Like many others who came to the west, pioneers of this area had capital which often did not consist of money - they came with empty pockets - but had a good supply of something more useful, namely, intelligence and determination. Some were determined to get out of the ordinary rut of their lives and make a new way for themselves. Others came west to leave the scars of the Civil War behind. They came for free land and a fresh start. They came to this new country, leaving behind the old rules and the old restrictions of ancestral lands. They Came for Opportunity tells the stories of these pioneers of the Cheney, Washington area. There are common themes in these 63 stories about men and women working hard to make a better life for themselves and their families. Yet each one offers a unique peek back into our history and into their lives. These are the stories of people whose capital investment paid off. They made a success of their business ventures, contributed to the development and prosperity of our region, and enriched our community through their activities and friendship.

Railroad town, Spokane County seat, factory town, shopping and supply center, and education town; Cheney has been all of these things. Even before it was incorporated as a city in 1883, Cheney was the Spokane County seat, had a bustling business and financial district, and had established the Benjamin P. Cheney Academy, financed by our city's namesake. From Daniel Percival leading the way to establish the school and our municipal infrastructure, to Tom Trulove leading a mature university town through a disaster, these twenty-five biographical sketches tell us about the men and their times which shaped the first one hundred years of Cheney, Washington.