History of Moab
About the Moab Area
The Moab area was originally settled by Martin O'Brien who came to Spokane County in 1880. After he and Bridget McAuliff were married in 1897, they leased the former William Newman property and moved to the former Newman property. The Newman's original homestead property was 160 acres covering the West 1/4th of Section 13, Township 26. The land was bordered on the west by Starr Road, on the South by Moffat Road and on the east by McCoy Road. In 1900 Martin purchased property on both sides of Starr Road, just north of the intersection with Trent Road. In 1903, he opened his general store where the gas station is now. His son Johnny, opened his gas station and garage on the west side of Starr in 1922 in the present location of the Newman Lake Scope office.