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From PIONEERS TO POWER
Historical Sketches of the
GRAND COULEE DAM AREA
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| Grand Coulee Dam from Crown Point Vista |
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| Satellite view of the dam and surrounding area |
1976
A Project of the Bicentennial Association
© 1976–GRAND COULEE DAM BICENTENNIAL ASSOCIATION
Reproduced by permission, with added notes and pictures, and formatted for this blog.
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On July 24, 2011, I spoke with Edith Alling Lael, one of the surviving members of the Grand Coulee Dam Bicentennial Commission, about using material from this book, since much of it is either by or about members of my family and where they lived. The Grand Coulee Dam is located on the site of my grandfather's homestead and the Grant County ferry, which he operated. The lake it created covers the sites of the homesteads and ferries of several other members of the family. All of my uncles and many other members of the family worked on or were in some way involved with the construction of the dam, and later, my grandfather was an operating engineer at the dam after it opened. The dam has had such a profound impact on my family that our story cannot be fully told without also telling the dam's story. Edith has kindly granted permission to use as much of the book as I wish, and mentioned that her grandfather helped to build the Grant County ferry.
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View of the dam looking across the lot where a Texaco service station built by my parents shortly after WWII was located until construction began on the third powerhouse |
Since the focus of this blog is on family, this edition of "From PIONEERS TO POWER" will highlight family members and titles of sections most directly connected to the family in bold. I will be adding pictures and links, and also hope to be able to add new information covering the 35 years that have elapsed since the previous edition, which was published in manuscript form, and contained no pictures.
As with most copyrighted content in this blog, unless otherwise noted in a particular post, permission is granted for free use for research or private use. I only ask that you contact me by email to let me know who you are, how I may contact you, what you are using, and how you are using it. For content of PIONEERS TO POWER, the owners of that copyright should also be contacted, especially for use other than private or research.
Cousin Sam
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Other websites of interest concerning the history and people of the Grand Coulee and Big Bend area:
Town of Almira
Welcome to Coulee City
North Central Washington Portal
Town of Wilbur
BIG BEND RAILROAD HISTORY
THIS BLOG FEATURES HISTORICAL INFORMATION ON THE RAILROAD LINES OF THE BIG BEND/COLUMBIA PLATEAU REGION OF WASHINGTON STATE.
More links concerning the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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1776 BICENTENNIAL 1976
Early in 1976 a meeting was held in the Grand Coulee Dam Area to discuss the celebration of the 200th Birthday of the United States of America. As a result of that meeting, the Washington Territory Festival Association was incorporated and the Grand Coulee Dam Area Bicentennial Association was formed, and the following officers elected: David Schmidt, President; Jack Morris, Vice President; Maxine Williams, Secretary; and Wayne Rawley, Treasurer. The Association then planned the following community Bicentennial activities:
1. Summer Arts Festival
2. Permanent bandstand in a local park
3. Fourth of July community-wide picnic
4. Fourth of July fireworks display
5. Community-wide tree plantings
6. A 99 Year Memorial Time Capsule
7. Gathering of local history
In writing a history of the Grand Coulee Dam Area it was decided to reproduce the April 1958 PIONEERS TO POWER book in its entirety and to update that book to the present time.
We hope as you read through this book, both part I and Part II, that you will relive some of the experiences and hardships of the pioneers of the area and of those who first came here when the Dam was being built.
The Grand Coulee Dam Area Bicentennial History Book Committee who made this new PIONEERS TO POWER book possible are:
Jay Weber
Helen Rinker [1913-1986: wife of Sam C. Rinker, my 1st cousin 1x removed]
Winnie Sanderson
Nell Trefry
Edith Alling [mentioned in the a letter to Margaret (Seaton) Taschereau (my mother) by Lillie Lael (Mrs. Boyd) Kramer from Walla Walla, dated March 3, 1989]
Virginia Beck
Wayne Monteith
Dayma Lange Evans
Mrs. C. J. Rabideau
Vera Rice
Darlene Dittmer (living)
Welthy Buchholz
Gladys Osborne
Mary Link
And many, many more
Special recognition is given to Carolyne Graham for retyping Part I, to Joanne (Jody) Lynch and Maxine Williams for typing Part II, and to Darlene Dittmer for indexing.
Vesta Seiler, Chairman
History Book Committee
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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