People's Park and Latah Creek bound the Peaceful Valley neighborhood to the west. In many ways, Peaceful Valley began in People's Park. Many houses used to occupy this parkland before the railroads came in and built a 100'+ bridge right through the center of the neighborhood-sounds a little like the Maple Street Bridge fiasco doesn't it? When the railroad bridge was established all the original houses were moved to the current Peaceful Valley neighborhood or destroyed all together. However before all that People's Park was the site of native fishing villages. An Eastern Washington University Archaeological dig in 2005 uncovered numerous relics that were used for fishing and meal preparation by the various Indian tribes that used the Latah Creek and Spokane River confluence for temporary fishing villages.

During the 1970's many "nomads" resided in People's Park where they worked on Expo '74. During this time many colorful characters claimed People's Park as their home. People would come to share stories, bathe nude in the creek and the river, share meals, and squat on property that they technically didn't own.

Today People's Park is a central piece in the city park's plan to connect recreational trails such as The Centennial Trail, Fish Lake Trail, and the Great Gorge Trail system. In the meantime this park continues to be a place of the occasional nude bather and nomadic free spirit.