The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1922-10-26
Official Dedication Will
be Memorable Event in
States History
LIEUT.. GOV. COYLE
CUTS THE BARRIERS
Stream Of Traffic Flows
Over New Structure
Thruout Entire Day

The sun shone. The crowd
came. The bridge was dedicated.
Really there is not much more
than this to say about the official
opening Of the Benton Franklin
Inter- County bridge last Satur-
day. Predictions that it would
prove the biggest day in the his
tory of Kenewick and Pasco were
fully verified. Thousands of en-
thusiastic. celebrants were here.
How many thousands, nobody
knows-at least ten thousand,
maybe more, and the new bridge
received such a baptism of traffic
as to make the day one of the
memorable events in the chronicles
Of the states progress and devel-
opment.
The official program was carried
out in every detail with the ex-
ception of the address by James
Allen, supervisor Of state high
ways. Mr.. Alien was i'll and un-
able to be present. Lieut.. Gov
ernor w. j. Coyle, who in the alb
sence of Governor Hart, represent
ed the states officialdom accepted
the bridge on behalf of the people,
severed the barriers of yellow
ribbon which barred either end
and officially christened the great
structure with water dipped from
the river beneath its middle span.
In his speech of acceptance Lieut..
Governor Coyle declared that Ito
day there is no East, West, North
and South in the state Of Washing
ton. The last natural barrier has
been lifted and the spirit of pro-
gress marches on unhampered, un-
shackled." Over the bridge he said
marches on unhampered, unshack-
led" Over the bridge he said
there should be emblazoned the
motto, Dedicated to a spirit of CO.
operation"
Under the able direction of Guy
]. Hayden and marshalled by O.
S. Sullivan, the westside parade
formed in Kennewick shortly aft
ernoon. Leading the parade was
Kennewick's fire truck, which saw
ed the bridge approach from des-
truction several weeks ago, the
Kennewick band, and the mayor
and city council in official cars.
Behind the leaders there followed
the largest and most impressive
caravan of motor vehicles ever as
sembled in Benton county. There
were fully five hundred of them.
There were community floats from
Finley, Benton City, Hanford and
Prosser and individual floats Of
Kennewick business houses.
In Pasco, the crowds from the
East and West met at speakers
platform where the first of the
dedicatory exercises were start
ed, On the return trip to Kenne-
wick double line of automobiles
passed over the bridge for more
than two hours.
The climax of the days celebra-
ton came at the official banquet
IN the basement of the new M.
=. church where plates were laid
for 600. In fact the banquet was
the big surprise of the day to the
visitors. The M. E. ladies who
cooked the meal and the young
ladies of the church who served 1t
did their work in a manner that
could not be improved upon by a
professional caterer. Fresh 1rultS
and watermelons, featured in the
menu, elected much praise from
the hundreds of visitors. Equal
credit is to be given the Business
Girls who decorated the walls and
tables using a profusion OF cut
flowers and vines. In the center
of the speakers table was NINA
ture bridge made by 11-year-old
Joe Siegfred. The miniature IS
an exact reproduction of the 'arg-
er structure. TT was made OF
copper painted black and was the
result of hours of labor.
The principal address Of the eve
ning was delivered by Frank Wa