Columbia Basin Development League Records, 1965-1976

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Columbia Basin Development League
Title
Columbia Basin Development League Records
Dates
1965-1976 (inclusive)
Quantity
3 containers., (1.5 linear feet of shelf space.), (1700 items.)
Collection Number
Cage 177
Summary
Newspaper clippings and news releases, photographs, some correspondence and minutes, and other papers of a non-profit corporation organized to encourage and promote the completion of the Columbia Basin Project, an irrigation effort in Central Washington.
Repository
Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu
Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research use.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The Columbia Basin Development League was organized in March, 1963 as the Basin Development Committee in an attempt to promote more orderly development of the Columbia Basic Project. There was a real fear that the project was dying for lack of federal interest. Statistics revealed that the annual appropriations for the project declined markedly from the early 1950s to the early 1960s. In addition there was a radical decline in water service to additional lands after 1955. The first officers of the Basin Development Committee, Dale Jeffries of Royal City, chairman, Paul Hamilton of Ephrata, secretary, and Logan Beam of Moses Lake, treasurer, attempted to reverse this decline through a local organization. The Basin Development Committee was reorganized in September, 1964, as the Columbia Basin Development League, a non-profit corporation. The incorporators were Ned Thomas, James H. Taylor, M. H. Cherf, Logan O. Beam, Willard F. Hess, Edward J. Emry, and Richard A. Leith. The organization consisted of a president, vice-president, treasurer, an executive committee of eight and a forty member board of trustees chosen by the membership. Thomas was elected first president. Other past presidents include Robert G. Allen (Pasco), E. Roy Mundy (Ephrata), and David A. Gallant (Pasco).

The stated goal of the organization is to promote the completion of the full 1,095,000 authorized acres of the Columbia Basin Project, thereby stimulating economic activity in the Columbia Basin and bringing increased prosperity to the residents.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The bulk of the records of the Columbia Basin Development League consist of newspaper clippings and press releases from the period June, 1965 through November, 1976. The majority of the newspaper cited are from the Columbia Basin area. In addition to the newspaper clippings the collection consists of: some general correspondence, minutes of meetings (executive, trustee and general), membership lists (1968), publications (such as "Economic impact statement of second Bacon siphon and tunnel," 1970) and some financial records (lists of businesses and services contacted for donations and a bank deposit book). Also included in the collection are many photographs.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

[Item Description]. Cage 177, Columbia Basin Development League Records . Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The newspaper clippings are arranged alphabetically by subject. The order at the time of accessioning has not been disturbed. It is apparent, however, that this is not the original filing order. There is an office filing code with each subject heading; this original code has been included to give the researcher an indication of the original office filing order.

Acquisition Information

The records of the Columbia Basin Development League of Ephrata, Washington were donated to the Washington State University Library in August, 1977 by Mr. Niel Johnson, an officer of the League (77-42).

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Office Files , 1945-1982Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 1
News--Columbia Basin Project (General) (G2)
63 items.
January 1967-July 1970
1 2
News--Columbia Basin Project, Current Construction and Planning (3rd Power House) (G3)
153 items.
October 1966-September 1970
1 3
News--Crops and Production Information (G3A)
20 items.
October 1968-March 1971
1 4
News--District Problems, Action, Officers, Takeover, etc. (G4)
112 items.
January 1968-April 1972
1 5
News--Drainage Problems (G7)
22 items.
October 1966-April 1970
1 6
News--Diversion, Central Arizona Project (D6)
58 items.
February 1967-February 1970
1 7
News--Diversion (G5)
85 items.
June 1965-June 1970
1 8
News--Environmental Aspects (G7A)
35 items.
1 9
News--Farm Policy (G8)
9 items.
January 1968-February 1971
1 10
News--Industrial Developments in Basin (G10)
86 items.
January 1968-May 1970
1 11
News--Hanford Reactor Closure
28 items.
1971
1 12
News--Food Surplus and Shortages (G9)
21 items.
August 1968 - January 1971
1 13
News--Land Limitations (Land Use) (G11)
53 items.
March 1968-April 1970
1 14
News--Irrigation Approaches (Methods--Organizations, etc.) (G10A)
42 items.
May 1964-June 1970
1 15
News--Population Problems (G13A)
22 items.
March 1969-August 1970
1 16
News--Recreation (G13)
17 items.
October 1967-June 1971
1 17
News--Pesticides
2 items.
Mar-71
1 18
News--New Land Inclusions (G12)
23 items.
October 1966-November 1969
2 19
News--Legal Problems (G11A)
5 items.
September - October 1969
2 20
News--Power Developments (G14)
87 items.
October 1968-July 1969
2 21
News--Power Developments (G14)
100 items.
August 1969 - August 1970
2 22
News--Water Development, General (G15)
40 items.
January 1968-June 1970
2 23
Hot Water Irrigation
18 items.
Aug-69
2 24
News--Warm Water Irrigation (G14A)
7 items.
September 1969-September 1970
2 25
Power Parks
85 items.
July 1967-May 1970
2 26
News--Water Development, Local (G16)
80 items.
January 1968-April 1970
2 27
News--Water rationing (G17A)
12 items.
Sep-70
2 28
News--Water and Air Pollution (G17)
55 items.
January 1968-September 1970
2 29
News Releases
140 items.
October 1967-December 1972
2 30
Photographs (G18)
60 items.
2 31
Photographs (G18)
72 items.
3 32
Fish and Wildlife Service (H5)
4 items.
3 33
Water Resources, Northwest and National (H9)
15 items.
3 34
Reclamation, General (H6)
11 items.
3 35
General correspondence, minutes, news releases, clippings and pamphlets
50 items.
September 1968-November 1976
3 36
Business and Services listing
1 item.
3 37
Membership lists
3 items.
21-May-68
3 38
East and West Banks proposal for joint bulletin
8 items.
3 39
Economic impact statement of the second Bacon siphon and tunnel
1 item.
Apr-70
3 40
The Million Acre Program
1 item.
3 41
Deposit receipt book, Security State Bank of Washington
1 item.
11/26/65-4/29/66

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Irrigation -- Columbia River Valley

Personal Names

  • Johnson, Neil. waps (donor)

Corporate Names

  • Columbia Basin Development League --Archives (creator)
  • Columbia Basin Project (U.S.)