Richland Park Hosts Historic Grange Picnic
Thousands of residents from across the county gathered for a Fourth of July celebration that featured local music and successful fundraising for the Red Cross.
The county grange picnic held in the Richland park on the Fourth of July drew the largest crowd which has ever attended any public celebration in the history of Richland. Delegations were on hand from Prosser, Kiona, Benton City, Kennewick, Finley, Pasco, White Bluffs and Hanford. The program in the afternoon was a credit to the committee, with several selections rendered by Richland’s newly organized band. The young ladies who had charge of the Red Cross ice cream booth did a record-breaking business, taking in close to $100. After expenses, they figured they would be able to turn over about $60 to the fund. The Red Cross dance drew a crowd of young people from Richland as well as from Kennewick, with the entire proceeds going to the Red Cross as the musicians donated their time.
“As every one came with the idea of having the time of their lives there was a merry crowd from early morning until the dance closed at midnight.”
Before Richland became a massive federal enclave, it was a hub for regional agricultural cooperation. This picnic showcases a time when community identity was centered on county-wide social organizations like the Grange, which bridged the distance between the smaller towns of the Tri-Cities area.
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