In 1888, Northern Pacific Railway railway officials named the railroad stop at this location "Iona." It was changed to Tracy in 1905, and then Tokio in 1906.[4]
In the early 20th century the community had a rural school; its enrollment in 1917-18 was 10 pupils.[5][6] Essentially the small community of that period has since dissipated.[7]
Several wheat fields in Tokio and neighboring areas were destroyed by a 20,000-acre (8,100 ha) fire on July 31, 1998, which killed one farmer. His wheat crop was harvested by neighbors in a community celebration of life.[8]
The freeway exit is adjacent to a weigh station, which inspired the name of a Spokane band.[9] The weigh station has a truck stop and restaurant, along with a recreational cannabis store that opened in 2016.[10] The truck stop was also used as a filming location for The Promise, an independent movie released in 2004.[11]
^Turner, Steve Amber Waves and Undertow, p. 29 (2009) ("the freeways charting this new age can't leave all history behind: they have to acknowledge significant crossroads, routes names for municipal destinations, even though those towns have withered or vanished. Accordingly, they are intersections on the Adams stretch of Interstate 90 marked for Schrag and Tokio, sites now only of grain elevators.")
^Mapes, Lynda V. (August 6, 1998). "Sharing the burden: Neighbors harvest crop of farmer killed in fire". The Seattle Times. p. A1.
^Jordan, Isamu (November 24, 2006). "Tokio Weigh Station falls into place". Spokesman-Review. p. 4W.
