1915 Election Asked Kennewick to Form a Port District
Citizens to vote on the formal establishment of a Port District, setting the boundaries for future commerce along the Columbia River.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Notice is hereby given that an election will be held on the sixth day of March, 1915, to determine whether a Port District shall be formed, to be known as 'Port of Kennewick,' and to elect Port Commissioners. The district is intended to include all shore lands along the Columbia River subject to private ownership and control of the state. Polling places are designated across the city, including the city council rooms, public library rooms, and the old public school building. Three commissioners are to be elected to represent the district, with all citizens eligible to vote on the formation of the district and the candidate selections.
“It being the intention to include within the said boundary lines all of the shore lands along the Columbia River subject in any manner to private ownership.”
The formation of the Port of Kennewick in 1915 was a pivotal moment for the region's economy, effectively formalizing public control over the Columbia River waterfront. Today, the Port remains a major engine for industrial and recreational development, still navigating the same core tension between public infrastructure investment and private land use.
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