Brief history of Kennewick up to 1909

This is a story that will have to appear in sections. The complete story is 3,886 words long. Even with some years missing, this is an interesting look at the history of Kennewick.

Growth of Kennewick since origin has been astounding

Contributed by Mrs. R. E. Reed

Published on Feb. 19, 1950

Editors note: The following chronological history of Kennewick is the only known record of its kind in existence today. It was complied by Mrs. R. E. Reed, wife of the pioneer publisher Ralph E. Reed, and daughter of ...Sercombe, who erected the first house in Beach's addition to Kennewick in 1902. With painstaking care through the years, Mrs. Reed, a member of the second class to graduate from Washington Street school in 1908, has set down this record. The Tri-City Herald is indebted to Mrs. Reed for permission to reproduce here what some day must be the source of any history writers of Kennewick.

While the origin of the name of Kennewick is clouded with surmises it generally is believed to be from the Indian and mean "winter paradise" or "a grassy place." However, several stories have come down through the past half century, any one of which might be true. Among these is one credited to C. A. Lum, early resident of the city, published in the April 24, 1902, edition of the Columbia Courier.

"In early days," according to Mr. Lum, "the river bottoms here yielded large quantities of wild hay which was cut by employees of the Hudson's Bay company and boated down the river to company posts.

:Passing explorers would ask the Indians the name of the place. The reply would be 'Kennewick,' which was as near as the Siwash could come to 'Chenoythe,' the name of a prominent member of Hudson's Bay company.

"And this is the origin of the name of this prospective city."

Another story is that in 1883, H. S. Hudson, a civil engineer for the Northern Pacific Railroad company, named the place "Kennewack," which through carelessness in spelling became Kennewick.

Still another story handed down to us by early settlers was that the town once was called "Tehe." There must be come truth in this as we have records of letters sent to Tehe, Wash.

According to government records this country was first surveyed in 1964 but it was not until 1883 that anything was done to mark a place for Kennewick.

The first townsite was laid out on the land now owned by Mr. Duffy. This was a real railroad town with all necessary buildings including a six-stall roundhouse. The town was built during the construction of the bridge across the Columbia River and the extension of the railroad through to the coast.

Before the bridge was completed all trains were transferred across the river by ferryboats. The old piers are still in evidence just this side of the railroad bridge.

The railroad passed through where the Standard Lumber Co. now stands and one mile west of there is joined the present line.

Kennewick seems to have had three beginnings. First when it was a railroad town. At that time a hotel was built and operated by C. A. Lum, father of Charlie Lum who lives south of town. The lumber for the hotel was shipped by boat from Portland. Mr. Conway was port master and the office was located in his home where M. E. Kershaw lives today.

A small schoolhouse was built by donation but it was destroyed by fire the same year. When the work on the railroad was finished, most of the people moved away leaving only a few who had faith in the future of Kennewick. The town was moved south across the tracks and the new place was called "Dell Haven." This addition extended from the railroad tracks to Third Avenue, East. The west boundary was Washington Street and the east Date Street.

The second stage of comeback for Kennewick began in 1892. The townsite was again moved to the north side and the town was laid out by the Yakima Irrigation and Improvement Company. A fine $30,000, three-story hotel was erected on the ground where the Garber Apartments now stand. It was called "The White Elephant."

A new two-story schoolhouse was built in the square in front of the Barnes home on Fruitland. A ditch was started, land sold, people came fast and soon the population was about 400.

After the Yakima I. & I. Co. started to dig a ditch another company, called the Ledbetter Co., became interested. Each company claimed the canal. One would build a mile or so and then the other would do the same. This was called the Stove Pipe Canal. After a while the two companies became tired of quarreling and both gave up the struggle. The Ledbetter Co. Planted the trees by the river where we now have our Port District.

In 1894-95 Kennewick died another natural death. Only a few remained this time. One of the pioneer women described the town in this manner:

"The town proper consisted of a railroad depot, a section house (full of Chinamen), a general store and post office in one building located where the Pollyanna Cafe now stands, a $30,000 hotel (vacant), another hotel called the Columbian, located where the O. W. depot now stands, occupied by a blacksmith shop.

"The north side school answered for a church and town hall. We had one saloon but as most of the people left were church people the saloonkeeper soon closed his doors. We had an excellent Sunday school and Christian Endeavor and at Easter time everybody went wild flower hunting and on Sunday the church was a bower of beautify as the prairie was a garden of wild flowers.

"Land could be purchased for $50 to $60 an acre anywhere. Before irrigation the people raised livestock. Hundreds of horses might be seen at one time galloping down from the Horse Heaven hills to the Columbia River for water. Horse heaven was named because of the tall bunchgrass that grew so abundantly there."

The year 1894 saw the great flood during which water came up as far as the railroad tracks.

Kennewick's third attempt as a town began in 1902 when the Northern Pacific Irrigation Co. was formed. The company started anew canal and as it had sufficient backing was able to complete the project. The country was advertised and people began to buy land and get it ready for water.

School district No. 17 did not include the land on the south side of the railroad tracks so another school district was formed. This district built a small house on the land now owned by Mr. Bruce on Washington Street, between Fifth and Sixth. School was only held there one year when the two districts were consolidated.

In 1903, Johnson & Fullerton opened a general merchandise store on the site now occupied by the Roxy Theatre. E. P. Greene started a newspaper called the Columbia Courier. On March 13, the Exchange Bank of Kennewick opened its doors in the same location where our present bank operates. S. H. Amon, uncle of Alfred Amon and Mrs. Mueller, was the first president.

On April 7, 1903, water came through the ditch for the first time and it was an occasion for much rejoicing. By this time we had quite a number of business houses and Kennewick began to take on the appearance of a town.

Two land companies were formed and both put on an extensive advertising campaign. The Columbia Courier changed hands and C. O. Anderson edited the paper until 1904 when William Shaughnessy bought it. On Aug. 29, Shaughnessy started a miniature daily newspaper publication of which continued until late in 1906,

Mr. McKain and Mr. Hawkins, saloonmen from Paha, erected an ice house.

One thousand acres of land changed hands, bringing from $65 to $110 an acre.

The business houses in Kennewick in 1903 were: Four general stores, one furniture and hardware, one hardware, two lumber yards, three hotels, two lodging houses, blacksmith shop, newspaper, wallpaper and paint shop, bakery and restaurant, harness shop, clothing store, salon, drugstore, meat market, two jewelry stores, livery barn, two barber shops, three warehouses, three real estate companies, two doctors, three attorneys and a population of 350. Northern Pacific freight and passenger business receipts were $114 in 1902. In 1903 they were $5,000.

Mrs. Caroline Klitten bought the $30,000 Columbia Hotel from the Northern Pacific in August, 1903, and established the Academy Emanuel. School was held there for only one year.

1904

Alex Bier brought the first automobile to town, Dr. Crosley the second and H. A. Howe the first Ford.

The first strawberries were shipped and brought as high as $12 to $15 a crate.

Kennewick was incorporated as a city Feb. 5. The first mayor was O. L. Hanson. Edward Sheppard was the second mayor and S. E. Johnson the third. One of the first things done by the city council was to make plans to get water piped so trees could be planted along the streets, and to have the streets themselves improved.

Up to this time we had been in Yakima County. It was decided that the county was too large so it was divided and the southern part called Benton.

1905

The S. P. &S. began to build the railroad east of town. The depot was erected and a large crew of men put to work on the road bed.

The first Fruit Growers association was formed with Charlie Collins as manager.

A number of men interested in music organized a band and hired Prof. Joslin as director. Both the Masonic and Odd Fellows lodges were organized. W. F. Sonderman, who still lives in the Highlands, was one of the men instrumental in forming the I.O.O. F.

The contract was let to build a steel railroad bridge for the Northern Pacific over the Columbia to replace the wooden structure erected when the railroad was first built.

The school board hired a bus for the free transportation of school children.

Kennewick enjoyed its first ice cream "parlor," as it was called.

The city council began plans to have wooden sidewalks laid and trees planed along the streets.

1905

The best strawberry year Kennewick had ever experienced happened in 1905. Seven carloads were shipped averaging $5 a crate.

On June 2, Mr. Soth purchased the newspaper from Mr. Shaughnessy.

The year proved to be one of the hot ones. On July 28 the thermometer registered 115 in the shade -- and there was very little shade.

On Nov. 17, the Kennewick Cemetery Association was organized. Earlier in the year the telephone system was installed.

1906

On Jan. 1., the Kennewick post office was raised to third class and made an international money order office.

Soon after the first of the year the electric light and water plant began to operate.

The strawberry crop brought $55,000 into the community.

We enjoyed our first Fourth of July celebration in appropriate manner. People began to talk of a public park and a wagon bridge across the Columbia was given serious consideration.

The first teachers reception was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. I. E. Johnson.

1907

The schoolhouse on Washington Street was completed. This was then used for our high school. We have several members of our first graduating class ( in May 1908) living here -- Ethel DuSair, Jay Perry and Guy Story.

The first commercial cherry orchard was planted.

A volunteer fire department was organized.

The Columbia River Clay company operated a brickyard near the Northern Pacific railroad bridge on the north side of the track.

1908

Church & Stringer established the Twin City Ice and Storage Co., forerunner of the Church Grape Juice factory.

The Highlands was being surveyed and land sold.

Finley, Hover, Richland and Pasco joined with Kennewick and had a grand Fourth of July celebration.

The Congregational church was built -- the building now owned by the Baptist church.

There was much talk about good roads and a district good roads meeting was held here Nov. 20.

1909

A. F. Brown bought the telephone system from the Twin City Telephone Co.

The Kennewick Packing Co. was organized.

The Kennewick Improvement Co. was formed and started work on the docks.

J. W. Brown started work on the Commercial Hotel.

The Presbyterian church building was started and finished the next year.

An Equal Suffrage club was organized with Mrs. L. E. Johnson as first president.

A cigar factory was operated for a short time by Z. U. Decker.

The Twin City Laundry Co. was started and erected the building now occupied the Smith Motor Co.

E. R. Carnahan built a concrete blacksmith ship on Front Street.

The National Bank building was completed and occupied.

For the first time orchard heaters and fire pots were used to try to raise the temperature enough to save the fruit.

A representative from each club in town met and brought a book, thus starting the first library. Edna Dimmick was the first librarian.

This story was originally published March 7, 2012 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Brief history of Kennewick up to 1909."