A Lighthouse News Exclusive

Kennewick - A Historical Perspective

Three hundred fifty miles upstream from the mouth of the Columbia River at the junction of the Snake River in Washington State, sits the city of Kennewick. With Richland and Pasco, it’s the largest of the three known as the TriCities. Years ago, it was explored by Lewis and Clark, the first American overland expedition to the Pacific from the mouth of the Missouri River. Nearby is the Sacajawea State Park, the Native American who traveled the entire 4,100 mile route with the group. More recently, in 1996, the city became known for the discovery of the 9,000 year old Kennewick Man, found along the banks of the Columbia.

Besides being the site of the first railroad bridge to span the Columbia, the tri-cities became an important port and trading post along the mighty river, and is a rich agricultural area. It is still heavily trafficked by barges sailing between Lewiston, Idaho and Portland, carrying grain, petroleum and fertilizer along the waterways. Riverboats (paddlewheelers) in the early days brought recreational travel and even today the riverboats ply the river, along with many personal fishing and recreational boaters.

Clover Island, a long, narrow strip of land connected to Kennewick by a the beautiful Blue Bridge and Cable Bridge, houses a marina, docks and boathouses. But it doesn’t have a lighthouse.

Clover Island Boathouses
Originally uploaded by kirbyt57

A Bright Idea and Coast Guard Help

About three years ago, a Kennewick Port Commissioner, a true lighthouse fan along with several of the staff members, got talking with the others about their enjoyment of these beacons. They spent time looking at pictures of lighthouses on the internet, and found a few that they really liked. Tim Arntzen, one of the staff members, began showing these photos around the community, and asking several community members which ones they liked best. Well, that planted the seeds in the minds of the citizens, and the idea started circulating through the community, why not have a lighthouse?

Another lighthouse lover, the Commander of the Coast Guard at the local Aids to Navigation base, supported the idea of a lighthouse when Arntzen talked to him about it. The team serves the dayboards and buoys on the mid-Columbia and Snake Rivers. He jumped in with an offer to to provide the lighting system, which will consist of parts from older, decommissioned Columbia River dayboards, and to help with the lengthy paperwork to get the future beacon listed in the US Coast Guard Light List as a Private Aid to Navigation.

With all this interest, the Kennewick Port Commission took up the matter. After much discussion and debate, the Commission unanimously voted about a month ago to implement a shoreline enhancement plan consisting of shoreline restoration, installation of pathways and fishing platforms and invest in a lighthouse.

From Tim Arntzen:

The benefit of the beacon will be the central point of a waterfront and island redevelopment of old town Kennewick. We feel that this lighthouse will not be a “novelty” like a theme park, as there are actually inland lighthouses on some major rivers and lakes. In fact, there is a historic lighthouse near Portland, Oregon at the junction of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. That lighthouse is Sauvie Island lighthouse. Therefore, our lighthouse will be real in the sense that we are truly a river community and there are river lighthouses. It will also be a focal point for community redevelopment.

Moving Forward With the Plans

The commission has budgeted $170,000 for the lighthouse, and has already had plans drawn up by a local architectural firm, Balance Associates. It will be 62 feet tall (about 19 meters) and 19 feet (about 5 1/2 meters) at the base. It will be a tapered concrete conical style light, with an integral sandstone color, and will be sandblasted for an appropriate texture. There will be a concrete bench at the base, and steel ring around the middle to provide concealed back lighting. The dome above the lantern room will be constructed of white fiberglass, with curved, blue tinted windows around the enclosure.

Arntzen states the Port Commission is hoping to let out construction bids this coming summer or fall, but of course it is dependent on shoreland zoning permits, construction permits and the usual government red tape. Although many see lighthouses as obsolete, this proves that they still are important, both as a working navigational aid, and as an enhancement to the community. Lighthouse News will be following this project from the groundbreaking to the relighting ceremony. And many thanks to Tim Arntzen for providing this exclusive look at the birth of a lighthouse.

Photo Credits: River Boat and Columbia River by Nicora. Some rights reserved. and Clover Island Boathouses by Kirbyt57. All rights reserved.

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