Vintage Tri-Cities

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Vintage Tri-Cities

Featuring vintage photographs from in and around the Tri-Cities (Kennewick, Richland, Pasco) and surrounding communities. You will get credit of course!

Welcome to the best place on Facebook to enjoy viewing photos of the past. It doesn't matter if you are a Bulldog, Brave, Bomber, Lion, or Falcon, there's something here for you! Have a photo you'd like featured on our page? Please send us a message with the photo and some background information, and we will get it posted. Be sure to check out our Instagram feed as well! Whether you have been a li

felong resident of the Tri-Cities area or are relatively new to this oasis in the desert, we've got you covered for your daily dose of memories from yesteryear!

05/27/2026

The Tri-City Herald used to do a large multiple page section towards the beginning of each year on the growth of the Mid-Columbia. It would run over a few weeks and each week they would concentrate on a different aspect of growth. There would be a special on community growth, transportation growth, and as seen here on business and industry.

This page from March 6, 1982 shows an aerial view of Columbia Center Blvd facing north towards the river. As you can see this area has gone through massive growth in the last 44 years!

05/19/2026

Klopfenstein's and the Shoe Salon: Richland, 1950.

Klopfenstein's and the Shoe Salon operated as an upscale men's and women's clothing store on George Washington Way in Richland. The company originated 40 years earlier in the Seattle/Tacoma area. The Richland location was managed by I.W. Chilberg, who moved from Spokane in 1945 to open the branch. Original employees included Richland natives Esther Harvey, Bessie Trebbe, and Jim Bankton.

The storefront was one of the oldest buildings in Richland, originally built as a two-story general store operated by John Dam and Vic Nelson.
The building lost its second story during World War II. When the U.S. Government acquired the city of Richland, along with Hanford and White Bluffs, for the Manhattan Project, federal officials removed the second floor of several downtown buildings. This modification was ordered for security reasons to eliminate elevated vantage points.

In August 1948, the store began a $35,000 expansion project. The renovation added a 30-foot-wide extension that connected the structure to the neighboring Western Union building.

Following its completion in November 1948, the building featured an enlarged women's department. They also boasted a footwear inventory of over 3,000 pairs of men's and boys' shoes.

The store operated at the George Washington Way location until June 1953, when the business relocated to the Uptown Shopping Center. In October 1955, the store changed ownership or identity and became LeRoys, Inc.

05/11/2026

We received the following request for information on a former Pasco resident who died during the Vietnam War, and we're hoping you all can provide some input. Ronald Schulz was a 1969 graduate of Pasco High School. We included Schulz's obituary in hopes someone knows any of his family still alive today.

"My name is William Sypher. I am executive Director of Friends of Vietnam DUSTOFF in PA. DUSTOFF were unarmed helicopters that responded to requests for Combat Medical Evacuation of the wounded during the Vietnam War. Ronald K “Rusty” Schulz (Pasco HS Class of 1969) was a DUSTOFF pilot, killed on a night-time medevac mission during a monsoon storm on 13 October 1971. At 20 years 2 months and 22 days old. Chief Warrant Officer Ronald Kenneth Schulz was the youngest pilot killed in action during the Vietnam War. We are trying to locate classmates and/or relatives of Ronald. We would appreciate any information from former classmates/friends.
William D. Sypher (Bill)"

I have Bill's email address and will share responses!

05/07/2026

Aerial view of the N Reactor, September 1970. The reactor was a "dual purpose" reactor, producing both plutonium for military use and electricity for civilian use.

05/03/2026

Avenue C (Columbia Drive) looking east towards Beech St., 1959. Kennewick Industrial & Electrical Supply Co is still located in that building in addition to also now being in the Sherman Food Center building seen across the street.

04/29/2026

White Bluffs street, 1938. The buildings from left to right are the post office, Jess Brown's barber shop, Brinson's Tavern, and Rollinger's garage.

04/24/2026

Pasco High School track team, 1983. Pasco was one of the top track teams in the state in the early to mid-1980s.

One of the coaches in this photo now tours the nation as a stand up comedian. Any guesses as to who that is? 🤔

Front row: Willie Taylor, Doug Wattenburger, Melvin Kulp, Ben Allen, Nathan Hill, John Ford, Ed Jackson, Erik Van Balderen, Angel Galvez, Southep Phomnarath, Jon Christenson.

Second row: Coach Eric Kelly, Katrina Kunkel, Cheryl Covington, Sherri Ward, Norma Rodriguez, Karen Colburn, Tina Warren, Melissa Horntvedt, Tammi Primus, Cynthia Johnson, Coach Brad Upton.

Back row: Coach Dale Fuller, Bill Vogt, Willie Smith, Addam Denchel, Jeff Burrus, Roger Banks, Tim Sullivan, Jeff Powers, Greg Travis, Louis Sanders, Mike Kroner, Ernest Sanchez.

04/23/2026

As seen in the February 25, 1951 edition of the Tri-City Herald:

INTERNATIONAL PARTY - Members of newly-organized Girl Scout Troop No 116, Pasco, observed "Think Day' Thursday with an international party. Each girl dressed in costume of some foreign country. Among the costumes represented were Gypsies, Hawaiians, Dutch, Mexican, French and Chinese. The party was at the home of Mrs. N. S. Cutler, 211 North Wehe. Several mothers also attended. Shown here in the picture are: (front row, left to right) Donna Cutler, Bessie Mae Williams, Judy Strauss, Ophelia Wilson. Lula Mae Brown, Dorothy Lee Clow. Ernadine Hall (back row. left to right) Barbara Lou Baker. Susan Mae Williams, Barbara Jean Johnson, Penny Fishback, Beverly Bragg and Judy Bragg.

04/15/2026

Jerry Pleiss' Chevron station on the corner of Symons and Goethals, 1950. Pleiss came to Richland from Spokane in 1944 to operate the station which was built that year. In 1949, Pleiss enlarged and rebuilt the station to modernize it. He moved the original building towards the back of the lot to provide room for an additional pump island. Once moved the building was also enlarged and remodeled to be used for office and sales space. A new building to house a lubrication and tire repair shop was constructed to the northeast and was equipped with two grease racks and a full line of lubrication equipment. The renovation cost $25,000.

Pleiss had other business ventures in Richland as well:

In December 1950, Pleiss would join with Roy Davis to open Davis-Pleiss Carpeting and Appliance at 1330 Jadwin in the Uptown Shopping Center. The business was wildly successful and a little over a year later the two men would partner with George Forsythe, add a complete furniture line, and move to a larger location in the shopping center at 1374 Jadwin.

What is more interesting is while the name and sign on their original store said "Davis-Pleiss", the new store was referred to as "Pleiss-Davis". Looking through old TC Herald archives it appears the name would routinely switch back and forth between who's name was listed first. That stopped once the new store opened, and the latter name became permanent.

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