The custom of the community doting on the mother of the year’s firstborn has given way to memory.

A century ago a new community emerged from Benton County’s sagebrush land between the towns of White Bluffs and Hanford – a soldier settlement.

When Catherine May entered Congress 66 years ago this month representing the Tri-Cities and the massive 4th Congressional District, women still were treated in many ways as second-class citizens.

Across an entire nation, a century-old tradition brings together people of all persuasions who embrace the lighting of the National Christmas Tree.

If not for a Tennessee congressman, Tri-Cities, Washington, today likely would answer to Tri-Cities, Columbia, as in the state of Columbia, not the state of Washington.

Hanford historian Donald Sorenson will speak on the history of Day’s Pay on Nov. 9 at the East Benton County Historical Society Museum at Keewaydin at 205 Keewaydin Drive in Kennewick. His address is part of dedication ceremonies for a permanent Day’s Pay display at the museum.

When the top-secret Manhattan Project got underway early in World War II and arrived at Hanford, it needed a place to take care of the medical needs of its growing number of workers.

Grape carnivals, town fairs, grape festivals and the first Benton County Fair in 1948 had long established tradition of festivals flavored as fairs in Kennewick. But 1949 saw the addition of the rodeo to the event.

It was 75 baseball seasons ago that Tri-City professional baseball originated, although not the 75th season of play here. A handful of seasons passed in which the Tri-Cities did not field a team.

Andrew Carnegie once was denied admission to a community library because he was too poor.
He grew up to become the richest man in the world.
So, he built a library.