Kennewick Washington

Kennewick Washington

Also known as 'the winter paradise of Benton County', Kennewick is one of the three constituent cities of 'Tricity', in company with Pasco and Richland being the other two cities. Kennewick is located in the Southeastern Washington, along the southwest bank of the Columbia River, opposite Pasco - Washington, just south of the confluence of the Columbia and Yakima rivers and northeast of the Walla Walla River , to be precise. According to relevant census, Kennewick is the most populous city of the Tricities, with the total population crossing sixty thousand as per 2004 census.

Geographically speaking, the city is positioned at 46°12′13″N, 119°9′33″W (46.203475, -119.15927), comprising of 63 kilometers square of land area. The population demographics from the 2000 census reflect an average population density of 920.9/km² with were 54,693 people, 20,786 households, and 14,176 families residing in the city. The population racial community composition included 82.93% White, 1.14% Black or African American, 0.93% Native American, 2.12% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 9.4% from other races, and 3.37% from two or more races. While per capita income for the city amounted to $20,152, 12.9% of the population was below the poverty line. There were 98.3 males for every 100 females.

Officially incorporated on 5th February 1904 , Kennewick was known by many names in the past. One of the names includes "Tehe" that allegedly originated from the laughter of a native girl who was asked the name of the city. A Native American word, Kennewick literally means 'grassy place'. Besides 'Kennewick Man' is the name given to the prehistoric remains of a man, dating back to as many as 9000 years, found on a nearby bank of the Columbia River. The Kennewick man is thought to have Caucasian features that however contradict with the age of the remains as per historians.

Kennewick is a major attraction among the fellow Tricities owing to its lucrative shopping opportunities and recreational activities. Kennewick is host city to Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League and the af2's Tri-Cities Fever. Kennewick also hosts annual hydroplane racing at the Water Follies event on the Columbia River. Further, the city is also frequented by residents from all parts of Southeastern Washington for its shopping complexes and malls, including the center point 'Columbia Center Mall'.

The city is also flourishing with thirteen elementary schools (Amistad, Canyon View, Cascade, Eastgate, Edison, Hawthorne, Lincoln, Ridge View, Southgate, Sunset View, Vista, Washington, Westgate), four middle schools (Park, Highlands, Desert Hills, Horse Heaven Hills), and three high schools: Kennewick High School (the Lions), Kamiakin High School (the Braves), and Southridge High School (the Suns).

In a nutshell, the city provides ample of reasons for visitors to want to settle down. The favorable climatic conditions are aptly complimented by facilities like education, occupational opportunities and infrastructure conducive to growth, rendering the city a blooming real estate market in the real sense of the word.

Kennewick Attractions

Kennewick is the host city of the Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League, as well as of the af2's Tri-Cities Fever. They both play their home games in the Toyota Center, which hosts many other regional events as well. Every year during the summer, hydroplane racing takes place at the Water Follies event on the Columbia River. Residents from all of southeastern Washington come to Kennewick to shop in the city's commercial district, the center point of which is Columbia Center Mall.

Geography of Kennewick Washington

Kennewick is located at 46°12′13″N, 119°9′33″W (46.203475, -119.15927). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 63 km² (24.3 mi²). 59.4 km² (22.9 mi²) of it is land and 3.6 km² (1.4 mi²) of it (5.67%) is water.

Kennewick Demographics

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 54,693 people, 20,786 households, and 14,176 families residing in the city. The population density was 920.9/km² (2,384.9/mi²). There were 22,043 housing units at an average density of 371.2/km² (961.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 82.93% White, 1.14% Black or African American, 0.93% Native American, 2.12% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 9.4% from other races, and 3.37% from two or more races. 15.55% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 20,786 households out of which 37.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.6 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.6% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $41,213, and the median income for a family was $50,011. Males had a median income of $41,589 versus $26,022 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,152. About 9.7% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.8% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education in Kennewick

Public schools located in the city are part of the Kennewick School District. The Kennewick School District has thirteen elementary schools (Amistad, Canyon View, Cascade, Eastgate, Edison, Hawthorne, Lincoln, Ridge View, Southgate, Sunset View, Vista, Washington, Westgate), four middle schools (Park, Highlands, Desert Hills, Horse Heaven Hills), and three high schools: Kennewick High School (the Lions), Kamiakin High School (the Braves), and Southridge High School (the Suns). See Wikipedia, Kennewick, Washington.

Kennewick's Famous Residents

Damon Lusk, NASCAR driver
Ray Mansfield, National Football League player, center, Pittsburgh Steelers
Jeremy Bonderman, Major League Baseball Pitcher, Detroit Tigers
Sharon Tate, Actress, victim of the Manson Family murders
Sister Cities: Kennewick has the following sister cities: Ying Ko Taiwan & Taoyuan Taiwan.

Washington State History

Prior to the arrival of explorers from Europe, this region of the Pacific Coast had many established tribes of Native Americans, each with its own unique culture. Today, they are most notable for their totem poles and their ornately carved canoes and masks. Prominent among their industries were salmon fishing and whale hunting. In the east, nomadic tribes traveled the land and missionaries such as the Whitmans settled there.

The first European record of a landing on the Washington coast was by Spanish Captain Don Bruno de Heceta in 1775, on board the Santiago, part of a two-ship flotilla with the Sonora. They claimed all the coastal lands up to the Russian possessions in the north for Spain.

In 1778, British explorer Captain James Cook sighted Cape Flattery, at the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, but the straits would not be explored until 1789, by Captain Charles W. Barkley. Further explorations of the straits were performed by Spanish explorers Manuel Quimper in 1790 and Francisco de Eliza in 1791, then by British Captain George Vancouver in 1792.

The Spanish Nootka Convention of 1790 opened the northwest territory to explorers and trappers from other nations, most notably Britain and then the United States. Captain Robert Gray (for whom Grays Harbor County is named) then discovered the mouth of the Columbia River. He named the river after his ship, the Columbia. Beginning in 1792, Gray established trade in sea otter pelts. The Lewis and Clark Expedition entered the state on October 10, 1805.

In 1819, Spain ceded their original claims to this territory to the United States. This began a period of disputed joint-occupancy by Britain and the U.S. that lasted until June 15, 1846, when Britain ceded their claims to this land with the Treaty of Oregon.

What was to become Washington state's first family was that of Washington's founder, the black pioneer George Washington Bush and his white wife, Isabella James Bush, from Missouri and Tennessee, respectively. They led four white families into the territory and settled what is now Tumwater, Washington. They settled in Washington to avoid Oregon's racist settlement laws.

Because of the overland migration along the Oregon Trail, many settlers wandered north to what is now Washington and settled the Puget Sound area. The first settlement was New Market (now known as Tumwater) in 1846. In 1853, Washington Territory was formed from part of Oregon Territory.

Washington became the 42nd state in the United States on November 11, 1889.

Early prominent industries in the state included agriculture and lumber. In eastern Washington, the Yakima Valley became known for its apple orchards, while the growth of wheat using dry-farming techniques became particularly productive. The heavy rainfall to the west of the Cascade Range produced dense forests, and the ports along Puget Sound prospered from the manufacturing and shipping of lumber products, particularly the Douglas fir. Other industries that developed in the state include fishing, salmon canning and mining.

For a long period, Tacoma was noted for its large smelters where gold, silver, copper and lead ores were treated. Seattle was the primary port for trade with Alaska and the rest of the country, and for a time it possessed a large ship-building industry. The region around eastern Puget Sound developed heavy industry during the period including World War I and World War II, and the Boeing company became an established icon in the area.

During the Great Depression, a series of hydroelectric dams were constructed along the Columbia river as part of a project to increase the production of electricity. This culminated in 1941 with the completion of the Grand Coulee Dam, the largest dam in the United States.

During World War II, the Puget Sound area became a focus for war industries, with the Boeing Company producing many of the nation's heavy bombers and ports in Seattle, Bremerton, and Tacoma were available for the manufacture of warships. Seattle was the point of departure for many soldiers in the Pacific, a number of which were quartered at Golden Gardens Park. In eastern Washington, the Hanford Works atomic energy plant was opened in 1943 and played a major role in the construction of the nation's atomic bombs.

On May 18, 1980, following a period of heavy tremors and eruptions, the northeast face of Mount St. Helens exploded outward, destroying a large part of the top of the volcano. This eruption flattened the forests, killed 57 people, flooded the Columbia River and its tributaries with ash and mud, and blanketed large parts of Washington in ash, making day look like night. See Wikipedia, Washington State.