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Priest Rapids Irrigation District Records, 1909-1954

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Priest Rapids Irrigation District
Title
Priest Rapids Irrigation District Records
Dates
1909-1954 (inclusive)
Quantity
14 containers., (8 linear feet of shelf space.), (5700 items.)
Collection Number
Cage 37
Summary
Correspondence of Fred J. Cunningham with water users, contractors, public works agencies; deeds, water and electricity contracts and other agreements; financial and administrative records; and papers concerning the dissolution of the district following the seizure of its properties by the federal government for use by the Manhattan District Atomic Energy 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 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.
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Historical Note

The Priest Rapids Irrigation District, White Bluffs and Hanford, Washington, a quasi-municipal corporation, was first organized by the Benton County Commissioners in 1920, but remained inactive until the early 1930's when it acquired the properties of two bankrupt firms, the Black Rock Power and Irrigation Company and Consumers Ditch Company. From 1931 to 1943 the district operated as a governmental business dealing in irrigation, electrical power and real estate development and known as the Hanford Irrigation Project. In early 1943, the district's properties were taken over by the federal government and were placed under the Manhattan District of the United States Army for use as an atomic energy facility. Because of the confusion caused by the swiftness of the government seizure, the district was not dissolved, nor its assets fully liquidated, until 1951.

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Content Description

The records consist primarily of correspondence of the secretary of the district, deeds, contracts and similar legal papers relating to the operation of the district, financial records which were maintained by the Benton County Treasurer, and papers concerning the lawsuits over the dissolution of the district.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

[Item Description]. Cage 37, Priest Rapids Irrigation District Records. Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Records emanating from district operations between 1920 and 1943 are arranged in one alphabetical series. Following this is a short sequence of material concerning the dissolution of the district. The additional material donated by Mary Harris is in Containers 15-17, filed separately after the original donation.

Acquisition Information

The records of the Priest Rapids Irrigation District were donated to Washington State University by Mrs, Fred M. Harris of Yakima, Washington, in 1958. Further records were donated by Mary Harris in early 1973.

Processing Note

The records of the Priest Rapids Irrigation District were initially processed by Lawrence R. Stark, September, 1972. Further records were donated in early 1973 and processed by Lawrence R. Stark, April, 1973.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

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

  • Description: Acquisition of properties
    Container: Box 1
  • Description: Address list
    Container: Box 1
  • Description: Agreements - Miscellaneous
    Container: Box 1
  • Description: Allis-Chalmers Company
    Container: Box 1
  • Description: American Blueprint Company
    Container: Box 1
  • Description: Annual reports--Priest Rapids Irrigation District
    Container: Box 1
  • Description: Arrowsmith Iron Works
    Container: Box 1
  • Description: Assessment receipts
    Container: Box 1
  • Description: Auditor's Report--Washington State
    Container: Box 1
  • Description: Ballots for bond election
    Dates: October, 1938.
    Container: Box 1
  • Description: Bank deposits and withdrawals
    Container: Box 1
  • Description: Bank statements
    Container: Box 1
  • Description: Banks, Frank A
    Container: Box 1
  • Description: Barge, C. E.
    Container: Box 2
  • Description: Beeuwkes, R. (Milwaukee Railroad) engineering reports
    Container: Box 2
  • Description: Benton County Treasurer's receipts
    Dates: 1941.
    Container: Box 2
  • Description: Benton County Utility District
    Container: Box 2
  • Description: Bids on Priest Rapids Irrigation District junk
    Container: Box 2
  • Description: Bills and old invoices
    Container: Box 2
  • Description: Bills of sale
    Container: Box 2
  • Description: Blueprints
    Container: Box 2
  • Description: Board meeting
    Container: Box 2
  • Description: Boie, H. H.
    Container: Box 2
  • Description: Bond application $175,000
    Container: Box 2
  • Description: Bond election and issue of bonds
    Dates: June, 1940.
    Container: Box 2
  • Description: Bond payments
    Container: Box 2
  • Description: Bond report data
    Container: Box 2
  • Description: Bonneville Power Administration
    Container: Box 2
  • Description: Brown, A.J.
    Container: Box 3
  • Description: Brown Brothers, Priest Rapids
    Container: Box 3
  • Description: Budgets
    Container: Box 3
  • Description: Calzo, Pete
    Container: Box 3
  • Description: Certificates of redemption
    Container: Box 3
  • Description: Cheney and Hutchinson
    Container: Box 3
  • Description: Circular letters
    Container: Box 3
  • Description: Claims
    Dates: 1943
    Container: Box 3
  • Description: Claims to be submitted to Board of Directors
    Container: Box 3
  • Description: Miscellaneous collections
    Container: Box 3
  • Description: Collens, Leonard
    Container: Box 3
  • Description: Department of Conservation and Development--Washington State
    Container: Box 3
  • Description: Contracts
    Container: Box 3
  • Description: Correspondence, miscellaneous
    Container: Box 4
  • Description: Correspondence with Marvin Chase, receiver, Black Rock Company
    Container: Box 4
  • Description: County auditor
    Container: Box 4
  • Description: County treasurer
    Container: Box 4
  • Description: Cox, Omar
    Container: Box 4
  • Description: Cross-section paper
    Container: Box 4
  • Description: Cunningham, Fred J.
    Container: Box 4
  • Description: Deeds to Irrigation District
    Container: Box 5
  • Description: Delinquent lists by county treasurer
    Container: Box 5
  • Description: Directors
    Container: Box 5
  • Description: Dishon, Charles
    Container: Box 5
  • Description: Dunning notices
    Container: Box 5
  • Description: Employer's papers
    Container: Box 5
  • Description: Estimates, miscellaneous
    Container: Box 5
  • Description: Exclusions
    Container: Box 5
  • Description: Federal Emergency Administration
    Container: Box 5
  • Description: Federal Land Bank
    Container: Box 5
  • Description: Federal Pipe and Tank Company
    Container: Box 5
  • Description: Federal Power Commission
    Container: Box 5
  • Description: Federal Public Works
    Container: Box 5
  • Description: Federation of Yakima Valley Irrigation Districts
    Container: Box 5
  • Description: Financial statements
    Container: Box 5
  • Description: Fonda, Mary E.
    Container: Box 5
  • Description: Fosseen's Incorporated, Yakima
    Container: Box 5
  • Description: Garsi, S.
    Container: Box 6
  • Description: Gas reports
    Container: Box 6
  • Description: General Electric Company
    Container: Box 6
  • Description: General Petroleum Company
    Container: Box 6
  • Description: Generator bids and deposits
    Container: Box 6
  • Description: Geological survey
    Container: Box 6
  • Description: Graybar Electric Company
    Container: Box 6
  • Description: Grazing leases
    Container: Box 6
  • Description: Hall, G.D.
    Container: Box 6
  • Description: Hanford contracts
    Container: Box 6
  • Description: Haynes, Manley B.
    Container: Box 6
  • Description: Department of Hydraulics
    Container: Box 6
  • Description: Insurance policies
    Container: Box 6
  • Description: Inquiries on 1935 tolls and assessments
    Container: Box 6
  • Description: Kennedy, E.D., et al v. Marvin Chase, receiver
    Container: Box 6
  • Description: Department of Labor and Industries
    Container: Box 7
  • Description: Land contracts
    Container: Box 7
  • Description: Land sales
    Container: Box 7
  • Description: Land settlement
    Container: Box 7
  • Description: Leases
    Container: Box 7
  • Description: Legal opinions
    Container: Box 7
  • Description: Legislative matters
    Container: Box 7
  • Description: Department of Licenses
    Container: Box 7
  • Description: Lowman-Hanford Company
    Container: Box 7
  • Description: McLean and Company re: bonds
    Container: Box 7
  • Description: Machine shops and supplies
    Container: Box 7
  • Description: Manufacturers -- miscellaneous
    Container: Box 7
  • Description: Maps and photographs
    Container: Box 7
  • Description: Meter readings
    Container: Box 8
  • Description: Miller and Adams
    Container: Box 8
  • Description: Milwaukee Railroad Company officials
    Container: Box 8
  • Description: Minutes and resolutions
    Container: Box 8
  • Description: Miscellaneous
    Container: Box 8
  • Description: Moulton and Powell, attornies
    Container: Box 9
  • Description: Division of Municipal Corporations
    Container: Box 9
  • Description: Newspaper clippings
    Container: Box 9
  • Description: Notes and mortgages
    Container: Box 9
  • Description: O'Brien, M.F.
    Container: Box 9
  • Description: O'Brien, K. Wagner
    Container: Box 9
  • Description: Oils and greases
    Container: Box 9
  • Description: Old business
    Container: Box 9
  • Description: Pacific Power and Light Company
    Container: Box 9
  • Description: Partlow, Lon
    Container: Box 9
  • Description: Pashen, H.F.
    Container: Box 9
  • Description: Payrolls
    Container: Box 9
  • Description: Petitions
    Container: Box 9
  • Description: Picatti Brothers
    Container: Box 9
  • Description: Pipeline construction--lateral "H
    Container: Box 9
  • Description: Plans and specifications
    Container: Box 9
  • Description: Plats
    Container: Box 9
  • Description: Poll book for bond election
    Dates: October, 1938.
    Container: Box 9
  • Description: Power dope
    Container: Box 9
  • Description: Power statements
    Dates: 1940.
    Container: Box 9
  • Description: Priest Rapids Development Company
    Container: Box 10
  • Description: Priest Rapids Irrigation District
    Container: Box 10
  • Description: Priority rating and correspondence
    Container: Box 10
  • Description: Private and district lands
    Container: Box 10
  • Description: Prosicuting [sic] Attorney, Benton County
    Container: Box 10
  • Description: Prosser
    Container: Box 10
  • Description: Department of Public Lands
    Container: Box 10
  • Description: Public Works Administration
    Container: Box 10
  • Description: Pump information, Consolidated Builders, Inc. [Grand Coulee Dam]
    Container: Box 10
  • Description: Receipts, miscellaneous
    Container: Box 10
  • Description: Reconstruction Finance Corporation
    Container: Box 10
  • Description: Redemption receipts
    Dates: 1940-1942
    Container: Box 11
  • Description: Refunding bond issue
    Container: Box 11
  • Description: Reports, federal and state
    Container: Box 11
  • Description: Roberts pumping plant estimates
    Container: Box 11
  • Description: Salvini, B. [John Bert]
    Container: Box 11
  • Description: Salvina, James P.
    Container: Box 11
  • Description: Sanford, Charles M.
    Container: Box 11
  • Description: Secretary's manual
    Container: Box 11
  • Description: Standard Oil Company
    Container: Box 11
  • Description: State and governmental departments
    Container: Box 11
  • Description: State auditor
    Container: Box 11
  • Description: State tax commission
    Container: Box 11
  • Description: State treasurer
    Container: Box 11
  • Description: Statements [of predecessor companies]
    Container: Box 11
  • Description: Supply firms
    Container: Box 11
  • Description: Tax schedule
    Container: Box 12
  • Description: Victory tax and withholding tax
    Container: Box 12
  • Description: Technical data
    Container: Box 12
  • Description: Tinling and Powell, attornies
    Container: Box 12
  • Description: Toll receipts
    Dates: 1952
    Container: Box 12
  • Description: Transfers [of contracts]
    Dates: 1936
    Container: Box 12
  • Description: Treasurer's receipts
    Dates: 1943
    Container: Box 12
  • Description: Unemployment compensation
    Container: Box 12
  • Description: Union Oil Company
    Container: Box 12
  • Description: Yakima Valley Iron Works
    Container: Box 12
  • Description: Letters in which warrants were sent
    Container: Box 12
  • Description: Washington Rural Rehabilitation Corporation
    Container: Box 12
  • Description: Water charges
    Container: Box 12
  • Description: Water contracts
    Container: Box 12
  • Description: Water deliveries
    Container: Box 12
  • Description: Water information
    Container: Box 12
  • Description: Water statements
    Container: Box 13
  • Description: Water users
    Container: Box 13
  • Description: Webber, Leo
    Container: Box 13
  • Description: Westinghouse Electric Company
    Container: Box 13
  • Description: Woodward Governor Company
    Container: Box 13
  • Description: C.F. Wooten case
    Container: Box 13
  • Description: Works Progress Administration
    Container: Box 13
  • Description: XYZ [Miscellaneous]
    Container: Box 13
  • Description: Yakima County
    Container: Box 13
  • Description: Yakima Hardware Company
    Container: Box 13
  • Description: Yearly totals
    Dates: 1936
    Container: Box 13
  • Description: Condemnation and dissolution of the Priest Rapids Irrigation District
    Dates: 1943-1951.
    Container: Box 14

  • Priest Rapids Irrigation District Files

  • Description: Condemnation and liquidation: Correspondence, briefs, depositions and related papers, mostly dealing with legal matters
    Dates: 1943-1954.
    Container: Box 16
  • Description: Appraisals of PRID properties (Including photographs)
    Dates: 1908-09
    Container: Box 17
  • Description: Transcripts and reports of trials before federal courts
    Dates: 1947-1952
    Container: Box 17

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Irrigation -- Washington (State)--Benton County
  • Public works -- Washington (State)--Benton County

Personal Names

  • Cunningham, Fred J. --Archives (creator)
  • Harris, Fred Mrs. waps --Archives (donor)

Corporate Names

  • United States. Public Works Administration
  • Priest Rapids Irrigation District --Archives (creator)
  • United States. Army. Corps of Engineers. Manhattan District
  • United States. Works Progress Administration
  • Washington (State). Dept. of Conservation and Development
  • Washington (State). Emergency Relief Administration (creator)

Finding aid prepared by Lawrence R. Stark
2012

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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