History


Ghosts of Our Past – Ratcliffe Ford and Implement Company

View west on 2nd Street 1918
Miles of barb wire, old farm equipment rusting in the boneyards on farms, and acres of tilled soil are evidence of the ghost of the C.A. Ratcliffe Company in our community. The 117-year story of the Ratcliffe Ford Dealership and Ratcliffe Implement Company, involves three locations on a single block of Second Street between College and F.

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A Tale of Two Steals; When Cheney Was the County Seat

Newspaper men argue the county seat vote
In the 1880 election to set the site of the Spokane County seat, little Cheney won the vote - much to the chagrin of the city of Spokane Falls. This is the story of that election from Cheney's perspective of how Spokane Falls attempted to steal the election and Cheney had to "steal" the county books which voters had given to them. https://youtu.be/YYRGzo4-a_E

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County Jail in Cheney

This jail structure was built when Cheney became the Spokane County seat in 1880. The jail, at 4th and E [College Ave], was located on the opposite corner from the courthouse.      Even after the county seat was moved to Spokane, the jail stayed in use until the City of Cheney built a new city hall and jail in 1890. The structure was purchased by William Sutton who moved it to his farm and used it as a chicken coop. Even after the old building was demolished the old jailhouse door could be found inside the Sutton barn for many years.

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Cheney’s County Courthouse

Named for a Native American word, Spokane, which means “Child of the Sun," the original Spokane County was merged into Stevens County in 1864. Cheney’s Daniel Percival and Spokan Falls’ John Glover didn’t realize the drama they were setting in motion when they championed a bill in the territorial legislature that recreated Spokane County in October of 1879. Spokan Falls was designated the temporary county seat until there could be a vote of the people in November 1880. A committee of men representing the precincts of the new county met to discuss options. Cheney ...

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The USS Leviathan

USS Leviathan returned to civilian duty after serving the US Navy during WWI

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