View XML QR Code

A.A. Durand and Son drilling records, 1930-1980

Overview of the Collection

Creator
A.A. Durand and Son
Title
A.A. Durand and Son drilling records
Dates
1930-1980 (inclusive)
Quantity
49 linear feet, (49 boxes)
Collection Number
WCMss.060
Summary
This collection houses drilling records and information for wells across the Pacific Northwest from the A.A. Durand and Son well-drilling company based in Walla Walla, Washington. The states include Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Alaska, and Montana.
Repository
Whitman College and Northwest Archives
Whitman College and Northwest Archives
Penrose Library, Room 130
345 Boyer Avenue
Walla Walla, WA
99362
Telephone: 5095275922
Fax: 5095264785
archives@whitman.edu
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
English
Return to Top

Historical Note

A.A. Durand and Son was a well-drilling company founded by Albert Aloysius Durand in Walla Walla, Washington. Albert Durand moved from Missouri in 1897 to Walla Walla, and brought with him an early-type well drilling rig. He ran the well drilling business for decades before his retirement. His company is responsible for thousands of wells across Washington, Oregon and other western states.

The company had many clients throughout the Pacific Northwest, offering their services on both the private and corporate levels. They supplied water for agriculture, industrial plants, government projects, as well as domestic locations. Their slogan was "No well too large. No well too small."

Some of their services included the construction of oil, gas and water wells, core drilling, seismograph drilling, drainage, and sanitary facility wells and pump installation.

The company was later owned and run by his son Paul A. Durand, a Walla Walla native and graduate of Whitman College, until it was sold in 1958 after more than 50 years of operation.

Return to Top

Content Description

This collection includes geological surveys, information about irrigation districts, correspondence, legal documents, and reports of Walla Walla well-drilling contractors. Other files such as blueprints, maps, newspaper clippings, water reports, video footage from drilling sites, and field notes can be found in this collection. The dates span from approximately 1930 to 1980. Many items relate to several hundred contracts in the Northwest.

Return to Top

Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

Donated to the Whitman College and Northwest Archives by Paul A. Durand in 1970 and 1987. The accession number is retro-0106.

Processing Note

In 2012 this collection was transferred to archival boxes. The original order provided by the donor was maintained, and no additional arrangement was imposed by the archvist. Materials were described on the collection-level.

In 2019, the collection was rehoused to stabalize the materials, and the inventory provided by the donor was used to create a box-level container list.

Return to Top

Detailed Description of the Collection

  • Description: Washington cities: Albion-Ephrata
    Container: Box 1
  • Description: Washington cities: Ephrata-Kennewick
    Container: Box 2
  • Description: Washington cities: Laurier-Moxee
    Container: Box 3
  • Description: Washington cities: Naches-Pullman
    Container: Box 4
  • Description: Washington cities: Pullman-Spokane
    Container: Box 5
  • Description: Washington cities: Tacoma-Walla Walla
    Container: Box 6
  • Description: Washington cities: Walla Walla-Waterville
    Container: Box 7
  • Description: Washington cities: Waterville-Yakima
    Container: Box 8
  • Description: Washington, private: Abbey-Burstatte
    Container: Box 8
  • Description: Washington, private: Campbell-Gerken
    Container: Box 9
  • Description: Washington, private: Gilkerson-Kilbourn
    Container: Box 10
  • Description: Washington, private: Neff-Stockdale
    Container: Box 12
  • Description: Washington, private: Stone-Zuger
    Container: Box 13
  • Description: Oregon, private: Anderson-Kramer
    Container: Box 14
  • Description: Oregon, private: Leonnig-Wright
    Container: Box 15
  • Description: Oregon, private: Yarington-Zerba
    Container: Box 16
  • Description: Oregon cities: Arlington-Mt. Vernon
    Container: Box 16
  • Description: Oregon cities: Nyssa-Weston
    Container: Box 17
  • Description: Idaho cities: Alameda-Moscow
    Container: Box 17
  • Description: Idaho cities: Moscow-Worley
    Container: Box 18
  • Description: Corporate records: Albertson's-Birds Eye Division
    Container: Box 19
  • Description: Corporate records: Boise Cascade Corporation-Dumas Estate
    Container: Box 20
  • Description: Corporate records: Earl Fruit Company-Kaiser Rolling Mill
    Container: Box 21
  • Description: Corporate records: Lamb-Weston Company-Northwestern Natural Gas
    Container: Box 22
  • Description: Corporate records: Olson Estate-Smith Canning Company
    Container: Box 23
  • Description: Corporate records: Spokane Brewing and Malting Company-Utah-Idaho Sugar Company
    Container: Box 24
  • Description: Corporate records: Utah-Idaho Sugar Company-Yakima Golding Farm
    Container: Box 25
  • Description: Union Pacific Railroad
    Container: Box 25-27
  • Description: Alaska records
    Container: Box 27
  • Description: Montana records
    Container: Box 27-28
  • Description: City of Yakima (Washington) records
    Container: Box 28-29
  • Description: Cities of Selah and Clarkston (Washington) records
    Container: Box 29
  • Description: Cities of Imbler, Elgin, Union, La Grande, Summerville, Cove and Alicel (Oregon) records
    Container: Box 30-31
  • Description: Lewiston, Idaho: Well study reports and geological reports of the area
    Container: Box 31-32
  • Description: U.S. Army Engineers: Damsites
    Container: Box 32-34
  • Description: U.S. Army Engineers: Bombing and firing ranges
    Container: Box 34
  • Description: Umatilla Ordinance Department
    Container: Box 34-35
  • Description: U.S. Army Engineers: Radar stations
    Container: Box 35
  • Description: U.S. Army Engineers: CCC camps
    Container: Box 35
  • Description: U.S. Army Engineers: Air fields
    Container: Box 35
  • Description: U.S. Hanford Engineers: DuPont wells
    Container: Box 35-36
  • Description: U.S. Atomic Energy Commission
    Container: Box 37
  • Description: U.S. Navy wells
    Container: Box 37-38
  • Description: Miscellaneous U.S. agency wells
    Container: Box 38-39
  • Description: CAA airport and weather station wells
    Container: Box 38
  • Description: Bonneville Power Administration
    Container: Box 38
  • Description: U.S. Federal public housing
    Container: Box 38-39
  • Description: Farm Security Administration
    Container: Box 39
  • Description: Non federal public works: State-county schools and irrigation districts
    Container: Box 39-41
  • Description: Sorted and selected well logs
    Container: Box 41-45
  • Description: Selected technical wells and water
    Container: Box 44-46
  • Description: Home materials
    Container: Box 47-48
  • Description: A.A. Durand and Son general well information
    Container: Box 49

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Water-supply engineering
  • Wells

Personal Names

  • Durand, Albert Aloysius
  • Durand, Paul A.

Geographical Names

  • Walla Walla (Wash.)
Loading...
Loading...