Clifford R. Koester Papers

Clifford R. Koester Papers, 1927-1972

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Koester, Clifford R., 1912-1991
Title: Clifford R. Koester Papers
Dates: 1927-1972 (inclusive)
19271972
Quantity: 2.5 Linear feet of shelf space, (4 boxes)
Collection Number: Cage 709 (collection)
Summary: Clifford R. Koester worked as a journeyman electrician for the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, at the Grand Coulee Dam. The primary focus of the collection is the construction and operation of the Grand Coulee Dam. The collection also includes materials related to larger questions about reclamation and development, some expressing opposition to federal government regulatory powers.
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 and available for research use.
Languages: English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Clifford R. Koester (1912-1991) was born in Amarillo, TX, and spent his childhood in Ismay, MT. From 1941 to 1961 he worked as a journeyman electrician for the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, first at the Leavenworth (WA) fish hatchery and then at the Grand Coulee Dam. He was a long-time member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and a resident of the town of Coulee Dam (WA).

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The primary focus of the collection is the construction and operation of the Grand Coulee Dam. It includes an unpublished history of the dam and a substantial amount of ephemera (primarily newsletters and pamphlets) related to the dam. The collection also includes materials related to larger questions about reclamation and development, some expressing opposition to federal government regulatory powers.

In his history of the dam, Koester focused on the contributions of laborers to the monumental project. In the dedication, he observed that "the ability and achievements of the planners and engineers have often been extolled elsewhere. I wish to speak now of the craftsmen and common workmen who toiled here, and gave a part of their lives to further this great work…"

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Preferred Citation

[Item Description] Clifford R. Koester Papers (Cage 709)

Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The arrangement for this collection was created during processing in the absence of a usable original order. Many printed items have been removed from the papers for separate cataloging. (Note: please contact MASC staff if you need assistance in locating these items in the online catalog.)

The papers have been arranged in five series:

Series 1: History of the Columbia Basin Project by Clifford R. Koester, 1945. Three-volume typescript (bound), illustrated with approximately 176 United States Bureau of Reclamation photographs. Discusses many aspects of the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam and includes some information about related Columbia Basin projects.

Series 2: Correspondence and notes; 1945-1955, undated. The materials in this series are related to two main topics: Koester's research for his history of the Grand Coulee Dam, and his opposition to federal government regulation of recreational use of Lake Roosevelt.

Series 3: Newsletters, 1936-1958. Includes issues of the Pacific Northwest Development Association Bulletin, the Columbia Basin Project Safety News, and the Columbian.

Series 4: Reports, pamphlets, and miscellaneous materials, 1927-1972.

Series 5: Photographs; 1948, undated.

Acquisition Information

The papers of Clifford R. Koester were donated to Washington State University in two separate installments, by Mr. Koester in 1985 (MS 1985-30) and by Ronald and Ronda Koester in 2002 (MS 2002-23).

Processing Note

This collection was processed in 2006 by Cheryl Gunselman, Manuscripts Librarian.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series 1: History of the Columbia Basin Project, 1945Return to Top

Container(s)		Description
Box	Folder
1	1-3	History of the Columbia Basin Project by Clifford R. Koester (bound typescript and photographs), 1945.

Series 2: Correspondence and notes; 1945-1955, undatedReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description
Box	Folder
2	4	Correspondence and notes; 1945-1955, undated.

Series 3: Newsletters, 1936-1958Return to Top

Container(s)		Description
Box	Folder
2	5	M.W.A.K. Columbian newsletter (Mason City, WA: Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Co.), 1936-1937.
	6-9	The Columbian newsletter (Mason City, WA: Consolidated Builders), 1938-1941.
		Columbia Basin Project Safety News, 1944-1950
2	10-14	- Newsletters, 1944-1950.
3	15-16	- Newsletters, 1944-1950. (continued)
	17	- Layouts, circa 1947-1950.

3	18-20	Pacific Northwest Development Association Bulletin, 1947-1955.
	21	Miscellaneous newsletters, 1947-1958.

Series 4: Reports, pamphlets, and miscellaneous materials, 1927-1972Return to Top

Container(s)		Description
Box	Folder
3	22	"Specifications for Construction and Material, Grand Coulee Dam--Columbia Basin Project." Annotated typescript, undated.
	23	"Brown-Boveri Circuit Breaker Tests 230-KV Air-Blast Circuit Breaker, March 14-March 18, 1951." Typescript, circa 1951.
	24	"The Columbia Basin Project, 1890-1940," by J. B. Fink. Speech (typescript), 1940.
	25	"Revelations--1948," by Michael W. Straus. Speech (typescript), 1948.
	26	Appraisal report, Town of Coulee Dam, WA, Federal Housing Administration, 1956.
	27	"Why a CVA?" by Hugh Mitchell, 1945.
		"What's Inside the CVA Bill?" by J. K. Cheadle, 1946.
		"Do We Want More TVAs?" 1946.
	28	"Bureau of Reclamation Region 1 Employee Handbook," 1950.
	29	"Coulee Dam General Plan." Printed report, 1950.
	30	"The Columbia Basin Project" Printed report, 1950.
4	31	"The Grand Coulee Dam Area: A Preliminary Report," by George A. Shipman, 1950.
	32	"The Grand Coulee Dam Area: Final Report and Recommendations," by George A. Shipman, 1954.
	33	"History of Grand Coulee Dam Area: Community Development Study," 1958.
	34	Pamphlets
		- "Columbia Basin Project," U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, 1959.
		- "The Story of CVA," League for C.V.A., undated.
		- "The 'Authority' Issue," prepared by Clifford H. Stone, undated.
		- "Columbia Valley Authority," Homer D. Angell, 1945.
		- "Question and Answer Handbook about the Columbia Interstate Compact," undated.
		- "The Repayment of Construction Costs on Federal Reclamation Projects," Ross Morris, 1949.

	35	Miscellaneous pamphlets about Albeni Falls Dam and McNary Dam, 1954-1955.
	36	"Pacific Builder and Engineer," December 1947.
	37	"The Journal of Electrical Workers and Operators," September 1945.
	38	"The 'Palouse Soil' Problem," Kirk Bryan (U.S. Geological Survey bulletin 790-B), 1927.
		Miscellaneous or unidentified; 1949-1972, undated.

Series 5: Photographs; 1948, undated Return to Top

Container(s)		Description
Box	Folder
4	39-42	Photographs; 1948, undated.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Concrete dams -- Design and construction.
Water resources development -- Columbia River Watershed.
Water resources development -- Washington (State) -- History.

Corporate Names

Columbia Basin Project (U.S.) -- History.
Columbia Valley Authority -- History -- Sources.
Pacific Northwest Development Association -- History -- Sources

Geographical Names

Grand Coulee Dam (Wash.) -- History.

Archives West Finding Aid

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