Badger, Washington — Name Apparently Came Out of a Hole

Badger's name begins with water appearing where someone did not expect it.

When the Northern Pacific established a station in the area during the 1880s, dependable water mattered in the dry country southwest of modern Richland. Local place-name accounts say a spring was found flowing from what looked like a badger hole near Badger Springs. The animal ended up naming the springs, canyon and community.

A school, store and post office eventually served the small settlement. The town itself never became large, but “Badger” proved remarkably durable. Modern Tri-Cities growth has pushed homes and roads into the surrounding country, while Badger Mountain became one of the region's best-known recreation landmarks.

The railroad station faded into history. The badger hole won the naming contest.