Kennewick in Benton County, Washington — The American West (Northwest)
First Federal Road in the Northwest
Photographed by Clayton Pickett, April 12, 2026
1. First Federal Road in the Northwest Marker
Inscription.
First Federal Road in the Northwest. . The first wagon road built by the federal government in old Oregon followed this shoreline. On Jan. 7, 1853 Congress passed "An Act for Construction of Military Roads in Oregon Terr." Jefferson Davis, Secretary of War, then issued instructions to Captain George B. McClellan to construct a road from Old Fort Walla Walla to Puget Sound to be ready for use by emigrants that year. He added "You will at least endeavor to fix the line of the road and perform such work on the most difficult portions as will enable the emigrants to render the route practicable by their own exertions." Informed of the project at the Grande Ronde, the Longmire Party of 36 wagons chose to travel the road and passed this area in mid September. They cut their way across the Cascades at Naches Pass and reached Puget Sound October 9, 1853.
The first wagon road built by the federal government in old Oregon followed this shoreline. On Jan. 7, 1853 Congress passed "An Act for Construction of Military Roads in Oregon Terr." Jefferson Davis, Secretary of War, then issued instructions to Captain George B. McClellan to construct a road from Old Fort Walla Walla to Puget Sound to be ready for use by emigrants that year. He added "You will at least endeavor to fix the line of the road and perform such work on the most difficult portions as will enable the emigrants to render the route practicable by their own exertions." Informed of the project at the Grande Ronde, the Longmire Party of 36 wagons chose to travel the road and passed this area in mid September. They cut their way across the Cascades at Naches Pass and reached Puget Sound October 9, 1853.
Erected by Benton County Historical And Pioneer Association.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical date for this entry is January 7, 1853.
Location. 46° 13.832′ N, 119° 11.473′ W. Marker is in Kennewick, Washington, in Benton County.
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It is at the intersection of Paul Parish Drive and North Edison Street, on the right when traveling east on Paul Parish Drive. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5413 Paul Parish Drive, Kennewick WA 99336, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Washington’s Columbia Basin and in Yakima Valley. It is also in the American Mountain West and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Pacific Rim, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 18, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 12, 2026, by Clayton Pickett of Richland, Washington. This page has been viewed 18 times since then. Photos:1, 2. submitted on April 12, 2026, by Clayton Pickett of Richland, Washington. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
