Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Grand Coulee Dam and Columbia Basin Project Photographs, 1935-1950
Overview of the Collection
- Title
- Grand Coulee Dam and Columbia Basin Project Photographs
- Dates
- 1935-1950 (inclusive)19351950
- Quantity
- 2.25 Linear feet of shelf space, (5 Boxes)
- Collection Number
- PC 182 (collection)
- Summary
- Approximately 725 black and white photographs from 1935 to 1950 depicting the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam and the Columbia Basin Project.
- 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
Historical NoteReturn to Top
The Grand Coulee Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Columbia River in Washington State. Construction of the dam began in 1933, and all work including the West Canal was finished by 1955. It was built to produce hydroelectric power and distribute water for irrigation.
The Columbia Basin Project Act was signed in 1943, and provided further authorization for the Grand Coulee. It oversees irrigation for over 650,000 acres of land via the Grand Coulee Dam and a large number of irrigation canals and reservoirs.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection consists of approximately 725 black and white photographs, which were taken by various photographers in Washington State during from 1935 to 1950, which was during the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam. Most of the photographs are individually dated and labeled with a description of the photograph, including the photographer, machinery pictured, and construction processes. According to information found on the photographs, they were taken for the purpose of keeping a record of the dam’s construction.
Machinery pictured in the collection includes concrete mixers and pourers, conveyor feeders and belts, trestles, barges, trimmer machine, irrigation equipment, siphons, and steel beams. These machines and materials were used to lay the foundation, build the structure, and create the irrigation facilities of the Grand Coulee Dam. Some construction companies involved in the dam’s build are the Utah Construction Company, Winston Bros. Co., Morrison-Knudsen Co., Walter W. Harfst Co., Inc., Minnis & Shilling, and Haas & Rothschild. Photographers such as A.F. Swanson, J.D. Roderick, John C. Hutton, F.B. Pomeroy, Harold E. Foss, and H.W. Fuller were responsible for the images in this collection. It is believed that the photographers were all working for the U.S. Army core of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, or similar organizations and the photographs were taken over the course of their employment.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
If, as is suspected, the images were produced by the U.S. government then they are in the public domain. Otherwise, copyright restrictions may apply.
Preferred Citation
[Item description]
Grand Coulee Dam and Columbia Basin Project Photographs, 1935-1950 (PC 182)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The photographs are organized by their original numbering. There are four sections in the numbering system; the third is by far the largest section. Within each section these numbers are chronological, and a final folder at the end contains loose labels and backings which could not be identified.
These photographs were received from the Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) department at WSU, who had previously scanned the photographs as 600 dpi tiffs. Those tiffs were renumbered to match the original photographic numbering and are retained in WSU MASC’s digital archives.
Acquisition Information
The materials were donated to the Washington State University Libraries’ Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC) on August 13, 2019 by Nikita Chrystephan from the WSU Civil and Environmental Engineering department, and retained as UPC19-06. The materials were simply found in the department; their earlier provenance is not known.
Processing Note
The materials were processed by WSU student Kaitlyn Van Vleet in August 2019. The physical photographs were sorted and foldered according to the original numbering as noted on the photographs. The digital images, which were received and retained as 600 dpi tiffs, were renamed to match that.
Separated Materials
One small box of Washington State University Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering photographs, consisting of NASA images, water towers, California highways, and more, were separated from the Grand Coulee Dam construction photos. They are retained as UPC 2019-06.
Related Materials
Frank Arthur Banks Papers, 1913-1957 (Cage 40)
Papers on Columbia River Basin Shipping and Development, 1934-1936 (Cage 755)
Ralph J. Kugelman Grand Coulee Dam Construction Photographs, 1930s (Cage 5149)
North Central Washington, Columbia Basin, and Grand Coulee Reclamation, Irrigation and Farming Photographs, 1905-1954 (PC 91)
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 1 | 1-00253 to 1-00777. | 1935 August 19 to 1937 June 01 |
| 1 | 2 | 2-01547 to 2-04280. | 1937 May 24 to 1942 April 06 |
| 1 | 3 | 2-04305 to 2-06145. | 1942 April 25 to 1949 March 23 |
| 1 | 4 | 3-00283 to 3-00773. | 1935 January 22 to 1935 September 20 |
| 1 | 5 | 3-01012 to 3-01096. | 1935-1936 to 1936 April |
| 1 | 6 | 3-01100 to 3-01145. | 1936 April 29 to 1936 June |
| 1 | 7 | 3-01201 to 3-01796. | 1936-04 to 1937 June 02 |
| 1 | 8 | 3-01847 to 3-01977. | 1937 June 22 to 1937 July 12 |
| 1 | 9 | 3-02019 to 3-02099. | 1937 July 1919 to 1937 August 27 |
| 1 | 10 | 3-02101 to 3-02193. | 1937 August 27 to 1937 |
| 1 | 11 | 3-02264 to 3-02397. | 1937 October 06 to 1937 November 16 |
| 1 | 12 | 3-02409 to 3-02490. | 1937 November 16 to 1937 December 31 |
| 2 | 13 | 3-02515 to 3-02970. | 1938 January 24 to 1938 May 20 |
| 2 | 14 | 3-03107 to 3-03290. | 1938 July 09 to 1938 July 09 |
| 2 | 15 | 3-03313 to 3-03399. | 1938 August 19 to 1938 |
| 2 | 16 | 3-03400 to 3-03585. | 1938 to 1938 September 30 |
| 2 | 17 | 3-03679 to 3-03825. | 1938 October 14 to 1938 November 05 |
| 2 | 18 | 3-03853 to 3-03880. | 1938 November 09 to 1938 November 18 |
| 2 | 19 | 3-03891 to 3-03998. | 1938 November 21 to 1938 December 22 |
| 2 | 20 | 3-04002 to 3-04288. | 1938 December 28 to 1939 April 14 |
| 2 | 21 | 3-04309 to 3-04488. | 1939 April 17 to 1939 May 24 |
| 2 | 22 | 3-04527 to 3-04657. | 1939 May 29 to 1939 June |
| 2 | 23 | 3-04662 to 3-04698. | 1939 June to 1939 July 06 |
| 2 | 24 | 3-04705 to 3-04807. | 1939 June 20 to 1939 July 26 |
| 2 | 25 | 3-05174 to 3-05917. | 1939 October 12 to 1940 March 22 |
| 2 | 26 | 3-06420 to 3-06716. | 1940 June 03 to 1940 July 31 |
| 2 | 27 | 3-08810 to 3-09716. | 1941 July 18 to 1942 January 14 |
| 3 | 28 | 3-09726 to 3-09994. | 1942 January 15 to 1942 March 31 |
| 3 | 29 | 3-10005 to 3-10544. | 1942 to 1942 August 20 |
| 3 | 30 | 3-10614 to 3-11192. | 1942 August 29 to 1943 April 22 |
| 3 | 31 | 3-11318 to 3-11501. | 1943 June 25 to 1943 August 27 |
| 3 | 32 | 3-13422 to 3-16813. | 1945 October 15 to 1948 January 14 |
| 3 | 33 | 3-17281 to 3-17970. | 1948 May 26 to 1948 October 20 |
| 3 | 34 | 3-18017 to 3-18181. | 1948 October 22 to 1948 November 22 |
| 3 | 35 | 3-18202 to 3-18291. | 1948 November 26 to 1949 December 20 |
| 3 | 36 | 3-18301 to 3-18369. | 1948 December 21 to 1949 January 25 |
| 3 | 37 | 3-18418 to 3-18495. | 1949 February 15 to 1949 February 25 |
| 3 | 38 | 3-18500 to 3-18559. | 1949 February 25 to 1949 March 02 |
| 3 | 39 | 3-18560 to 3-18599. | 1949 March 02 to 1949 March 04 |
| 4 | 40 | 3-18605 to 3-18648. | 1949 March 07 to 1949 March 17 |
| 4 | 41 | 3-18676 to 3-18982. | 1949 March 18 to 1949 April 08 |
| 4 | 42 | 3-19009 to 3-19082. | 1949 April 13 to 1949 April 26 |
| 4 | 43 | 3-19105 to 3-19283. | 1949 May 04 to 1949 May 25 |
| 4 | 44 | 3-19308 to 3-19390. | 1949 June 03 to 1949 June 13 |
| 4 | 45 | 3-19391 to 3-19457. | 1949 June 13 to 1949 June 15 |
| 4 | 46 | 4-00188 to 4-00499. | 1946 December 09 to 1947 May 28 |
| 4 | 47 | 4-00500 to 4-00541. | 1947 May 28 to 1947 July 11 |
| 4 | 48 | 4-00610 to 4-00693. | 1947 June 24 to 1947 August 11 |
| 4 | 49 | 4-00713 to 4-00789. | 1947 August 19 to 1947 September 16 |
| 4 | 50 | 4-01754 to 4-01766. | 1948 July 15 to 1948 July 16 |
| 4 | 51 | 4-01927 to 4-01936. | 1948 July 22 to 1948 July 28 |
| 5 | 52 | 4-02086 to 4-02917. | 1948 September 15 to 1949 July 22 |
| 5 | 53 | 4-03026 to 4-03368. | 1949 August 09 to 1949 November 22 |
| 5 | 54 | 4-03436 to 4-03695. | 1949 December 14 to 1950 April 24 |
| 5 | 55 | 4-03700 to 4-03794. | 1950 April 25 to 1950 May 17 |
| 5 | 56 | 4-03806 to 4-04170. | 1950 May 18 to 1950 July 31 |
| 5 | 57 | 4-04212 to 4-04582. | 1950 August 11 to 1950 November 09 |
| 5 | 58 | Loose Materials. | undated |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Dams -- Washington (State)
- Irrigation -- Columbia River Valley
- Irrigation -- Washington (State)
- Reclamation of land -- Columbia River Valley
- Reclamation of land -- Washington (State)
Corporate Names
- Columbia Basin Project (U.S.)
Geographical Names
- Grand Coulee Dam (Wash.)
Finding aid prepared by Kaitlyn Van Vleet
2019
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
