Describing Archives: A Content Standard

NTE2cg780.xml Guide to the Jacob A. Weber Papers1920-1988 Weber, (Jacob A.) Papers Finding aid prepared by Cheryl Gunselman. Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections © 2012

Pullman, WA 99164-5610 USA (509) 335-6691 http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/masc/ mascref@wsu.edu

Finding aid encoded by Doug Lambeth. 2012 Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard). Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections

Pullman, WA 99164-5610 USA (509) 335-6691 http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/masc/ mascref@wsu.edu

Cage 780 Weber, Jacob A. Jacob A. Weber Papers 1920-1988 3.75 linear feet 7 boxes Most of the collection relates to Weber's involvement in water resource development, particularly irrigation in the Quincy area and the broader Columbia Basin. Collection materials are in English, with the exception of a small amount of correspondence in German.

Jacob A. "Jake" Weber (1899-1988) was born in the upper Volga region of Russia to German parents. The family emigrated from Russia to the United States in 1901. After a brief stay in Ritzville, WA, they settled and established a homestead in the Quincy area in 1902, where they farmed and raised their family. After graduating from Washington State College in 1929 and working briefly in retail trade, banking, and insurance, Weber started his own farming operation in Quincy.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Weber assisted in the formation of the Quincy Valley Irrigation District, serving as its director and board chairman. He also served on the board of the Quincy Columbia Basin Irrigation District. From 1944 to the mid-1960s he was a member of the Columbia Basin Commission.

Weber was a civic leader in the Quincy community, holding various official positions on the school board, the fire commission, the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, and the Grant County Historical Society.

Most of the collection relates to Weber's involvement in water resource development, particularly irrigation in the Quincy area and the broader Columbia Basin. It includes manuscripts, mainly correspondence; printed materials, mainly reports, proceedings, and ephemera; and photographs.

The collection is arranged in four series:

Series 1: Biographical materials and speeches, 1950-1988.

Series 2: Correspondence and accompanying documents, 1938-1984. This series is arranged alphabetically by topic.

Series 3: Publications, 1940-1978. This series is arranged alphabetically by topic.

Series 4: Photographs and miscellaneous items, 1920-1982.

This collection is open and available for research use.

[Item Description] Jacob A. Weber papers, 1920-1988

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

Mrs. Jacob A. Weber donated this collection to the Washington State University Libraries in 1989 (MS 1989-41).

This collection was processed by Tabitha Erdey and Cheryl Gunselman.

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Columbia Basin Commission (Wash.) Quincy (Wash.) -- History -- Sources Grand Coulee Dam (Wash.) -- History -- Sources Irrigation -- Washington (State) -- History -- Sources Agriculture -- Washington (State) -- Grant County -- History -- Sources Agriculture Washington (State) Series 1 Biographical material and speeches 1950-1988 1 1 Biographical materials. Includes articles from newspapers and other periodicals about Weber, and a transcription of a 1976 oral history interview 1951-1988 1 2 Speeches 1950-1961 Series 2 Correspondence and accompanying documents 1938-1984 3 American Historical Society of Germans from Russia convention, 1979. 4 Bonneville Power Administration, 1939-1952. 5-8 Bureau of Reclamation, 1941-1968. 9-10 Columbia Basin Commission, 1939-1959. 2 11-15 Columbia Basin Commission, 1939-1959. (continued) 16-17 Columbia Basin Irrigation Districts, 1941-1965. 18-20 Columbia Basin Project, 1941-1983. 3 21-22 Columbia Basin Project, 1941-1983. (continued) 23 Columbia Basin Water Festival, 1952. 24 Grand Coulee Dam and vicinity, 1951-1983. 25 Grant County, WA, 1952-1979. 26 Grant County, WA (Port of Mattawa land use plans), 1963-1971. 27 Henry Jackson, 1969-1976. 28-29 Leases and other real estate documents, 1940-1957. 30 Leases (Pietz), 1939-1955. 31 Mail service, Quincy area, 1947-1954. 32-33 National Reclamation Association, 1940-1969. 34-35 Northwest Chemurgy Cooperative, 1944-1952. 4 36-37 Quincy Columbia Basin Irrigation District, 1939-1964. 38 Quincy Farmers Elevator Co., 1947-1958. 39 Quincy Soil Conservation District (J. A. Weber property), 1958. 40-41 Quincy Valley Irrigation District, 1938-1942. 42 Schools, 1953-1955. 43 State Association of Washington Irrigation Districts, 1942-1965. 44 Washington Irrigation Institute, 1941-1942. 5 45 Washington State College, 1950-1956. 46 Western Sugar Beet Growers Association, 1941-1959. 47 Miscellaneous and unidentified correspondence, 1938-1984. 48 Miscellaneous personal correspondence (some in German), 1948-1968. Series 3 Publications 1940-1978 Columbia Basin Project 5 49 Report, "Allocation of Irrigation Construction Charges," 1953 March. 50 Annual report, "Settler Selection Program," 1956. 51 Report, "Economic Benefits, Columbia Basin Project," 1953 December. 52 "Farmers Handbook for the Columbia Basin Project," circa 1951. 53 Report, "Legislative History and Policies, Housing and Town Development in the Vicinity of Grand Coulee Dam, Fiscal Years 1947 to 1952, Inclusive," with related correspondence, 1953 December. 54 Repayment contracts, 1961 and undated. 55 "Report of the Advisory Committee on Allocation of Construction Charges, Columbia Basin Project," 1952 August. 56 Miscellaneous reports, 1951-1964. 6 57-58 Miscellaneous printed ephemera, circa 1940s-1978. 59 Grant County, WA, "Overall Economic Development Program," 1971 and 1977. 60 Quincy Farmers Elevator Cooperative, Inc., articles of incorporation and by-laws, 1958. 61 Quincy School District, state audit report, 1968. National Reclamation Association 62 Programs of annual meetings, 1940-1947. 63 Reports, 1950-1969. 64 Proceedings, 1959. 65 Washington State Columbia Basin Commission, Washington Irrigation Districts, Washington State Reclamation Association (programs, minutes, printed ephemera), 1945-1968. Series 4 Photographs and miscellaneous items 1920-1982 7 66 Photographs (primarily group portraits including Weber), circa 1930s-1982. 67-68 Miscellaneous ephemera, circa 1940-1970. 69 Grange memorabilia, 1941-1981. 70 McNary Dam dedication memorabilia, 1954. 71 Quincy, WA, ephemera, circa 1930s-1970s. 72 Miscellaneous memorabilia, 1920-1961.