Cheney's Historic Ford Dealership Leaves Lasting Legacy

CHENEY – The Southwest Spokane County Historical Society released a visual featurette on one of Cheney’s most historical landmarks, the Ratcliffe Dealership which originally opened in 1884. Charles Albert Ratcliffe traveled to Cheney in 1884 and opened up the first ever agricultural implement company in the city. This establishment would continue to grow over the years until it became Cheney’s first official Ford dealership as well. Ratcliffe’s dealership and implement business evolved over the years into three locations on a single block of Second Street between College and F Street.

Ratcliffe’s agricultural implementation business was booming and after his sons got into the family business, they saw writing on the wall when motorization started becoming the next stage of the technological revolution. The younger Ratcliffe’s brought on new business ideas and wanted to expand the Ratcliffe name into the automobile business. C.A Ratcliffe and Son officially became the second Ford dealer in the entire state after the first one opened up on the west side of the state in Bellingham.

The business would continue to grow despite the elder Ratcliffe’s misgivings about the new automobile industry. However, the company sold 11 Fords the first year which solidified the Ratcliffe’s as Cheney’s first automobile dealer in its history. When the Ratcliffe’s sold their first Model T, Lynn went to the family’s house to stay with them and teach them how to drive the contraption.

In the 1940s the Ratcliffe’s saw their biggest period of growth because they officially separated the Ford dealership from the agriculture implementation business into two separate entities. In 1964 the Ratcliffe family sold the business to Don Helm and Ron Rehn and has continued to switch hands as the years went on. While the original buildings have been torn down and replaced with Brewster Hall, the spirit of the Ratcliffe’s legacy is carried on through Bonanza Ford off of I-90 East by the Four Lakes/Cheney interchange.