This is the story of how Pasco “ate” another town. Now, I’m not sure if this is being taught in Washington State History classes in Tri-Cities or if it’s something that has to be passed down from generations of Tri-Citians to the next.
Photo by Neal Markham on Unsplash
Ainsworth was a small town that would one day be engulfed by modern-day Pasco, Washington. It was initially settled as a train station depot, where many railroad workers, many of them Chinese immigrants, lived. Despite its small size, Ainsworth was the county seat of Whitman County, despite being in modern-day Franklin County.
Photo by Jake Weirick on Unsplash
By 1884, the completion of a railroad bridge over the Snake River saw Pasco grow in size. The workers that had been living in Ainsworth moved there and eventually, Pasco swallowed the smaller town up.
Photo by Matteo Di Iorio on Unsplash
Ainsworth didn’t last very long and was small in size, with its peak population being merely 1,500 people, most of whom were Chinese railroad workers. When the railroads were completed, they moved away entirely. Ainsworth was settled and then engulfed within 5 years, leaving not much behind to be remembered by. There are small reminders such as a Pasco street name and markers, otherwise, it’s possible most people aren’t aware of its fragile and short-lived existence.
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