Tenino, Washington

Tenino, Washington
City
Downtown Tenino, along Sussex Ave., 2011
Downtown Tenino, along Sussex Ave., 2011
Nickname: 
The Stone City[1]
Location of Tenino, Washington
Location of Tenino, Washington
Coordinates: 46°51′24″N 122°51′1″W / 46.85667°N 122.85028°W / 46.85667; -122.85028
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountyThurston
Area
[2]
 • Total1.46 sq mi (3.77 km2)
 • Land1.46 sq mi (3.77 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
289 ft (88 m)
Population
 (2020)[3]
 • Total1,870
 • Estimate 
(2021)[4]
1,958
 • Density1,280.91/sq mi (494.66/km2)
Time zoneUTC-8 (PST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
98589
Area code360
FIPS code53-70630
GNIS feature ID1512718[5]
Websitecityoftenino.us

Tenino (/təˈnaɪnoʊ/) is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,870 at the 2020 census.[3]

Incorporated in 1906, the city sits upon land first established as a food-source prairie for Native Americans living in the area. The town grew around an economy of stone quarrying, with local sandstone being used in several government and university buildings in the Pacific Northwest. With a decrease in demand for stone, the town converted one abandoned quarry into a community pool. Its downtown district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[6]

Tenino gained notoriety during the Great Depression for the use of wooden money as public currency for its residents, a practice briefly revived during the COVID-19 Pandemic.[7][8] Research released in a 2019 book provided an answer regarding myths surrounding the name of Tenino; it was determined the name is borrowed from the moniker of a steamboat used during a railroad committee expedition.[9]

  1. ^ Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (2015). Rail-Trails Washington & Oregon (1st ed.). Wilderness Press. p. 116. ISBN 9780899977942.
  2. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference USCensusEst2021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  6. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference TWM was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference AWCT was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).