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. 
Dave Pierce
24 September 2019 (10:39 am)
Wow, that’s amazing history, to know that I lived next door this encampment. Our home was just a block from there up on 2nd street in the 1950’s and 60’s. I knew Mr. Gibson quite well and I recall one of his cashiers. I remember her first name was Mary and it seemed like she was always there. A very nice woman.
Bill Reuter
20 August 2019 (7:33 pm)
It was very interesting to hear my great uncle Sam’s voice after all these years Sam was a brother to my grandmother Nellie Webb Reuter. They were next door neighbors on F Street for over 40 years. As a kid I would ride the Auto Inter Urban bus from Spokane and visit my grandparents and Sam was at their house many times.
Sam had a great sense of humor, as an example he would introduce my grandfather to strangers as the guy who has been sleeping with my sister for x number of years. Everyone got a kick out of that.
Joan
21 August 2019 (8:39 am)
Thanks for sharing that story about Sam, I had a good chuckle.
Jim George
01 April 2021 (3:29 am)
That’s a fun story. Amazing to think of the stories our ancestors have