputation for comprehensive local news and by opposing "gambling, liquor and prostitution", The Spokesman-Review gained popularity.

When William H. Cowles Jr. succeeded his father as publisher, James Bracken received much more news and editorial control as managing editor.

[4] The original Review Building, designed by Seaton & Ferris in 1891 in a style closest to Richardson Romanesque, is ten stories with a tower that reaches 146 feet (45 m).

Cowles would also have a management agreement with KCBA, the Fox affiliate serving Salinas, Monterey and Santa Cruz, California, and would acquire two low power stations, KKFX-CA, also Fox in San Luis Obispo, California and the Telemundo affiliate KMUV-LP in Monterey.

[8] The existing LMA for KCBA was terminated on December 1, 2013, as that station's operations were assumed by Entravision Communications through a joint sales agreement (the license was retained by Seal Rock Broadcasters).

On September 30, 2013, Cowles announced that it would acquire Max Media's Montana television station cluster for $18 million.

Edwin's sons Alfred and Eugene were chemists and metallurgists who invented and operated electric arc smelters to extract aluminum.