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Benton County service map

County context for Richland.

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Richland, Washington — Government Needed Plutonium and Sidewalks

Richland was a small agricultural community until the Manhattan Project arrived in 1943.

The federal government needed workers for the secret Hanford plutonium complex.

Those workers needed somewhere to live.

So Richland became a government-built city at extraordinary speed.

Standardized houses identified by letters appeared by the thousands.

The federal government owned them, assigned them according to household and employment needs, and controlled much of daily residential life.

Outside town, Hanford produced plutonium used in the Trinity test and the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki.

The project displaced earlier farming communities and operated under intense secrecy.

After the war, Richland gradually shifted from federal company town toward conventional municipal ownership while nuclear research, cleanup and energy work remained central to the regional economy.

Many Alphabet Houses still stand.

They are ordinary-looking evidence of an extraordinary moment when national weapons policy determined the floor plan.

Local Resources

Benton County legal resources

These records are associated with Benton County. Unless a record is specifically labelled as located in this community, confirm the correct office, jurisdiction, and service area directly; a county association or postal address is not proof of city or countywide authority.

Courts
4
County Offices
4
Law Enforcement
3
Attorney & Legal Office References
8

Courts

4 listed

County-associated references

  • Benton County District Court

    District Court

    Benton County reference
    7122 W Okanogan Pl, Ste A110, Kennewick WA 99336-2601
    Court website 509-735-8476

    Research reference

    Reference only — confirm directly.

  • Benton County District Court - Prosser Branch

    District Division

    Benton County reference
    620 Market St, Prosser WA 99350-1300
    Court website 509-786-5480

    Research reference

    Reference only — confirm directly.

  • Benton County Juvenile Court

    Juvenile Court

    Benton County reference
    5600 W Canal Dr, Kennewick, WA 99336
    Court website (509) 783-2151

    Research reference

    Reference only — confirm directly.

  • Benton County Superior Court

    Superior Court

    Benton County reference
    7122 W Okanogan Pl, Bldg A, Kennewick WA 99336-2359
    Court website 509-736-3071

    Research reference

    Reference only — confirm directly.

County Offices

4 listed

County-associated references

  • Benton County Assessor

    Assessor

    Benton County reference

    Address not published

    County office website

    Reference only — confirm directly.

  • Benton County Auditor / Recorder

    Auditor / Recorder

    Benton County reference

    Address not published

    County office website

    Reference only — confirm directly.

  • Benton County Court Clerk

    Court Clerk

    Benton County reference

    Address not published

    County office website

    Reference only — confirm directly.

  • Benton County Treasurer

    Treasurer

    Benton County reference

    Address not published

    County office website

    Reference only — confirm directly.

Law Enforcement

3 listed

County-associated references

  • Benton County Sheriff's Office

    county sheriff

    Benton County reference

    Address not published

    Agency website

    Reference only — confirm directly.

  • Richland Police Department

    police department

    Benton County reference

    Address not published

    Agency website

    Reference only — confirm directly.

  • West Richland Police Department

    police department

    Benton County reference

    Address not published

    Agency website

    Reference only — confirm directly.

Attorney & Legal Office References

8 listed

Located in Richland

Show 2 more attorney & legal office references

19 reference records shown. Confirm time-sensitive addresses, hours, procedures, jurisdiction, and intake requirements directly with the organization.