Donald Lowry Houghton Pelton Dam construction collection

Overview of the Collection

Dates

1947-1958 (inclusive)

Quantity

.75 linear feet, (2 containers) : 1 letter size manuscript box and 1 letter size half manuscript box

Collection Number

Coll 881

Summary

Donald Lowry Houghton was a Concreate Engineer for EBASCO Services dam building projects, including the Pelton Dam built for Portland General Electric on the Deschutes River in 1958. The Donald Lowry Houghton Pelton Dam construction collection contains in house reports, catalogues, blueprints, letters, and documents detailing the construction of the first Pelton Dam.

Repository

University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
UO Libraries--SCUA
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene OR
97403-1299
Telephone: 5413463068
spcarref@uoregon.edu

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to the public.

Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room.

Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time.

Additional Reference Guides

See the Current Collection Guide for detailed description and requesting options.

Languages

English

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Historical Note

Donald Lowry Houghton was a Concreate Engineer for EBASCO Services dam building projects, including the Pelton Dam built for Portland General Electric on the Deschutes River in 1958.

The Pelton Dam was built for Portland General Electric and was, at the time of its construction, the thinnest arch dam ever built in the United States. Though the project was originally commissioned in 1924, construction was disrupted by the Great Depression, as well as the needs of similar construction project along the Columbia River. After the Second World War, the need for electric power in the Pacific Northwest revived the Pelton project, but not without resistance from the Federal Fisheries Commission and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. Construction on the dam resumed in 1955 and was completed in 1958.

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Content Description

Donald Lowry Houghton Pelton Dam construction collection contains in house reports, catalogues, blueprints, letters, and documents detailing the construction of the first Pelton Dam on the Deschutes River from 1953-1958, preserved and assembled by the EBASCO Services Concrete Engineer overseeing the project, Donald Lowry Houghton (1922-1981) who served on many damn building projects, including the Niagara. The collection also includes 30 silver print photographs sized 8.5x11" in with accompanying explanatory text leaves.

The reports included in the collection describe the progress of securing the land and land rights, including negotations with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, as well as the progress of building the Pelton complex.

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