Coulee Recollections

Ten Years Ago

The Bureau of Reclamation wants to celebrate its 100th anniversary with an upcoming community party and will use the occasion to help recognize special people and a special place. Nationally, the Bureau is putting a major effort into telling its story of development in 17 states.

The sound of shovels digging briefly filled the air last week as Keller residents commemorated the beginning of construction on a new health center.

Jim Boyd, a popular singer with several Nammy (Native American Music Awards) nominations, will play the Grand Theater and Gallery of Arts in Grand Coulee August 3 with Alfonso Kolb.

Twenty Years Ago

Dawn Fisher of Electric City and Paul Furman of Wilbur have announced their engagement and forthcoming marriage. Fisher is the daughter of David and Amy Mahoney of Electric City and Dennis and Beverly Fisher of Long Beach, Calif. Furman is the son of David Furman of Wilbur and Sally Furman of Spokane. The couple will wed Sept. 7 at the Wilbur Lutheran Church.

A storm that cut a swath from Creston to Omak on Sunday, cut out power, damaged telephone lines, clapped a couple of campgrounds with lightning and set over a dozen fires in the Grand Coulee Dam area.

There are only three more days left of the sale at Barbara Jean’s Jewelry located on Main Street in Grand Coulee.

Thirty Years Ago

The Grand Coulee High School Class of 1967 had its 15-year reunion with 27 of the 47 classmates attending. Special Awards - Bill Auby, farthest traveled; Bob Mattson, most kids (four); Joy Black Bise, oldest child (12); Dan Klobucher, youngest child (1); Allen Hirst, least hair; Darlene Nosler, most hair; Connie Alling Gross, best mustache; Pam Hilson Byam, most changed; Cheryl Hudnall Burts, least changed.

Forty Years Ago

The Electric City Council has extended the lease held by William Watkins for the Coulee Playland until Dec. 31, 2000, on behalf of the State Parks and Recreation Commission. The land on which the concessionaire is located is managed by the state agency through the city council.

Fifty Years Ago

Over 20,000 visited Grand Coulee Dam last week brining the 1962 total self-guided tour count to 153,155. As of July 23, the discharge of the Columbia River at Grand Coulee Dam was 157,000 cfs. Inflow into Lake Roosevelt was 165,00 cfs. Elevation for Lake Roosevelt was 1289.9. The maximum elevation is 1290.

Sixty Years Ago

Four-H Club members from Elmer City and Coulee Dam who attended the 4-H Camp at Lost Lake included John Fisher, Sandy Chapman, Ann Netzel,k Susan Roloff, Sydney and Josie Hammer, Barbara Beck, Beverly Borovec, Kathryn Harvey, Priscilla Overland and Esther Walberg.

Lawrence Kunz, son of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Kunz of Nespelem has been awarded a C.W. Young scholarship in agruculture for #300.

Seventy Years Ago

Blasting went on day and night for various reasons. CBI, the prime contractor, dynamited the old wooden railroad bridge which was located downstream from the steel highway span. The east bank of the Columbia was found to be unsuitable for support of heavily loaded trains.

The USBR announced plans for a 72-foot working model of Grand Coulee Dam to be put and place in a permanent location. This model was to be used for tests of a model of a caisson in which behavior of the caisson in rough water could be observed.