 Local Web Sites Tri-Cities Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce Thomas O'Brien, CPA
Chief Operating Officer 8131 W. Grandridge Blvd.
Kennewick, WA 99336
P: (509) 735-1561
F: (509) 735-0730 | Tri-Cities With three distinct cities, 300 days of sunshine each year and a host of recreational, cultural and historical activities, the Tri-Cities offers plenty to do and see. There are premier golf courses, award-winning wineries, museums, first-class shopping and abundant water recreation. You can picnic in a city park, hike or roller-blade the Sacajawea Heritage Trail or ride a jet boat into the heart of the Hanford Reach, the last free-flowing stretch of the Columbia River. Kennewick, which means "Winter Haven'' in the language of Chemnapum Indians, was a gathering place for local tribes, who gathered in the mild climate to trade, fish and pasture their horses. Kennewick is the largest of the three cities and light industry and retail drive its thriving economy. The infamous "Kennewick Man" a 9,200-year-old skeleton that has attracted international attention, was unearthed in Kennewick's Columbia Park. In 1805, the Lewis & Clark Expedition made camp near the spot now known as Pasco.The expedition spent several days near present-day Sacajawea State Park, trading with the Indians and cataloging the diverse plant and animal life. Pasco has strong agricultural and industrial roots and is the largest city in the million-acre Columbia Basin Irrigation Project. Transportation plays a big role in Pasco's history and continues to do so. The arrival of the Northern Pacific Railroad brought a rush of settlers to the Washington Territory, which led to statehood in 1889. World War II brought the Army Reconsignment Depot and Naval Air Station and the first commercial airport west of the Mississippi was built here. Richland began life as a small farming community but in 1943, when the government built the country's first nuclear reactor on the Hanford Site, the population boomed from about 1,500 to more than 51,000. The Hanford Site continues to play a major role in the local economy and links the area to the science and technology communities worldwide. The Hanford Reach is the last free-flowing stretch of the Columbia River in the United States and was recently designated as a National Monument by President Clinton. < Back to Locations |
