Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
George H. Barker Collection of Dam Construction Photographs and Ephemera, 1935-1952
Overview of the Collection
- Collector
- Barker, George H
- Title
- George H. Barker Collection of Dam Construction Photographs and Ephemera
- Dates
- 1935-1952 (inclusive)19351952
- Quantity
- 243 photographic prints, 18 newspaper clippings (1 box)
- Collection Number
- PH0102
- Summary
- Photographs and newspaper clippings documenting the construction of the Bonneville Dam, the Detroit Dam, and the Mud Mountain Dam.
- Repository
-
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open to the public.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was partially provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
George H. Barker was a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers inspector who worked on the Bonneville Dam, the Detroit Dam, and the Mud Mountain Dam.
Historical BackgroundReturn to Top
In addition to improving navigation and irrigation for the area, the Booneville Dam also generated energy for the benefit of the general public, a task regulated by the Bonneville Power Administration under the Department of the Interior. Dam construction was completed in 1938.
The Detroit Dam was created in response to a long-standing need for flood control in the Willamette River Basin in northwest Oregon, although it wasn't until 1932 that population growth and industrial development had reached a level to support the project. Work on the Detroit Dam was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1938; construction was initiated in March 1949 and completed in May 1953.
The Mud Mountain Dam was built to prevent the frequent flooding that occurred in South King County and North Pierce County in Washington State. When completed in 1948, it was the highest rock- and earth-filled dam in the world.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection consists of images collected by George H. Barker documenting location sites and construction of the Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River, linking Oregon and Washington; the Detroit Dam on the Santiam River in Oregon; and the Mud Mountain Dam on the Puyallup River in Washington. Also included are related newspaper clippings from The Seattle Times , The Oregonian (Portland, Or.), and The Capital Journal (Salem, Or.).
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Bonneville DamReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Folder | item | ||
1 | 1-5 | Buildings |
|
2 | 6 | Columbia
River |
|
2 | 7 | Men building
small dam across river |
|
3 | 8 | Columbia
River |
|
3 | 9 | Columbia River
in snow |
|
4 | 10 | Men
working |
|
4 | 11 | ||
5 | 12 | Construction
site |
Apr. 11, 1935 |
5 | 13 | ||
6 | 14 | Auditorium
building construction |
Apr. 12, 1935 |
6 | 15 | ||
7 | 16 | Construction |
|
7 | 17 | ||
8 | 18-19 | Excavating at
lock site |
|
9 | 20 | Apr. 18, 1935 | |
9 | 21 | Columbia
River |
May 25, 1935 |
10 | 22 | Two men standing
in front of Bonneville Dam |
|
10 | 23-24 | ||
11 | 25 | Pulley |
|
11 | 26 | Dump truck
dumping material into river |
|
11 | 27 | Crane |
|
11 | 28 | Men on
shore |
|
11 | 29 | Dump truck
dumping material into river |
|
11 | 30 | Group of
men |
Detroit Dam, Santiam River, 1939-1952Return to Top
Container(s): Folder 12-28, Item 31-81
Photographs of Detroit Dam, including construction, equipment, dump trucks, construction workers, riprap, river, and riverbank.
Mud Mountain Dam, Enumclaw, Wash., ca. 1940s-1950sReturn to Top
Container(s): Folder 28-33, Item 82-107k
Photographs of Mud Mountain Dam construction. Pictured also are men standing in front of a car and a man photographing the dam construction.
Detroit Dam, Santiam River, May-June 1949Return to Top
Container(s): Folder 34-46, Item 108-189
Photographs of Detroit Dam, including construction site, Cumley Quarry, Oregon Highway 222 in the snow, service roads, fields, bridges, trucks.
[Detroit Dam, Santiam River?]Return to Top
Container(s): Folder 47-48, Item 190-233
Photographs of construction site, people, equipment, pipes, and pylons; views of river, road, camp buildings, and mountain.
Newspaper ClippingsReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Detroit Dam |
|||
Folder | item | ||
49 | 234 |
The
Oregonian, "Work Forges Ahead on Two Dams of Willamette Basin
Project" |
Apr. 2, 1950 |
49 | 235 |
The Capital Journal, "Rod Mill and Classifier for
Detroit Dam" |
May 4, 1950 |
49 | 236 |
The Capital Journal, "Detroit Forest Fire Now Held
Under Control" |
June 3, 1950 |
49 | 237 |
The Capital Journal, "Huge Detroit Dam Begins to
Rise" |
Oct. 24, 1950 |
49 | 238 |
The Capital Journal, "Impediment to
Progress" |
Nov. 3, 1950 |
49 | 239 |
The Capital Journal, "Detroit Dam Contract 42 Per
Cent Completed" |
Mar. 27, 1951 |
49 | 240 |
The Capital Journal, "Progress at Detroit
Dam" |
Mar. 29, 1951 |
49 | 241 |
The Seattle Times, "Two Engineers Post Bail on
Bribe Charges" |
May 29, 1952 |
49 | 242 |
The Oregonian, "Detroit Dam Passes
Milestone" |
June 26, 1952 |
49 | 243 | "Detroit Dam
Will Require 1,400,000 Yards of Concrete Placed in Blocks According to
Construction Plans" |
|
49 | 244 | "Clearing for
Dam Construction and Reservoir" |
|
49 | 245 | "Diversion
Tunnel for Detroit Dam" |
|
49 | 246 | "Engineers To
Let Contracts, $116 Million" |
|
49 | 247 | "Bedrock
Excavations Ready Detroit Dam Site for Concrete" |
|
49 | 248 | "Pair
Suspended Until Case Settled" |
|
Other Dams |
|||
Folder | item | ||
49 | 249 | Special to
The Times, "New Bonneville Official
Coming" |
May 29 |
49 | 250 | "Priest Rapids
Dam Proposal Meets Criticism" |
|
49 | 251 | "Proposed
Eagle Gorge Dam Would Control Green River, Prevent Costly Floods and Possibly
Generate Power" |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Building sites--Oregon--Photographs
- Building sites--Washington (State)--Photographs
- Construction workers--Oregon--Photographs
- Construction workers--Washington (State)--Photographs
- Dam construction--Oregon
- Dam construction--Washington (State)
- Dams--Oregon--Photographs
- Dams--Washington (State)--Photographs
- Hydroelectric power--Washington (State)
- Irrigation--Oregon
- Irrigation--Washington (State)
- Rivers--Oregon--Photographs
- Rivers--Washington (State)--Photographs
- Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)
- Water-power--Washington (State)
Personal Names
- Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945--Photographs
Geographical Names
- Bonneville Dam (Or. and Wash)--Photographs
- Columbia River--Photographs
- Detroit Dam (Or.)--Photographs
- Mud Mountain Dam (Wash.)--Photographs
- Puyallup River (Wash.)--Photographs
- Santiam River (Or.)--Photographs
Form or Genre Terms
- Clippings
Titles within the Collection
- Capital journal (Salem, Or.)
- Oregonian (Portland, Or.)
- Seattle times (Seattle, Wash. : 1966)