Winter Camp of Spokane Indians

In 1959, Sam Webb recalled that back in the 1880s a family of Spokane Indians camped on the site of the new Gibson's Grocery (1011 1st Street) every winter. He said the camp was made up of about 10 to 15 teepees. This site is on high ground near the spring of water that gave Cheney its original name of Willow Springs.  Sam came to Cheney as a boy with his family on the first passenger train on the Northern Pacific Railroad line. The Cheney area is part of the Spokane Tribe of Indians territory.