In September 1894, August E. "Ed" Timmerman, a rancher, completes a cable ferry at the future Columbia point, near Richland. Realizing the place would be an ideal place to build a cable ferry, he buys land, builds two towers on either side of the river, and launches the ferry. It operated until 1931 when automobile bridges in the area render it obsolete.
Building the Ferry
Timmerman had been raising cattle in Grant's Meadows, which is what Columbia Point was called at the time, when he realized it was an ideal spot for a cable ferry. He built two towers, an 80-foot behemoth at Grant's Meadows and a 40-footer on the east side of the Columbia, and draped 3,000 feet of three-quarter-inch cable between the two. When work was finally completed, Timmerman and his friends celebrated with "a keg of beer and lots of old-time eats" (Kubik).
Timmerman charged a quarter for a person on horseback, a dollar for a wagon or buggy or, later, an auto or truck. Horses and cattle cost a dime each and a sheep cost a penny.
The Timmerman family operated the ferry until 1924 and then sold it. The ferry shut down for good in 1931 due to competition from the Pasco-Kennewick auto bridge.
Tri-Cities 2022 Geocoin Challenge
Land of the Three Rivers
- Passport must be in one piece, not torn or mutilated
- Return completed passport: Columbia Point Marina Park: ~ Sat, June 25, 3-7pm & Sun, June 26, 9am-12pm
- After Sunday, June 26 @ 2 pm return the completed passport to Richland Parks & Recreation
- Richland Parks & Rec: N46 16.369 W119 16.273 ~ Mon-Fri 8am-9pm, Sat 9am-8pm, Sun 12-4pm
- Cache questions (event weekend only): call 509.578.9332
- Coins available while supplies last
Kid Challenge
- Find 8 caches throughout the Tri-Cities
- All the caches have a code word
- Write the code words on the passport
KIDS GEOCOIN CHALLENGE PASSPORT (Link goes live: 6/25 – 11am)
Adult Challenge
ADULT GEOCOIN CHALLENGE PASSPORT (Link goes live: 6/25 – 11am)
- Complete the 4 Adventure Labs (each adventure must have a check in them)