Tenino, Washington
Encyclopedia
Tenino is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,695 at the 2010 census.
root, a staple food source. Records indicate the initial settlers' community centered on the prairie approximately 1/2 mile south of the present town. Early residents named their first post office and school "Coal Bank", in the 1860s, a reference to a nearby coal outcropping. When the Northern Pacific Railway
arrived in 1872 they adopted Tenino as the name of the new station. It also appears informally as "T-9-O", which reflects the way it's pronounced.
In the late 19th century a number of sandstone
quarrying companies began shipping building stone, used in many regional buildings outside of Tenino, including the Old Capitol Building
and the old Thurston County Courthouse in Olympia, the Mason County Courthouse in Shelton, Washington
, the First Congregational Church, develpoed by Cameron Stone, in Tacoma, Washington
, Denny Hall
and the Theodore Jacobson Observatory at the University of Washington
, Seattle, the Pittock Mansion
and the Pioneer Courthouse
in Portland, Oregon
and several post office buildings, including at The Dalles, Oregon
. The US Government also used stone from these quarries to construct jetties
at Westport, Washington
and elsewhere. The quarries declined in the early 20th century when many builders switched to concrete
.
In addition to quarrying, logging, saw mills, and coal mining were also well established industries in the area. However, as the timber played out and railroads switched to diesel
in the mid-20th century, these industries also declined.
Tenino briefly achieved national fame during the Great Depression
. After the local bank closed, the town government temporarily issued wooden money scrip
for use locally when cash was scarce. However, most of the wooden money was never redeemed as it became a collector's item.
In the years before the construction of Interstate 5
Tenino gained a reputation as a notorious stretch along U.S. Route 99
. Many motorists considered it a speed trap
due to the strict enforcement by police of the abruptly reduced speed limit through town.
While Tenino retains its historic downtown, now a historic district (United States)
listed on the National Register of Historic Places
, the town serves largely as a "bedroom community", many of its citizens commuting by car to larger cities such as Olympia
and Tacoma for work.
Since the 1980s the US Army uses a geographical map of Tenino as a training aid, due to the variety of symbols represented on the map.
The current mayor of Tenino, Washington is Rashel Ledesma.
word, meaning "fork in the trail", referring to the site where the Cowlitz Trail between The Columbia River
and Puget Sound
split, branching to Budd Inlet
at Olympia, Washington
and Commencement Bay
respectively.
Occasionally some assert Tenino was named after either a train locomotive or a railroad survey stake with the numbers 10-9-0. However, avid local historian Art Dwelley, former editor of the Tenino Independent, found no such locomotive or survey marker designations but discovered references to the area as "the tenino" in newspapers predating the arrival of the railroad.
Adding to the mystery, Tenino is the name of the Lower Deschutes band of the Warm Springs Tribe
in Oregon
. Also, the Oregon Steam Navigation Company
operated a sternwheeler named Tenino
on the Columbia River
from 1860 to 1876. There are streets named "Tenino" in Portland, Oregon
and Dallas, Texas
, and two "Tenino Avenues", one in Los Angeles, California
, and the other in Boulder, Colorado
. What connection there is between these and the town, if any, is unknown.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.2 km2), all of it land.
, and 2.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.80% of the population.
There were 575 households out of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were married couples living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city the age distribution of the population shows 29.8% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,526, and the median income for a family was $41,208. Males had a median income of $31,058 versus $25,972 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $18,244. About 5.0% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.4% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.
History
Tenino was officially incorporated on July 24, 1906, though it existed as a rural community since the mid-19th century. Initially, American settlers were attracted to the open prairies created and maintained by local natives through controlled burns to cultivate camasCamassia
Camassia is a genus of six species native to western North America, from southern British Columbia to northern California, and east to Utah, Wyoming and Montana...
root, a staple food source. Records indicate the initial settlers' community centered on the prairie approximately 1/2 mile south of the present town. Early residents named their first post office and school "Coal Bank", in the 1860s, a reference to a nearby coal outcropping. When the Northern Pacific Railway
Northern Pacific Railway
The Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
arrived in 1872 they adopted Tenino as the name of the new station. It also appears informally as "T-9-O", which reflects the way it's pronounced.
In the late 19th century a number of sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
quarrying companies began shipping building stone, used in many regional buildings outside of Tenino, including the Old Capitol Building
Old Capitol Building
The Old Capitol Building is a building in Olympia, Washington. Designed by Willis A. Ritchie, it was built 1890–1892 as the Thurston County Courthouse, and served 1905–1928 as the state capitol, seat of the legislature of Washington; in 1928 the legislature moved to the current Capitol Building...
and the old Thurston County Courthouse in Olympia, the Mason County Courthouse in Shelton, Washington
Shelton, Washington
Shelton is the county seat, of Mason County, Washington, United States. Shelton is the westernmost city on Puget Sound. The population was 9,834 at the 2010 census. In terms of population, the city is ranked 161 out of approximately 500 municipalities in Washington...
, the First Congregational Church, develpoed by Cameron Stone, in Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
, Denny Hall
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
and the Theodore Jacobson Observatory at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, Seattle, the Pittock Mansion
Pittock Mansion
The Pittock Mansion is a French Renaissance-style "château" in the West Hills of Portland, Oregon, USA, originally built as a private home for The Oregonian publisher Henry Pittock and his wife, Georgiana. It is a 22 room estate built of Tenino Sandstone situated on that is now owned by the...
and the Pioneer Courthouse
Pioneer Courthouse
The Pioneer Courthouse is a federal courthouse in Portland, Oregon, United States. Built beginning in 1869, the structure is the oldest federal building in the Pacific Northwest, and the second oldest west of the Mississippi River. Along with Pioneer Courthouse Square, it serves as the center of...
in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
and several post office buildings, including at The Dalles, Oregon
The Dalles, Oregon
The Dalles is the largest city and county seat of Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The name of the city comes from the French word dalle The Dalles is the largest city and county seat of Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The name of the city comes from the French word dalle The Dalles is...
. The US Government also used stone from these quarries to construct jetties
Jetty
A jetty is any of a variety of structures used in river, dock, and maritime works that are generally carried out in pairs from river banks, or in continuation of river channels at their outlets into deep water; or out into docks, and outside their entrances; or for forming basins along the...
at Westport, Washington
Westport, Washington
Westport is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington, United States. The city's population was 2,099 at the 2010 census.Westport is located on a peninsula on the south side of the entrance to Grays Harbor from the Pacific Ocean. The public Westport Marina is the largest marina on the outer coast...
and elsewhere. The quarries declined in the early 20th century when many builders switched to concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
.
In addition to quarrying, logging, saw mills, and coal mining were also well established industries in the area. However, as the timber played out and railroads switched to diesel
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
in the mid-20th century, these industries also declined.
Tenino briefly achieved national fame during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. After the local bank closed, the town government temporarily issued wooden money scrip
Scrip
Scrip is an American term for any substitute for currency which is not legal tender and is often a form of credit. Scrips were created as company payment of employees and also as a means of payment in times where regular money is unavailable, such as remote coal towns, military bases, ships on long...
for use locally when cash was scarce. However, most of the wooden money was never redeemed as it became a collector's item.
In the years before the construction of Interstate 5
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S...
Tenino gained a reputation as a notorious stretch along U.S. Route 99
U.S. Route 99
U.S. Route 99 was the main north–south highway on the West Coast of the United States until 1964, running from Calexico, California, on the U.S.-Mexico border to Blaine, Washington, on the U.S.-Canada border. It was a route of the United States Numbered Highways, assigned in 1926 and existing...
. Many motorists considered it a speed trap
Speed Trap
Speed Trap is a live jazz album by Peter King, recorded at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in September 1994, and released in 1996 under the Ronnie Scotts Jazz House label...
due to the strict enforcement by police of the abruptly reduced speed limit through town.
While Tenino retains its historic downtown, now a historic district (United States)
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, the town serves largely as a "bedroom community", many of its citizens commuting by car to larger cities such as Olympia
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
and Tacoma for work.
Since the 1980s the US Army uses a geographical map of Tenino as a training aid, due to the variety of symbols represented on the map.
The current mayor of Tenino, Washington is Rashel Ledesma.
Name origin mystery
Currently historians are unsure of the origin of the name "Tenino" for the town. The name came into use in the 1870s. It is reputedly a Chinook IndianChinookan
Chinook refers to several native amercain groups of in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, speaking the Chinookan languages. In the early 19th century, the Chinookan-speaking peoples lived along the lower and middle Columbia River in present-day Oregon and Washington...
word, meaning "fork in the trail", referring to the site where the Cowlitz Trail between 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...
and Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
split, branching to Budd Inlet
Budd Inlet
Budd Inlet is the southernmost arm of Puget Sound. The city of Olympia, Washington is located at the southern end of Budd Inlet. A deepwater shipping channel has been dredged providing deep water access to the Port of Olympia which is from Tacoma and from Seattle.Budd Inlet was named by Charles...
at Olympia, Washington
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
and Commencement Bay
Commencement Bay
Commencement Bay is a bay of Puget Sound in the U.S. state of Washington. The city of Tacoma is located on the bay, with the Port of Tacoma occupying the southeastern end. A line drawn from Point Defiance in the southwest to Browns Point in the northeast serves to mark the generally accepted...
respectively.
Occasionally some assert Tenino was named after either a train locomotive or a railroad survey stake with the numbers 10-9-0. However, avid local historian Art Dwelley, former editor of the Tenino Independent, found no such locomotive or survey marker designations but discovered references to the area as "the tenino" in newspapers predating the arrival of the railroad.
Adding to the mystery, Tenino is the name of the Lower Deschutes band of the Warm Springs Tribe
Warm Springs (tribe)
The Warm Springs tribes are several Sahaptin Native American tribes of northern Oregon. They were also known as the Walla Walla . The Warm Springs tribes are the Upper Deschutes , the Lower Deschutes , the Tenino, and the John Day...
in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. Also, 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...
operated a sternwheeler named Tenino
Tenino (sternwheeler)
The Tenino was the second steamboat to run on the Columbia River above Celilo Falls and on the Snake River. Following a reconstruction or major salvage in 1876 this vessel was named the New Tenino.-Design and Construction:...
on 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...
from 1860 to 1876. There are streets named "Tenino" in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
and Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, and two "Tenino Avenues", one in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, and the other in Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
. What connection there is between these and the town, if any, is unknown.
Geography
Tenino is located at 46.856745°N 122.850290°W (46.856745, -122.850290).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.2 km2), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,447 people, 575 households, and 396 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,720.3 people per square mile (665.1/km2). There were 615 housing units at an average density of 731.1 per square mile (282.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 90.53% White, 0.83% African American, 1.17% Native American, 3.11% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.94% from other racesRace (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.80% of the population.
There were 575 households out of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were married couples living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city the age distribution of the population shows 29.8% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,526, and the median income for a family was $41,208. Males had a median income of $31,058 versus $25,972 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $18,244. About 5.0% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.4% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.
Historic buildings and structures
There are 26 historic sites in or near Tenino. Following are some of those properties.| Name | Image | Address | Built in | NRHP National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation... ? |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenino Downtown Historic District Tenino Downtown Historic District The Tenino Downtown Historic District is two blocks long, one-half block-deep on either side of Sussex Street in Tenino, Washington. Approximately three acres in size, the district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 25, 2004... |
Two blocks long, one-half block-deep on either side of Sussex Street; approximately three acres in size. | June 25, 2004 | Sussex Street is the main thoroughfare of the community and is also part of State Route 507. | ||
| Tenino Depot Tenino Depot The Tenino Depot, located in Tenino, Washington, was built by the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1914 along the mainline from Portland, Oregon to Tacoma, Washington.The depot is rectangular in shape and is made out of the local sandstone... |
Tenino City Park | December 27, 1974 | The Tenino Depot, now a museum, was moved from its original site to the Tenino City Park near the Tenino Stone Company Quarry. At the time the Depot was moved, the area of relocation was examined to ensure that no archaeological remains significant to the operation of the quarry would be destroyed or altered. | ||
| Hercules Sandstone Company Office | Originally located near the Hercules Sandstone Company Quarry west of Tenino, In 1922, each stone of the building was numbered, moved separately, and reassembled at it current site at the corner of Sussex and Hodgen. It is currently Tenino's City Hall. | ||||
| Tenino Stone Company Quarry | 2712 Huston Street | 1891 | July 28, 1983 | Located in the Tenino City Park, the quarry is now the Memorial Swimming Pool. | |
| Ticknor School | 3212 SE Skookumchuck Road now at 399 Park Avenue West | 1934 | May 10, 1990 | Now located in the Tenino City Park, the school was moved from it original location in unincorporated Thurston County to the Tenino City Park next to the Tenino Depot in 2002. | |
| Ticknor Barn | 6710 Skookumchuck Road | 1860 | |||
| Colvin Farmstead (Colvin House) | 16828 Old Highway 99 | 1877 | June 23, 1988 | ||
| Hercules#2/Eureka Quarry | 4220 SE Old Military Road | 1891 | |||
| Taylor Farm | 2400 SE 180th Avenue | 1902 | |||
| Morgan Davies Barn | S Skookumchuck Road of the junction with Johnson Creek | 1910 | |||
| Engstrom House/Weber House | 3741 SW 143rd Ave | 1910 | |||
| Violet Prairie Grange | 17104 SE Violet Prairie Road | 1935 | |||
| Ada's Resort | 4005 SE 120th Avenue | 1939 | |||
| Linklater Ranch | 13911 Military Road Southeast | ||||
| Bronson Resort | 4122 SE 119th Avenue | 1915 | Located on Offut Lake | ||
| Offut Lake Resort | 4005 SE 120th Avenue | 1939 |
See also
- Wolf Haven InternationalWolf Haven InternationalWolf Haven International, formerly known as Wolf Haven America and Wolf Haven Country, is a wildlife rehabilitation and management 501 non-profit organization headquartered in Tenino, Washington, that focuses on wolves...
- Yelm–Tenino Trail
- Monarch Contemporary Art Center and Sculpture ParkMonarch Contemporary Art Center and Sculpture ParkMonarch Contemporary Art Center and Sculpture Park is a free-admission, outdoor art gallery located along the Chehalis Western Trail near Tenino, in Olympia, Washington...