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Hanford Cultural and Historic Resources Program
History and Archaeology
At Hanford, we tend to think of the Site's history in terms of three overlapping cultural landscapes. The first represents the American Indians, who have created a rich archeological and ethnographic record spanning more than 10,000 years. This is the only stretch of the Columbia River that is still free-flowing, and one of the few areas in the Mid-Columbia Valley without modern agricultural development. As a result, this is one of the few places where villages and campsites can still be found. Still today, local American Indian tribes revere the area for its spiritual and cultural importance, as they continue the traditions practiced by their ancestors.
The second landscape embodies the experiences of the immigrants who started arriving in the mid-19th century. Following the explorers and fur traders who passed through the area were miners, ranchers and then farmers. In 1943, the U.S. Government acquired the land for a secret wartime project and approximately 1500 families were forced to move. Today, the former residents and their families recall the homes they had to leave and see the remains of their farms and towns as symbols of the sacrifice they made to the war effort.
The third landscape is associated with World War II and the subsequent Cold War. The government acquired the land in 1943 to build large industrial facilities to produce plutonium, which served a vital role in the nation's defense. Hanford's mission expanded during the Cold War era to include research and development activities associated with the peaceful uses of atomic energy. Today the remains of the facilities and legacy wastes document an important part of the nuclear age story.
There are not many places with as rich a history as Hanford's. Come tour the website and see for yourself.
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