Ainsworth, Washington
Encyclopedia
Ainsworth, Washington, was a ghost town in Franklin County, Washington. The town was on the northern bank of the mouth of the Snake River
, in what is now Pasco, Washington
.
Ainsworth was built as a depot on the Northern Pacific Railroad, and named after John C. Ainsworth
, president of the Oregon Steam Navigation Company
. The town was platted in 1879. Thomas Symons, the US Army engineer at the site commented at the time,
By 1881, Ainsworth had gained a reputation as a wild and lawless boomtown. Spokane newspaper editor Francis H. Cook (1851-1920) visited that year and declared that Ainsworth could boast "a few of the best people, the largest amount of bad men and women and the greatest amount of sin, dust and general disagreeableness of any place of its size on the coast."
When Franklin County was created from Whitman County
in 1883, Ainsworth was named county seat
. At the time, there were also a number of Chinese laborers who lived in Ainsworth - many of whom worked for the railroad, and the remainder of which operated businesses in town.
In 1884, a railroad bridge across the Columbia River
was completed less than a mile upstream from Ainsworth, instead connecting to the new small town of Pasco. This would eventually lead to the end of the town. by 1885, many of the buildings in Ainsworth had either been dismantled or moved to Pasco. The Chinese laborers also moved to the new town, and established their own district, but most of them left when the railroad work was completed and the work let up. In 1885, the State Legislature
officially moved the county seat to Pasco.
Over the years, Pasco has increased in size and engulfed the original townsite.
Snake River
The Snake is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
, in what is now Pasco, Washington
Pasco, Washington
Pasco is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Washington, United States.Pasco is one of three cities that make up the Tri-Cities region of the state of Washington...
.
John C. Ainsworth
John Commingers Ainsworth was an American pioneer businessman and steamboat owner in Oregon. A native of Ohio, he moved west to mine gold in California before immigrating to Oregon where he piloted steamships and became a founder of the Oregon Steam Navigation Company and several banks.-Early...
, president of the Oregon Steam Navigation Company
Oregon Steam Navigation Company
The Oregon Steam Navigation Company was an American company incorporated in 1860 in Washington with partners J. S. Ruckle, Henry Olmstead, and J. O. Van Bergen...
. The town was platted in 1879. Thomas Symons, the US Army engineer at the site commented at the time,
- "Ainsworth is one of the most uncomfortable, abominable places in America to live in. You can scan the horizon in vain for a tree or anything resembling one. The heat through the summer is excessive, and high winds prevail and blow the sands about into everything. By the glare of the sun and the flying sands, one's eyes are in a constant state of winking, blinking, and torment, if nothing more serious results."
By 1881, Ainsworth had gained a reputation as a wild and lawless boomtown. Spokane newspaper editor Francis H. Cook (1851-1920) visited that year and declared that Ainsworth could boast "a few of the best people, the largest amount of bad men and women and the greatest amount of sin, dust and general disagreeableness of any place of its size on the coast."
When Franklin County was created from Whitman County
Whitman County, Washington
Whitman County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2010 census, the population was 44,776, with the majority living in its largest city, Pullman, home to Washington State University, the state's land-grant university. The county seat is at Colfax.Whitman County was...
in 1883, Ainsworth was named county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
. At the time, there were also a number of Chinese laborers who lived in Ainsworth - many of whom worked for the railroad, and the remainder of which operated businesses in town.
In 1884, a railroad bridge across the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
was completed less than a mile upstream from Ainsworth, instead connecting to the new small town of Pasco. This would eventually lead to the end of the town. by 1885, many of the buildings in Ainsworth had either been dismantled or moved to Pasco. The Chinese laborers also moved to the new town, and established their own district, but most of them left when the railroad work was completed and the work let up. In 1885, the State Legislature
Washington State Legislature
The Washington State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a bipartisan, bicameral body, composed of the lower Washington House of Representatives, composed of 98 Representatives, and the upper Washington State Senate, with 49 Senators.The State Legislature...
officially moved the county seat to Pasco.
Over the years, Pasco has increased in size and engulfed the original townsite.