Eastern Washington University, Archives and Special Collections
Hubert "Hu" Blonk Papers
SPC 006-0628
2.0 cubic feet
1930-1995
1930-1970
Consists of manuscript material, newspaper clippings, photographs, and ephemera collected or created by central Washington journalist and editor Hubert Blonk. They focus on the development of dams, hydro-electric power, and irrigation in the Pacific Northwest, especially Grand Coulee Dam.
Collection materials are in English
1
Hubert C. ("Hu") Blonk was born in Holland on March 7, 1909. His parents emigrated to Canada, and later moved south to the United States, settling in Auburn, Washington. After graduation from high school, Hubert Blonk attended the University of Washington, where he obtained his first experience in journalism. In 1933, at the depth of the Depression, Blonk graduated from the University of Washington.
Blonk was employed briefly by the
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, then took a job with the Grand Coulee Record in the boom town being built to serve the construction of Grand Coulee Dam. The Record was short-lived, and Hubert Blonk moved on to the Wenatchee Daily World. He covered the construction of Grand Coulee Dam for the World, and moved up in the organization, serving as the paper's Managing Editor. In addition to his work for the World, Mr. Blonk also served as a public relations man for several federal dam construction projects in the northwest.
In 1974 Mr. Blonk retired from the
Wenatchee Daily World. He passed away on March 17, 1995 at the age of 86.
The collection consists of manuscript material, newspaper clippings, photographs and research notes created and maintained by Mr. Blonk during his career as a journalist. They focus on the development of dams, hydro-electric generation, and irrigation in the Pacific Northwest, especially Grand Coulee Dam, in central Washington State. His papers and photographs primarily relate to the construction of Grand Coulee Dam and the communities associated with the dam. The digital collection at this time contains photographic materials, but does not contain Mr. Blonk's files on research and writing.
Collection is available for research.
Literary property rights transferred to EWU.
Use of this collection is subject to the rules concerning access to archival and manuscript collections at Eastern Washington University. For more information, see: http://www.ewu.edu/Library/Services/Archives.xml
Copyright restrictions may apply. For more information or permission to publish, contact Eastern Washington University Libraries, Archives & Special Collections at (509) 359-2475, or archives@ewu.edu
Hubert "Hu" Blonk Papers; SPC 006-0628; box number; folder number; Archives & Special Collections, Eastern Washington University.
Selections from the collection have been digitized and are available as part of the Hubert Blonk Photographs of Grand Coulee Dam Digital Collection.
Gift of Blonk's daughter, Julie Yeager, 2006.
Mason City (Wash.)
Grant County (Wash.)
Grand Coulee Dam (Wash.)
Coulee Dam (Wash.)
Grand Coulee Dam (Wash.)
Grand Coulee Dam (Wash.)--Anniversaries, etc.
Hydroelectric power plants--Design and construction
Hydroelectric power plants--Washington (State)
Hydroelectric power--Northwest, Pacific
Electricity-- Northwest, Pacific
Dams--Design and construction
Irrigation--Northwest, Pacific
Visits of state--Washington (State)--Grand Coulee Dam
Dams--Northwest, Pacific
Dams--Washington (State)
Public Utilities
Water and Water Rights
Washington (State)
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Photographs
scrapbooks
Clippings
Minutes - 50th Anniversary Celebration Planning Meeting
English.
1:1
Program
1
2
Letters
1
3
Finances
1
4
Invitations
1
5
December 3, Meeting
1
6
Ideas for Ceremonies
1
7
Grand Coulee Dam
1
8
Third Powerhouse Invitations
1
9
Grand Coulee / Third Powerhouse
1
10
Third Powerhouse / General
1
11
Committee
1
12
Laborer (Article)
1
13
Agendas
1
14
Grand Coulee 50th
1
15
Third Plant Start-Up
1
16
Miscellaneous [Informational Photocopies]
1
17
Fight for Dam
1
18
July 1, Meeting
1
19
Farm-In-A-Day
1
20
Board of Directors / Associated Press Managing Editors Association
1
21
Judges [Correspondence]
1
22
[Columbia River Treaty]
1
23
Rock Island
1
24
Clearing Land, Towns and Indian Graves (Coulee)
1
25
Coulee Dam (1975) Third Powerhouse Dedication
1975
1
26
Farm-In-A-Day
1
27
Coulee - Newspaper / Grand Coulee News
1
28
Coulee - First Powerhouse
1
29
Coulee Milestones
1
30
Coulee - Roosevelt Visit
1
31
Photos - Coulee / Newspaper Clippings
1
32
Photos - Coulee / Newspaper Clippings
1
33
Miscellaneous / Rufus Woods Quote and Story of Osborne Brothers
1
34
[Articles by Hu Blonk - Typescript and Magazines]
1
35
[Miscellaneous Statistics and Notes]
1
36
Milestones [in Dam Construction]
1
37
Concrete - [New World's Record]
1
38
50th Anniversary Stories
1
39
50th Anniversary / Newspaper Clippings
1
40
50th Anniversary / Newspaper Clippings
1
41
Miscellaneous Stories
1
42
News clippings
[1930s]
1
43
[Miscellaneous]
1
44
Coulee - Lawyers
1
45
Newspaper Clippings
1
46
Coulee Dam Statistics / Comparison with Other Dams
1
47
Coulee City Articles
1
48
Two Menus from President's Train trip
1952
1
49
Grand Coulee Days - Clippings
2
1
President's Trip / Newspaper Clippings
1950
2
2
Miscellaneous Newspaper Clippings
1934-1942
2
3
50th Anniversary Newspaper Clippings
2
4
Correspondence
1975
2
5
Clippings and Stories
2
6
Clippings and Stories
2
7
[Article photocopied from APF Reporter, Vol. 15, No. 4]
[1994]
2
8
[Article on Photographic Techniques]
2
9
Press Releases
2
10
[Miscellaneous Notes and Research Materials]
2
11
Description of the Grand Coulee Dam and It's Construction
November 1952
2
12
[Working Draft of Article by Hu Blonk]
2
13
[Hu "Scoop" Blonk... / Photocopied Article]
2
14
Eighth Annual Graduation Exercises / Grand Coulee High School
5/28/1942
2
15
[Map]
2
16
The Story of the Columbia Basin Project [Publication]
1978
2
17
A Curb-side Story of Grand Coulee Dam and A Last Frontier: Slumbering Riches by Fred M. Weil [Publication]
1938
2
18
National Irrigation Policy: It's Development and Significance [Publication]
1939
2
19
The Columbia Basin Project [Publication]
1967
2
20
Settlement of the Columbia Basin Reclamation Project [Publication]
1945
2
21
Land and Water Contracts of the Columbia Basin Reclamation Project - Work Copy
2
22
A Legacy of Greatness: The Washington State History Museum Campaign for Exhibits
1994
2
23
Reclamation ERA / A Water Review Quarterly [Publication]
Autumn 1975
2
24
Columbia Basin Project / Safety News, Vol. 8, No. 7 [Publication]
July 1950
2
25
Public Power [Publication]
July-August 1983
2
26
Grand Coulee Dam [Publication with 3 Photos Attached]
October 30, 1973
2
27
Grand Coulee from 'Hell to Breakfast' by Fred 0. Jones [Publication]
1947
2
28
The 23-Year Battle for Grand Coulee Dam by Rufus Woods
4 copies
2
29
History of Grand Coulee Dam Area [Publication]
1958
2
30
Evolution: The Threshold to a New Era by Constantinos H. Vlachos [Publication]
1966
2
31
Water and Life [Publication]
July 16-17, 1983
2
32
Grand Coulee Dam [Publication]
1937
2
33
Reclamation's Annual Conference
2 booklets
1951
2
34
Report on Public Relations Campaign: Columbia Basin Project
1946
2
35
Report on Information Program / Initial Delivery of Water to Deschutes Project, Oregon
1946
2
36
The Bureau of Reclamation in WWII (First Draft) Part I / Departmental War Records Project
2
37
The Bureau of Reclamation in WWII (First Draft) Part II - Exhibits / Departmental War Records Project
2
38
Photograph of Individual
3
1
Certificate (for workers on Grand Coulee Dam Project)
2 copies
3
2
Grand Coulee Dam: The First 50 Years (The Wenatchee World Supplement)
1933-1983
3
3
Eighth Wonder of the World (Spokesman-Review Supplement)
1941
3
4
Grand Coulee Dam: Eighth Wonder of the World (Spokesman-Review Supplement)
1936
3
5
Scrapbook [of Newspaper Clippings]
3
6
Newspaper Clippings [on individual scrapbook pages]
3
7
Newspaper Clippings [loose]
3
8
Newspaper Clippings [loose]
3
9
Newspaper Clippings [full pages/folded]
3
10
Newspaper Clippings [loose]
3
11
Newspaper Clippings [loose]
3
12
Newspaper Clippings [loose]
3
13
Newspaper Clippings [full pages/folded]
3
14
Newspaper Clippings [loose]
3
15
Newspaper Clippings [on individual scrapbook pages]
3
16
Newspaper Clippings [loose]
3
17
Newspaper Clippings [on individual scrapbook pages]
3
18
Newspaper Clippings [on individual scrapbook pages]
3
19
Newspaper Clippings [on individual scrapbook pages]
3
20
Newspaper Clippings [on individual scrapbook pages]
3
21
Newspaper Clippings [loose]
3
22
Newspaper Clippings [on individual scrapbook pages]
3
23
Newspaper Clippings [on individual scrapbook pages]
3
24
Newspaper Clippings [full pages/folded]
3
25
Newspaper Clippings [loose and individual scrapbook pages]
3
26
Newspaper Clippings [loose]
3
27
Newspaper Clippings [on individual scrapbook pages]
3
28
Newspaper Clippings [on individual scrapbook pages]
3
29
Newspaper Clippings [on individual scrapbook pages]
3
30
Newspaper Clippings [on individual scrapbook pages]
3
31
Framed and Signed Picture [with glass] "To Hu Blonk with sincere regards and the very best of wishes, William E. Warne"
4
1
Framed and Signed Picture "With Regards to Hubert Blonk from Harry W. Bashore 3/28/44"
March 28, 1944
4
2
Photographs
The photographs in this collection are primarily from two sources: Photography which Mr. Blonk did himself to support his work as a newspaper reporter, and photographs supplied by government agencies documenting projects undertaken for these agencies. Most of the photographs contained in the Blonk papers are either those taken by Hubert Blonk, or supplied by the United State Bureau of Reclamation to document the construction of Grand Coulee Dam. A small number appear to be the work of commercial photographers who were hired to document events associated with the project, mostly Charles Libby & Son, of Spokane, Washington.
[Ceremonies / Celebrations]
41 prints
8" × 10
5
1
[July 1936 Print]
1 print
8" × 10
July 1936
5
2
[Color Prints of Dam]
4 color prints
5
3
[Mrs. Donald Dunn's House]
1 print
8" × 10
5
4
[Yakima Picture]
1 print
6.5" × 8"
5
5
[City of Grand Coulee Pictures]
10 prints
8" × 10"
5
6
[Presidential Trips]
2 prints
8" × 10"
5
7
[Pangborn]
2 prints
6.5" × 9.5"
5
8
[Building of the Dam]
17 prints
8" × 10"
5
9
[Pictures of Individuals]
4 prints
8" × 10"
5
10
[People]
43 prints
5
11
[City of Coulee]
21 prints
8" × 10"
5
12
[Constructing the Dam]
22 prints
8" × 10"
5
13
[Constructing the Dam]
43 prints
8" × 10"
5
14
[Constructing the Dam]
26 prints
5
15
[3 Framed Pictures]
3 cardboard-framed prints
5
16
[Small Snapshots of Construction]
15 prints
5
17
[Identified Pictures]
24 prints
5
18
[Construction Pictures]
30 prints
5
19
[Very Small Snapshots]
58 prints
5
20
Hu Blonk Photo
2 prints
5
21
[Coulee Dam Postcards]
6 cards
5
22
[Postcards]
8 cards
5
23
[Columbia River]
1 print
5
24
[Equipment Photo]
1 print
5
25
[Hu Blonk Humor]
4 cards
5
26
[City of Coulee Pictures]
21 prints
5
27
[Construction Pictures]
7 prints
5
28
[Construction Pictures]
11 prints
8" × 10"
5
29
[Negatives]
6 envelopes
5
30
[Identified Negatives]
17 envelopes
5
31
Gilbert G. Stamm / Commissioner
1 print
5
32
President Roosevelt
6
1
President Truman
6
2
Rocky Reach Dedication
6
3
Hells Canyon Dam
6
4
Hu Blonk Newspaper Stories
6
5
Hu Blonk Newspaper Stories
6
6