Dick Lee takes ownership of Bill's Tavern from his father, Fran Lee, the 3rd generation to operate the tavern at 405 1st St. since grandfather, Bill, bought the tavern from Dallas Lyons in 1940.

With the introduction of noise-free compact discs, the vinyl record begins a steep decline.

April 28th:  the Eastern Washington University Spokane Center officially opens. The four-story structure contained 33 classrooms and space for 800 students.

May 7th:  the City of Cheney holds Centennial Celebration, 100 years since incorporation.

25 Years Ago – 1983

Daniel F. Percival,

Cheney’s first mayor.

Unknown man. Photo by A.A. Ames, Cheney.

Catholic Church  at 5th & C St.

2-story Griswold bldg at 416 1st St.

Training school at Normal School. Student teachers were able to put their lessons to actual practice.

Ladies of the Lakeview Sewing Club.

School bell used by Miss Mary Cook in 1878.

Bill’s Tavern 1983.

Cheney Historical Museum

Be a Part of History

Local History’s Anniversaries – 2008

January 29th:  Washington Territorial Legislature creates Stevens County encompassing the current Stevens, Spokane & Whitman Counties.

May 18th:  A coalition of Yakama, Palouse, Spokane, and Coeur d'Alene fighters rout U.S. Army troops under Lieutenant Colonel Edward Steptoe just outside present day Rosalia.

September 1st:  Colonel George Wright decisively defeats a confederation of Native Americans from the Spokane, Palouse and Coeur d'Alene tribes below the butte north of Willow Lake in the Four Lakes district.

As late as 1910 some folks still demand payment in gold coin for debts or goods.

General Electric Co. patents the electric toaster

May 8th:  Lloyd Holladay is born. He serves as Cheney's 26th Mayor. Owner of the Cheney Motor Company at 1st & G St. Mr. Holladay dies 1997/01/17.

September: the  brick Training School building opens, just west of State Normal School. It operates until 1937, when classes move into Martin Hall. The building is demolished in the winter of 1940.

January 10th:  the first permanent location of the Cheney Historical Museum opens in the basement of the 1913 high School building on the south side of 4th between C & D streets in Cheney. Cheney School District Superintendent Charles Salt granted the space.

January 31st:  Explorer I, the first American satellite launched into space.

June 23rd:  the Marshall School District #343 merges with Cheney School District.

August 1st:  the cost of 1st class postage stamp increases to 4¢.

FM radio broadcasts introduced allowing static free listening.

Governor Clarence D. Martin, Cheney native, is instrumental in getting state commitment to Grand Coulee Dam project.

The Four Lakes Grange Hall opens.

March 9th through June 16th:  President Roosevelt begins the "New Deal".

October 15th to August 12th 1970:  the Lakeview Sewing Club meets in members homes in the district.

Through 1936: The Tilicum Club sponsor baby clinics for 3 years. More than 80 children from 9 towns are examined in the clinic each year.

February:  Governor Clarence D. Martin signs legislation giving Normal Schools the right to offer a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education

December 5th:  Prohibition ends nationally, and in Washington State.

Incorporation of City of Cheney. Daniel F. Percival, Mayor; T.M. Calloway, Louis Walter, J.S. Mount, W.W. Griswold, J.H. Hughes, councilmen; A.H. Callow, Marshall; J.W. Still, Collector; T.T. Clark, Assessor.

Women win, lose, regain, and again lose right to vote in Washington Territorial elections between 1883 and 1888.

The Catholic Church completes their wooden church with Gothic lines at 5th & C in Cheney, overseen by Fr. Aloysius Jacquet.

People arrested and unable to pay fines in Cheney are put to work on city property and streets.

A city health officer is appointed to make sure sanitary conditions are maintained within the city.

A "Pest House" is designated as a quarantine facility for people with communicable diseases.

The Green Mound Cemetery, north of Cheney, is established by International Order Of Odd Fellows Lodge #21.

The Cheney String Band organizes.

To 1887: the Cheney Academy and Cheney School District merge.

January:  Murder of a Chinese woman in Cheney by Lee Goy. He is lynched shortly after his arrest.  Suspicion is that lynching was done by Chinese community.

February:  Fire destroys most of business district in Cheney, including Frank Cramer's saloon, Mr. Straub's bakery, Adolphe Johnson's bank, city hall, and a doctor's office. The Post Office, Switzer's Drug store, Walter's Harness Shop, James White's hardware store hauled stock out in front of the fire - some were damaged but not destroyed.  Fire started in rear of Mr. Straub's bakery, ruled accidental.

The Griswold building is the first brick commercial building in Cheney, a 2-story at 416 1st.

February: the Cheney City Hall moves to the 2nd floor of the Griswold brick building at 416 First St. after fire damages downtown and destroys the City Hall office.

February 16th: "Ladies Home Journal" magazine begins publication.

July 4th: Buffalo Bill's 1st Wild West Show (North Platte, NB).

August 26th & 27th: The Krakatau volcanoes in Indonesia explode killing 10s of thousands in the ensuing tsunamis.  San Francisco and even London England see measurable sea  rise weeks later.

September 18th:  Benjamin P. Cheney and his wife, Elizabeth Clapp Cheney stop to visit the Academy here on their way home from the "last spike" ceremony in Portland. This is his only visit to the town that bears his name.

November 3rd:  US Supreme Court rules that "Indians" cannot be US citizens.

150 Years Ago – 1858

75 Years Ago – 1933

50 Years Ago – 1958

100 Years Ago – 1908

125 Years Ago – 1883