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Joseph Beckman Photographs of Long Lake Dam Construction, 1910-1915

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Beckman, Joseph
Title: Joseph Beckman Photographs of Long Lake Dam Construction
Dates: 1910-1915 (inclusive)
19101915
Quantity: .25 Linear Feet of Shelf Space, (1 box), (150 images)
Collection Number: PC 135 (collection)
Summary: The collections consists of 150 photographs and postcards from the construction of Long Lake Dam, dating from approximately 1910-1914. Long Lake Dam is located approximately 25 miles northeast of Spokane, Washington on the Spokane River. Joseph Beckman worked on its construction.
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 Note

Long Lake Dam is located approximately 25 miles northeast of Spokane, Washington on the Spokane River. This facility was believed to have the highest spillway (170 feet) and largest turbines in the world when it was finished in 1915 by the Washington Water Power Company, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Long Lake, behind the dam, is also known today as Lake Spokane. Joseph Beckman worked on its construction.

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Content Description

The collections consists of approximately 150 photographs and postcards from the construction of Long Lake Dam (near Spokane, WA), dating from approximately 1910-1914. The majority of the images deal with the construction of the dam proper, though a small number deal with the worker's relaxation activities or with local natives. A very few images may deal with nearby Little Falls Dam. Also included in the collection is one two-page 1959 letter which serves as a brief biography of Beckman. The images are in no particular order. Approximately 90% of the images are labeled, but less than a fifth are dated.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

[Item Description] Joseph Beckman Photographs of Long Lake Dam Construction, 1910-1915 (PC 135)

Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

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Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

This collection was received as MS 88-37 at WSU Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections on September 16th, 1988 from Mrs. James Menzies (nee Marian Beckman). The photographs had apparently been compiled by Joseph "Joe" Carl Beckman, and his wife, Eunice Coffman Beckman (d. 1976-12-21).

Processing Note

This collection was processed by University Archivist Mark O'English in January, 2010. Catherine Kenney of Avista scanned the images in August of 2016, providing brief identification and description for the unlabeled items. WSU History student Samantha Case incorporated those descriptions into this finding aid in November of 2016.

Separated Materials

The collection initially included approximately 50 additional photographs from WSC ca. 1910-1912, and a dozen or so pieces of ephemera or minor WSC publications. These were separated out, and interfiled into the Historical WSU Photographs Subject File (PC 2), ephemera collection, and appropriate places in the WSU Publications collection.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Description: Man in front of house - D.B. Ludwick, 1912-09-01

Container: Item 1
Description: Men on headgate 3 - Hans Anderson, A. O. Strauck, Jack Mintz, Joe Beckman, George Cowling, Joe Primiano

Container: Item 2
Description: High water running over temporary coffer dam in the canyon

Container: Item 3
Description: View looking upriver from head tower of #1 cableway

Container: Item 4
Description: Unknown building (not digitized)

Container: Item 5
Description: Men painting racks - Beckman

Container: Item 6
Description: Powerhouse, showing first steel columns and girders in place, October 1913

Container: Item 7
Description: Excavation, 1912-11-29

Container: Item 8
Description: Excavation Site for spillway dam, 1912-11-29

Container: Item 9
Description: Front of spillway dam showing four undersluices discharging

Container: Item 10
Description: Temporary spillway

Container: Item 11
Description: View of arched cut-off dam from upstream side

Container: Item 12
Description: Headgate dam

Container: Item 13
Description: South side start of tunnel work, 1911-04-15

Container: Item 14
Description: Construction from a distance

Container: Item 15
Description: Rock bottom of dam

Container: Item 16
Description: Broken Piers, 1914-04-08

Container: Item 17
Description: Top of headgate dam (not digitized)

Container: Item 18
Description: View upstream from just above railroad bridge (not digitized)

Container: Item 19
Description: Cover house for coffer dam construction (not digitized)

Container: Item 20
Description: Looking east from tail tower (not digitized)

Container: Item 21
Description: Looking upstream from riverbank opposite club (not digitized)

Container: Item 22
Description: Powerlines to substation

Container: Item 23
Description: Cable Bridge

Container: Item 24
Description: Spud and Braggo - Little Falls

Container: Item 25
Description: Foundation

Container: Item 26
Description: Road at start of construction

Container: Item 27
Description: Cabins

Container: Item 28
Description: Aerial view of construction

Container: Item 29
Description: Native Americans and men

Container: Item 30
Description: View of generator room from switchyard gallery, 1914-10-14

Container: Item 31
Description: Powerhouse construction

Container: Item 32
Description: Gage board, showing hand pump

Container: Item 33
Description: Location of gage board

Container: Item 34
Description: Taken at Long Lake, Aug 1913

Container: Item 35
Description: View upriver from head towers

Container: Item 36
Description: Powerhouse Scaffolding

Container: Item 37
Description: Men on road

Container: Item 38
Description: Ross Park Steam Plant

Container: Item 39
Description: Baseball game - 3rd base line

Container: Item 40
Description: Headgate 3

Container: Item 41
Description: Baseball game

Container: Item 42
Description: View of piers and spillway

Container: Item 43
Description: Men in village

Container: Item 44
Description: Right side of headgate dam

Container: Item 45
Description: Bartlett House

Container: Item 46
Description: Assembling of penstocks and sections after riveting, 1914-03-10

Container: Item 47
Description: Bright day in powerhouse

Container: Item 48
Description: Two men at house

Container: Item 49
Description: Village

Container: Item 50
Description: Men by spillway during construction

Container: Item 51
Description: Looking downstream over headgate dam

Container: Item 52
Description: WSC group

Container: Item 53
Description: Clubhouse

Container: Item 54
Description: Pre-construction

Container: Item 55
Description: Tainter gates

Container: Item 56
Description: Looking upstream

Container: Item 57
Description: View of valley where dam now stands

Container: Item 58
Description: Penstock and men

Container: Item 59
Description: Four men

Container: Item 60
Description: Unknown man

Container: Item 61
Description: View of turbine room

Container: Item 62
Description: Water rheostat

Container: Item 63
Description: Steel distributing tower

Container: Item 64
Description: Camp, labeled 1-6

Container: Item 65
Description: Spillway dam, Oct 1914

Container: Item 66
Description: Native Americans on horseback

Container: Item 67
Description: Teepee

Container: Item 68
Description: Headgate operating mechanism

Container: Item 69
Description: View inside penstock

Container: Item 70
Description: Construction

Container: Item 71
Description: Tunnel to cable ways

Container: Item 72
Description: Pre-construction view

Container: Item 73
Description: Start of construction

Container: Item 74
Description: Coffer dam, labeled 1-4

Container: Item 75
Description: Construction 1913, labeled a-d

Container: Item 76
Description: Cable towers and concrete boxes

Container: Item 77
Description: Concrete mixer

Container: Item 77
Description: LL Penstock Install Internal

Container: Item 78
Description: Headgates

Container: Item 79
Description: Construction, August 1913

Container: Item 80
Description: Tunnel outlet just before closed

Container: Item 81
Description: Top view of early construction

Container: Item 82
Description: Penstock under construction

Container: Item 83
Description: Cement squares

Container: Item 84
Description: Construction from above

Container: Item 85
Description: The works

Container: Item 86
Description: Construction scaffolding, 1913

Container: Item 87
Description: Gravel pit for excavation

Container: Item 88
Description: Scaffolds on spillway

Container: Item 89
Description: Tail tower of Unit 4

Container: Item 90
Description: Unit 2 penstock

Container: Item 91
Description: Deflection dam

Container: Item 92
Description: Upstream view of construction

Container: Item 93
Description: Penstock sections

Container: Item 94
Description: Construction scaffolding, 1912-09-29

Container: Item 95
Description: Headgate penstock install

Container: Item 96
Description: Looking upstream showing completed crest

Container: Item 97
Description: Labeled view of main dam

Container: Item 98
Description: View of rock bottom

Container: Item 99
Description: Looking upstream past broken pier in the spillway dam

Container: Item 100
Description: Arch cutoff dam

Container: Item 101
Description: View from bridge

Container: Item 102
Description: General view of power plant looking upriver

Container: Item 103
Description: Panorama, 1912-12-14

Container: Item 104
Description: Spillway scaffolding

Container: Item 105
Description: Penstock construction, 11-18-1914

Container: Item 106
Description: Generator install

Container: Item 107
Description: Spillway construction

Container: Item 108
Description: Penstock install

Container: Item 109
Description: Group at powerhouse

Container: Item 110
Description: Looking north, Long Lake Dam

Container: Item 111
Description: Steam shovel, 09-07

Container: Item 112
Description: Dam from tail towers, 09-07-1913

Container: Item 113
Description: Spillway

Container: Item 114
Description: Men and tent

Container: Item 115
Description: Headgate hoist

Container: Item 116
Description: Powerhouse construction labeled A-E

Container: Item 117
Description: Men by powerhouse

Container: Item 118
Description: Group photo: Long Lake construction

Container: Item 119
Description: Men in powerhouse

Container: Item 119
Description: Railroad construction

Container: Item 120
Description: Railroad and construction

Container: Item 121
Description: View of railroad and cables

Container: Item 122
Description: Powerhouse controls

Container: Item 123
Description: Entrance tunnel view

Container: Item 124
Description: Construction on rocks

Container: Item 125
Description: People labeled

Container: Item 126
Description: Head tower of no. 4 cableway

Container: Item 127
Description: Penstock towers

Container: Item 128
Description: Pitot tube

Container: Item 129
Description: Unit 1 erection

Container: Item 130
Description: Penstock entrance

Container: Item 131
Description: Tops of gates

Container: Item 132
Description: Headgate dam and inspection tunnel forms

Container: Item 133
Description: People touring

Container: Item 134
Description: Piezometer and bypass

Container: Item 135
Description: Vertical pitot tube

Container: Item 136
Description: Early construction

Container: Item 137
Description: Testing outfit

Container: Item 138
Description: Headgates labeled

Container: Item 139
Description: Looking upstream at dam, 1913-09-07

Container: Item 140
Description: Men with powerhouse coils

Container: Item 141
Description: Bed of river with workers

Container: Item 142
Description: View of intake tunnel from river valley, 1911-10-30

Container: Item 143
Description: Steam shovel and crew at gravel pit

Container: Item 144
Description: Generators

Container: Item 145
Description: Back of headgate dam

Container: Item 146
Description: Spillway and penstock construction

Container: Item 147
Description: Little Falls construction

Container: Item 148
Description: Unit one operation, Little Falls

Container: Item 149
Description: Post Street

Container: Item 150
Description: Letter (2 pages)

Container: Item 151-152

Joseph Beckman Photographs of Long Lake Dam Construction, 1910-1915

Table of Contents

Overview of the Collection

Historical Note

Content Description

Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

Processing Note

Separated Materials

Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Personal Names