The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1920-08-26
HOW KENNEWICK
! LOOKED II YEARS AGO
Harley III. Peter Grows Remini-
cent AS He Travels to Old
BoyhO0d Home.


to- visit the cole swimmin' hole" at his
boyhood home in Indiana, grew remin-
iscent as his train rolled along up the
western slope of the Rockies and he
drew a verbal birdseye view of Ken
newick as it was when he first saw
it II years ago. His letter to the
Courier Reporter follows:
En- Route from Kennewick
To. Monticello, Indiana.
"I'm on my way back to the old
homestead to attend a family reunion
and visit the sole swimmin' hole, y
and on, the way I'm thinking of some
of the changes that have taken place
since / first saw Kennewick.
"It is II years in September since
my brother and / first tramped up
the streets of Kennewick. We had
gotten into Pasco over the O. w. R. &
N. about four o'clock in the morning
and, rather than wait for train we
walked the bridge and about 6 o'clock
we made our first appearance in the
California of the northwest.
"There were a few old rickety board
walks but much. of the sidewalks were
Just paths. / remember distinctly
how the sand would turn under our
feet and as we walked, we felt like
we were slipping backwards about as
fast as we went ahead. To boys who
were in the habit of early rising it
seemed like remarkably dead town.
It was quite a while before we could
find any one who could direct us to
where we could get a breakfast. Fin
ally We found one lone fellow stirring
who showed. up to the Hampshire
House in the building now occupied by
the Columbia second hand store, where
after some delay We were able to Sc
cure some ham and.
"The principal stores were King &
Son grocery on the corner now occu-
pied by the Gallaher garage. john
sons grocery on the corner now oc-
cupied by the new theatre; Howe's
hardware where Mattecheck hardware
now stands and Biers hardware where
the Motor Inn is now located. Giez-
entanner also had store in the old
building facing the. railroad opposite
the grange store and warehouse.
"There was jewellery store and a
small bakery in about the location OF
the Columbia cigar store. A harness
shop little southwark and east of
the Golden Rule store; Shepards drug
store must have been in the present
location and Carnahan's blacksmith
shop; Billy Dickson had butcher shop
across from the Kennewick market.
There was one lumber yard, the st.
Paul, where the old st. Paul building
now stands.
"The bank occupied the corner
where the First National Bank now
stands and the postoffice must have
been in the building where Chuck
shoe store is now located.
"There were numerous real estate
oAces,: H. A. and Airie Hover, Edw.
Hanson, H. C. Meacham, Mr.. Lundy
and others were all busy.
"There were then three teachers in
the Kennewick schools Professor
Baker had the advanced grades, Miss
H. Faye Pierce the primary and Miss
F. Dean third and fourth grades.
"On the 10Th day Of October took
the fifth and sixth grades. Professor
Baker keeping first, second grades in
the high school and the seventh and
eighth grades. By Christmas vaca-
ton so many new pupils had come in
my room was crowded to the limit.
The rows of seats were against the
walls on two sides and as near the
stove as any one could stand and my
desk was crowded to one corner with
seats right against it and right up
to the door. We could not have open
ed the door if we had another seat
inside.
"After the holidays the fifth teacher
was hired and the school board rented
the building now used for the Produce
company hay barn. took the seventh
and eighth grades and a Nc. McNutt
the fifth and sixth.
"The next year / had the honor OF
teaching in the hay barn.
cat that time there was no such
place as .Richland, and very little
land in cultivation under the Ken
newick ditch.
"There is much more might write
but this will be enough for this time.
I thought some Of the new corners
might be interested in birds eye
view of Kennewick II years ago.
Respectfully yours,
CHARLEY H. PETER"