Located in the southeastern part of the state of Washington and a city in Benton County, Kennewick sits opposite Pasco and immediately southeast of Richland, which is situated along the Columbia River. The town was laid out by the Northern Pacific Irrigation Company, the town was largely surrounded by farm counties that produced corn, alfalfa, sugar beets, beans, grapes, and other agricultural products. A hydroelectric dam was constructed on the Columbia River and along the Hanford Works by the US Department of Energy, which is located just northwest of the tri-city group that has played a vital role in the area’s economy. The city’s name was derived from an Indian origin that was believed to mean a “grassy place.” Human remains were discovered in Kennewick’s Columbia Park that was believed to be 9,400 years old in 1996. The skull that was found is long and narrows that was believed to be of European descent than that of Asian descent.