Benton County Courthouse

The Prosser Falls Irrigation Company built the Riverside Hotel (above) in 1889 and had a dedication on April 16, 1894. The building later housed the Benton County Courthouse and then a sanitorium. The building burned in 1913 and was later re-built by Mary Long as her home. In 1950 it was used as the VFW Club. It is located on 6th Street on the south side of the bridge. This postcard (above) was mailed September 22, 1919. Courthouse

The county seat of government was later moved to the Central Hotel building on Sixth Street and then several months later the county business was transacted in the Viles Block on Seventh Street.

In 1926 the new $60,000 County Courthouse was erected in the square which is skirted on the east and west by Main and Market Streets and on the north by Dudley Avenue and Prosser Avenue on the south.

The historic Benton County Courthouse was originally constructed in 1926. In 2015 upgrades were completed on the county courthouse. Since 1905 the County Seat has been in Prosser where the majority of the population was. Although that population has shifted, the seat still remains in Prosser.

WE WORK FOR YOU

It’s not something you expect to hear from an electric company. But, we’re not your typical utility. We’re a local, not-for-profit electric cooperative. We want to help you save energy so you can save your hard earned money. YOUR SOURCE OF POWER AND INFORMATION

Visit BentonREA.org to discover the power of your co-op membership.

Pictured l to r: Becky Jansen, Holly Rojas, Gillybean Rojas, Lilly Jansen, Patti Barrett and Katie Martin

Becky and Harmon Jansen are the owners of Becky’s Coffee Corner

& Video. They started the business 16-1/2 years ago. Serving great coffee concoctions and other specialty drinks - along with making great sandwiches & soup! Stop by and try one of the lunch specials offered daily.

We have Video Rental 786-0748 (Movie Hours: Mon. - Thurs. 10-5:00, Fri.& Sat. 10-6:30), books on CD and Tape, along with book exchange. You can also visit

us at the Farmers’ Market on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon.

Come sit and do a puzzle, play a board game, relax on our sofa while you read a magazine or sit around and chat and enjoy the best coffee in town.

Stop By & Go Old School

Hours: Monday - Friday 7-5

Saturday 8-6:30 • Closed Sundays

1120 Meade Avenue Prosser •786-0747

Play Some Vinyl & Cassettes

Stop By and Enjoy Our Wonderful Appetizers and Entrees!

El Caporal opened in 1998. They are a family owned business offering wonderful service in a great family atmosphere. Their family was honored to be voted Prosser Small Business of the Year in 2004. Open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week. Monday - Thursday 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. and Sunday 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. You can start out with one of the delicious appetizers and then order one of the many entrees available on the menu.

Lunch specials are served daily and there are many combination plates to choose from.

Enjoy a cocktail, or beer or one of the best margaritas around from our full service bar. We are one of eleven El Caporal Restaurants!

EL CAPORAL

624 6th Street Prosser · 786-4910 Bienvenidos Amigos

As early as 1883, a part of the mother county of Yakima was subdivided and became Kittitas with Ellensburg as the county seat. After Washington territory became a state in 1889, people in the southeastern part of Yakima County began to fret and fume about the distance they must travel to Yakima City to transact business. So, it was that early in 1901 the political pot began to boil and there was talk of a new county being formed. It was generally conceded that Representative Nelson Rich expected to introduce a bill creating the county of Riverside with the dividing boundary running north and south through a point three miles west of Mabton.

The Yakima Herald dated February 14, 1901, had the following to say about the issue: “It is quite probable that those agitating for a division of the county-namely, those interested in making Prosser a county seat-will meet with but poor success, for remonstrances are pouring in from all quarters and thus far Representative Rich has been persuaded not to introduce the bill. Klickitat County is fighting the scheme as the new county would embrace several precincts of the Horse Heaven country. The scheme is doomed to failure.” Nevertheless, the measure, known as House Bill No. 120, was introduced but was never voted upon.

The county division question again came to the fore in 1902. A mass meeting attended by 100 people was held in Rich’s hall in Prosser. 30 Delegates were present from Mabton, Sunnyside, Kiona, Rattlesnake, and Prosser. Representative Rich presided. A committee consisting of one - from each precinct was appointed to define the boundary lines of the pioposed new county. Petitions were circulated, then in 1903 a bill was introduced by Representative Wells calling for the organization of a new county to be called McKinley County that did not meet the universal approval of the Sunnyside folk, so the dissension resulted in the defeat of the bill. However the next session of the state legislature convened in 1905, March 8 a measure was passed which created the new unit of government - Benton County, so named after U. S. Senator Thomas Hart Benton of Missouri.

By action taken by the board of commissioners in their first meeting in 1905, a contract was entered into with George J. Hessehnann, owner of the Hotel Riverside, for the use of the building as a courthouse at a rental of $60 per month.

KD’s Country Floral

Full Service Floral Shoppe

Karen Don - Owner and Floral Designer with over 30 years Experience

Fresh Flowers • Plush • Plants • Sweet Shop Truffles Balloon Bouquets • Candy Cakes • All Occassion Gifts

Weddings • Funerals • Birthdays • Anniversaries Open Monday-Friday 9-5:30 • Saturday 10-3 786-0048