Cheney Hotel

1891-02-06 - We understand that plans are being perfected for the construction of another hotel on E [College] street near the depot. Work on the new building will be commenced in a few days.

1891-02-13 - The plans for the new hotel near the depot, have been perfected, and work will begin as soon as the specifications are complete. It will be on the site of the old Oak House. When the plans are received by the company, we will give a full and detailed description of the proposed edifice.

1892-08-19        The Hotel Cheney, which has been in the course of construction for a few years, will be finally and formally opened with a ball. [NWTribune] Built by Charles Bloomer.

1893-04-28 - the best 25₵ lunch at the Cheney Hotel

1894: The hotel at Cheney [Cheney Hotel] would be an ornament to a town of much larger population.

[Undated, but before 1900], Gunnar and Eveline Everson, proprietors of the Cheney Hotel. Both he and his wife had extensive previous experience as hotel managers, and both had learned the art of making friends of their guests.

1903- Ruby Kelly becomes proprietor of the Hotel Cheney

1904-09-09 - F.E. Owen of Spokane, formerly the proprietor of Hotel Cheney, has traded the hotel for a section of fine land 14 miles south of Prosser, Washington to Mrs. Bessie U. Bartlett of Spokane. The hotel is valued at $7,000 and it is the intention of Mrs. Bartlett to conduct the hotel herself.

1904-11-11: Miss Helen Meagher has been employed as a waiter for the past two years prior to her marriage. Her husband, Clyde Miller is currently employed as cook at the hotel.

1904-12-16: Mrs. Winnie Whalen has purchased the Cheney Hotel from Mrs. Bessie Bartlett and took possession last week. Mrs. Whalen was formerly engaged in the hotel business in this city and later ran hotels in Sprague and Spokane, and has had wide experience in that kind of business. We predict, therefore, that her success with Hotel Cheney will be marked.

1905: Hugh J. Tormey, proprieter. (from an article in 1910 which stated that Mr. Tormey had been proprietor about 5 years ago.)

1908-04-10 - All white help at Hotel Cheney.

1909-04-16 Hotel Cheney has been the temporary home of four families seeking residence in this city.

1909-10-22: J.M. West, proprietor of Hotel Cheney, has opened up the dining room. Rates are as follows: Rooms 50 cents, 75 cents, and $1.00; room and board per week $7.00; meals 35 cents and 50 cents.

1910-05-20: Hotel Cheney is now open for business and the people of Cheney and vicinity are invited to call and become acquainted with the accommodations that the new management has to offer. The hotel has been renovated and fitted up in a manner which will insure the best of service for its guests.

1 July 1910: J.B. Schrock has traded ownership of the Hotel Cheney to Otto Bettrick for a value of $25,000. Mr. Bettrick will go ahead with extensive improvements in progress at the hotel. C.A. Merrill will continue to be the landlord.

1911: W.R. Stone [and his unnamed wife] proprietor of Hotel Cheney. Mr. Stone’s poor health meant the work and success of the operation was under his wife’s responsibility[CFP 17 Dec 1915].

17 June 1910: The proprietor of the Hotel Cheney has caused the old board walk in front of the property to be torn up and a cement sidewalk will immediately be built. Concrete steps leading up to the hotel will also replace the board steps. The work will be done by Page & Erickson, who are also constructing the walk for the Security National Bank.

25 May 1912: A.E. and Rose Clawson were honored at the Junior and Senior class formal reception at the Cheney Hotel. Mr. Clawson served as the Superintendent of Cheney Public Schools in 1913.

April 1913: Hotel Cheney is undergoing renovation and general cleaning up. Seven or eight rooms are being fitted up in the basement.

May 1913: Some person wanting setting hens very badly, raided the chicken quarters of Hotel Cheney and carried away four motherly hens.

September 1913: Hotel Cheney is installing an up-to-date steam heating system.

December 1914: F.E. Payne, chief engineer at the Cheney Hotel, whose main task is to keep the guests at this popular hosterly warmed up to the god humor point, spent Saturday in Spokane, taking a post graduate course in steam heating, in the hope he would be better able to provoke smiles on the facial areas of some of the hotel boarders.

During his absence, Hostess Stone did the coal heaving stunt and at the close of her special work was voted a medal by the hotel occupants.

17 December 1915 Cheney Free Press: Cheney Hotel - W.R. Stone, Proprietor

The Cheney Hotel is one of the landmarks of the city. It was erected a number of years ago and early became a noted resort for those whose business brought them to the city. Five years ago, it passed under the control of W.R. Stone, the present proprietor, who with Mr. Stone, have been in charge since.

The house has 30 rooms for the accommodation of the traveling public. There is also a commodious lobby, a large, well-lighted and cheerful dining room, also a sample room for the accommodation of commercial salesmen doing business with local merchants.

During the incumbency of Mr. and Mrs. Stone, the house has been subjected to a number of striking improvements, among which may be mentioned the installation of a modern heating plant, a large amount of painting and decorating has been done, and a considerable amount of new furnishings installed. It is located convenient to the chief depots through which travel comes and goes and to the business section as well.

Owing to the poor state of health in which Mr. Stone has been during a large portion of the time he has been connected with the hotel, much of the responsibility for the success of the business has, and continues to rest upon Mrs. Stone, and she has come to be quite well known to the custom that comes to the house. The fact that she succeeds so well in maintaining a cheerful, pleasant and inviting refuge for the traveler accounts largely for the flourishing business the house enjoys.

Cheney Free Press November 18, 1920: Cheney Hotel is Reopened

Local Hostelry, After Alteration and Renovation is Reopened - Now the Gilkey Hotel

The Cheney hotel, following a period of several months during which time it was closed and in the process of alteration and renovation, reopened on Tuesday, November 15, as the Gilkey hotel. Mr. and Mrs. C.A. Gilkey, formerly of Medical Lake, are in charge of the place.

The hotel upon its reopening presents a decided improvement, and Mr. Gilkey is very much encouraged with the patronage he is receiving. Practically all of the rooms reserved for permanent guests have been taken, and the transient trade is also large, he said.

"Cheney has been so long without a good hotel," Mr. Gilkey said, "that it has come to be regarded as an objectionable town by commercial men and travelers, but when enough time elapses that word of the Cheney's first class hotel can be distributed, I will expect a large and profitable patronage."

1933-02-20: Mrs. Holladay of the Cheney Hotel suffered a severe injury last Thursday when she spilled some boiling water and scalded her leg.

1945-01: With the opening Tuesday of the former Cheney Hotel as a government leased apartment house, Cheney has 10 such dwelling units open for renters. Mr. and Mrs. J.S. Caddy are caretakers of the newest apartment house and eight of the 22 apartments were rented early this week.

1956-08-11 - Fire broke out in the upper story of the building at 7:45pm. and was finally extinguished at midnight.

The foundation was paved over in 1973 by the Chamber of Commerce.

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