Tenino, Washington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tenino, Washington
City
Downtown Tenino, along Sussex Ave., 2011
Nickname(s):  The Stone City
Location of Tenino, Washington
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Thurston
Area
• Total	1.46 sq mi (3.77 km2)
• Land	1.46 sq mi (3.77 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	289 ft (88 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,870
• Estimate  (2021)	1,958
• Density	1,280.91/sq mi (494.66/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	98589
Area code	360
FIPS code	53-70630
GNIS feature ID	1512718

Tenino (pronounced t-uh-NY-noh) is a city in Thurston County, Washington, in the United States. In 2020, about 1,870 people lived there.

The city was officially started in 1906. It was built on land that Native Americans once used to grow food. Tenino grew because of its stone quarries, where special sandstone was dug up. This stone was used to build many important government and university buildings in the Pacific Northwest.

When people stopped needing as much stone, one old quarry was turned into a community swimming pool. The downtown area of Tenino is now a special historic place.

Tenino became famous during the Great Depression for using wooden money when regular money was hard to find. They even brought this idea back for a short time during the COVID-19 pandemic. The city got its name from a steamboat that was used during a railroad trip.

What's in a Name? The Story of Tenino

The name "Tenino" has been a mystery for a long time. When the Northern Pacific Railway arrived in 1872, they named their station Tenino. For many years, people thought the name came from a Native American word or a railroad code.

However, city historian Richard A. Edwards found the real answer. The name "Tenino" came from a steamboat. This steamboat belonged to the Oregon Steam Navigation Company (OSN).

In 1872, this steamboat carried a group from the Northern Pacific Railroad on a trip. Soon after, the railroad decided to name their new station "Tenino." This connected the "old Tenino" (the steamboat) to the "new town" of Tenino.

The steamboat itself was named after the Tenino Native American group. These people used to live near The Dalles in Oregon. Their descendants are now part of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.

Sometimes, people also called the town "T-9-O" as a shorter name.

Tenino's Journey Through Time

Tenino became an official city on July 24, 1906. But it was a small community long before that, starting in the mid-1800s. Early American settlers came to the area because of the open prairies. Native Americans had kept these prairies clear by using controlled fires. This helped them grow camas root, which was an important food.

The first settlers had a post office and school called "Coal Bank" in the 1860s. This was because of a coal deposit nearby. When the Northern Pacific Railway arrived in 1872, they named their new station Tenino.

In the late 1800s, many companies started digging up sandstone in Tenino. This stone was used to build many famous buildings. Some examples include the Old Capitol Building in Olympia and Denny Hall at the University of Washington in Seattle. It was also used for buildings in Portland, Oregon, and San Francisco. The U.S. government even used the stone for jetties (structures built into the water).

However, in the early 1900s, people started using concrete more than stone. So, the quarries in Tenino became less important. Other industries like logging, sawmills, and coal mining also declined later on.

Tenino wooden money, issued during the Great Depression.

Tenino became famous across the country during the Great Depression. When the local bank closed, the city government printed special wooden money. People could use this money to buy things in town when regular cash was hard to find. Most of this wooden money was never turned back in for regular money. Instead, it became a cool item for collectors!

Before the big highway Interstate 5 was built, Tenino was known for something else. It was a place where police were very strict about the speed limit. Many drivers thought it was a "speed trap" because the speed limit dropped quickly when entering town.

Today, Tenino still has its historic downtown area, which is a special historic district. Many people who live in Tenino now travel to bigger cities like Olympia and Tacoma for work.

Since the 1970s, the U.S. Army has used a map of Tenino for training. This is because the map has many different symbols, making it good for learning how to read maps.

The current mayor of Tenino is Wayne Fournier. The first mayor was John Henry Keithahn.

Where is Tenino?

Tenino is located at 46°51′24″N 122°51′01″W / 46.856745°N 122.850290°W / 46.856745; -122.850290.

The city covers an area of about 1.44 square miles (3.77 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

Who Lives in Tenino?

In 2010, there were 1,695 people living in Tenino. There were 691 households, and 440 families. The city had about 1,177 people per square mile.

Most of the people living in Tenino were White (90.7%). About 7.4% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

About 35.6% of households had children under 18. The average age in the city was 36.8 years old.

Tenino's Economy

One of the main ways Tenino makes money is through farming, especially raising animals for food. After a meat processing plant in the area closed, the city and county started planning a new business park.

This park is called the Southwest Washington Agricultural Business & Innovation Park. Construction began in 2023. It plans to have a slaughterhouse, food processing facilities, an event center, and buildings for small businesses. The state government has given money for future parts of this project.

Learning in Tenino: Education History

One of the very first schools in the county was built near Tenino around 1862. It was in an area then called the Coal Bank Precinct. This school ran on a small budget and taught both settler and Native American children.

Around 1878, a new schoolhouse was built near an oak tree in what is now Tenino City Park. This new school grew twice, in 1890 and 1908, as more people moved to the community. By 1909, high school classes were offered up to 9th grade.

A gymnasium and a larger school building were added in 1917. A full high school was finished in 1924, with its own gym added the next year.

Fun and Culture in Tenino

Festivals and Events

Since 1968, Tenino has held an annual "Oregon Trail Days" festival. This weekend event celebrates the history of pioneers. You can often see demonstrations of logging, blacksmithing, and how pioneers lived.

The festival also features "Black powder shoots," history exhibits, live music, food, vintage car shows, and a parade. Other local groups, like the farmer's market, often have events at the same time.

The Tenino Farmers Market is held every year from early May to the end of September. It's part of the Washington State Farmers Market Association. They even have special market events for Mother's Day and Father's Day.

Historic Buildings and Sites

In 2020, Tenino created the "Tenino Creative Arts District." This special area includes the historic downtown, the business district, and Tenino City Park. The plan is to add public art, like murals and metal banners, that show Tenino's history. There will even be a scavenger hunt based on the artworks! In October 2023, 23 banners were added to light poles downtown.

Theater

A non-profit theater group called the Tenino Young-at-Heart Theatre (TYT) started in 1990. They put on live shows in different places around the city. In 2021, the TYT bought land near the high school. They plan to build a performing arts center there.

Tourism

You can take the Tenino Sandstone Walking tour to learn about the city's past with sandstone. Local stone carver shops and their sculptures are a main part of the tour.

Tenino also has a "Yellow Bike project" that started in 2001. This is a bicycle-sharing system that lets visitors borrow bikes to explore the city or ride on the Yelm–Rainier–Tenino Trail.

Parks and Outdoor Fun

The biggest park in Tenino is Tenino City Park. It's about 128 acres (52 hectares) and is south of the town center. The Yelm–Rainier-Tenino Trail goes right through the park.

The park has the Tenino Stone Quarry community pool, the Quarry House, and the Tenino Depot Museum. There are also ballfields and picnic areas. The park grew by 13 acres (5.3 hectares) in 2011. This happened during a "Save Our Park" effort to protect land and trails from being cut down.

In 2022, the city received over $500,000 to rebuild the playground at Tenino City Park. It had been damaged by a winter storm. The new play area, called Maytown Community Playground, opened in 2023. Also that year, three pump tracks (special bike tracks) were added. These tracks have different difficulty levels. In 2024, the park grew again with 60 more acres (24 hectares) of woodland.

The South Sound Speedway, a race track, is just southwest of the downtown area.

Historic Buildings and Places to See

There are 26 historic places in or near Tenino. Here are some of them:

Name	Image	Address	Built in	NRHP?	Notes
Tenino Downtown Historic District		Two blocks long, on Sussex Street		June 25, 2004	Sussex Street is the main road in Tenino.
Tenino Depot		Tenino City Park		December 27, 1974	The Tenino Depot is now a museum. It was moved to Tenino City Park.
Hercules Sandstone Company Office		Corner of Sussex and Hodgen			This building was originally near the Hercules Sandstone Company Quarry. In 1922, it was taken apart, moved, and put back together at its current spot. It is now Tenino's City Hall.
Tenino Stone Company Quarry		2712 Huston Street	1891	July 28, 1983	This old quarry is now the Memorial Swimming Pool, located in Tenino City Park.
Ticknor School		399 Park Avenue West	1934	May 10, 1990	This school was moved from its original location to Tenino City Park in 2002, next to the Tenino Depot.
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

Tenino in Movies

The independent movie, The Mountain, which stars Jeff Goldblum, was partly filmed in Tenino.

See also

In Spanish: Tenino (Washington) para niños