Kennewick, WA 99323- A Brief History
Kennewick Washington is the fourth largest city in Washington State and sits along the Columbia River just southeast of the confluence of the Columbia and Yakima rivers and across from the Columbia and Snake rivers. The area has been inhabited by humans for more than 9,200 years, as evidenced by the skeleton of Kennewick Man, the oldest nearly complete human skeleton found in North America. The bones of this prehistoric inhabitant were found embedded in the riverbank at Kennewick's Columbia Park, and his remains are now on display in a museum at the park. Early Kennewick went through three distinct stages before it settled into a permanent form. The first version of the town began in 1887 as a railroad construction camp. The camp was almost immediately dismantled when track construction was completed and the town moved south across the tracks to its current location. The second version of Kennewick was established in 1902 as a land promotion company started by entrepreneur George A. Beach. Using the euphemism "Kennewick Country," he advertised the property to prospective settlers. The area was suited to a variety of crops, but strawberries were the town's first big hit. A bumper crop in 1905 saw seven carloads shipped, averaging $5 a crate. The town was also known for its apple, cherry and grape orchards.