A new book produced by the Tri-City Herald documents how Tri-Citians -- friends, neighbors, parents and grandparents, and perhaps even you -- lived, worked and changed the world during three dynamic decades in American history.
The second volume in the photographic historical series of the Tri-Cities is available for purchase -- just in time for holiday gift-giving to that history buff or longtime Tri-City resident on your shopping list.
Tri-Cities Memories: The 1940s, '50s and '60s is a 144-page hardbound volume that offers the stories in pictures of the people who built Hanford, the farmers who fed a nation, and the visionaries who laid the groundwork for what the Tri-Cities is today.
Turn the pages and step back into the war effort of the 1940s, when a generation of Americans came together and sacrificed to combat fascism, and see local women building airplanes and Hanford workers giving a day's pay to build the famous bomber of the same name.
Re-live the Mid-Columbia's boom during the '50s and '60s, and see the faces of famous former denizens such as Oscar winning cinematographer James Wong Howe and the late actress Sharon Tate; visiting luminaries such as President John F. Kennedy; and the everyday citizens who lived, worked and played in the communities that grew together to become the Tri-Cities.
Hundreds of photos were compiled by volunteers from the East Benton County Historical Society and Museum, Franklin County Historical Museum, Benton County Historical Museum, Washington State Railroads Historical Society and the Department of Energy. Many custodians of individual families' photo archives also generously contributed.
Former Herald Executive Editor Ken Robertson crafted introductions to each chapter that chronicle the history, growth and change that each decade brought to the region.
The books are offered through Pediment Publishing, a company that works with newspapers, historical societies and museums to create photographic histories of cities, towns and counties around the country.
Books are available for $39.95 plus tax at the Herald or online at tricities.pictorialbook.com. Shipping costs also will be charged for books that are mailed.
To purchase a copy in-person, visit the Herald's office at 333 W. Canal Drive, Kennewick, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, or 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Fridays.
Orders also will be accepted by mail to Tri-City Herald, Attn: Tri-Cities Memories Book, 333 W. Canal Drive, Kennewick, 99336.
The first volume in the series, Tri-Cities Memories, The Early Years: 1890s-1939, was published last year and featured Tri-City photos spanning 60 years. It also is available for mail order for $39.95 plus tax and shipping through tricities.pictorialbook.com. Fewer than 50 copies remain.
