White Bluffs Elementary was named in honor of the beautiful cliffs located north of Richland, visible from our school grounds and the inspiration for the name of the historical town White Bluffs, once located on the now Department of Energy’s Hanford Nuclear Reservation.  Many millions of years ago, basaltic lava flows covered the plains of eastern Washington. The many layers of lava that covered this area were up to 10,000 feet thick in places. Over millions of years, windblown soil settled over the lava fields, creating a rich loess environment.

and the floods ended, and humans moved into what is now Washington State. Wanapum Indians, now known as Priest Rapids Indians, inhabited the region. They were closely connected to the Yakima, Palouse, and Nez Perce tribes in their environment, gathering plants, hunting deer, and similar language. The first humans lived peacefully fishing for salmon from the mighty Columbia River.Along came the Ice Age and gigantic glaciers blocked Lake Missoula.  The ice dam burst, sending huge volumes of water through the hardened lava flows. The flood created what is now known as the "channeled scablands." As a result of all of these geological wonders Ringold formation, created by the catastrophic floods, exposed as light and dark layers on the east bank of the Columbia River. Fast forward a few million years...The ice sheets receded

In the 1800s white man arrived in the region. Most notable were Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who mapped the Columbia River corridor.  Soon after the mapping explorers and businessmen flocked to the West. Fur traders used the Columbia as its main route to the Pacific Ocean. The "white bluffs" were visible north of the trail. Wild horses and buffalo roamed the valley. Huge jackrabbit populations flourished. Fossils would later be found of prehistoric elephants and antelope that once lived here. The desert teemed with wild plants that Indians used for medicine or food.

The abundant brush grass, perfect for grazing cattle, attracted settlers to the area. By 1866, the town of White Bluffs was an established connection point, with stores, banks and hotels to serve the needs of the surrounding community.  In the 1880s, a ferry was established serving White Bluffs as the main service crossing the Columbia River.  In 1900, the ferry was replaced with a horse-powered ferry.  The new ferry was quite a novelty--the horses would walk in a circle around a capstan that powered the paddle wheels. The only time the ferry did not operate was when there was too much ice. Otherwise it served its purpose very well until 1906, when the ferry was replaced by an engine-powered barge.

During the early 1900s, technical improvements in irrigation boosted agricultural activities near White Bluffs.  Strawberries were one of the first cash crops.   White Bluffs and neighboring town Hanford took many honors with their grapes, strawberries, melons, and vegetables at local festivals and fairs. The town boomed with more businesses including a bank, pharmacy, real-estate offices, and a new grade school.  In 1922, there were enough students to justify building White Bluffs High School (aka White Bluff Eagles). 

In 1942, tragedy hit when a fire burned White Bluffs High School to the ground.  Neighboring Hanford High School graciously welcomed the White Bluff students to their school during the rebuilding of the school.  To the surprise of both towns, the high school in White Bluffs would not need to be rebuilt.  On March 6, 1943, residents of the Priest Rapids Valley and the lower Yakima Valley received a fateful letter that land was being taken for an important government project . Families had two weeks to three months to leave.  This project was later known as the Manhattan Project, the federal government's top-secret atomic bomb project associated with World War II effort.  While some of the evacuated homes and businesses buildings in the region were used as government  offices, sadly all buildings occupying the town of White Bluffs were destroyed.  Today the only remains from the town of White Bluffs is the spectacular view of the geologic formations that inspired its name.