Third Powerhouse reunion set during festival

There will be a reunion of sorts for workers on the Third Powerhouse Sept. 15-17, the same weekend as the Harvest Festival celebration.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the construction of the Third Powerhouse at Grand Coulee Dam.

Birdie Hensley has sparked the plan to bring workers back to Grand Coulee Dam for a celebration that a number of workers will miss, because they have already passed on. Most workers would be in their 70s or 80s now.

An “activity” tent will be set up at Banks Lake Park, where former Third Powerhouse workers will gather to renew old friendships and where a large-screen TV will be showing a video produced in the year 2000.

The Third Powerhouse office here opened Jan 3, 1967. On Oct. 21, 1970, the first concrete pour was made for the Third Powerhouse project. On Sept. 26, 1975, “Generator 19,” the first generator in the project, went on line. Generator 24, the last generator on the project went on line May 30, 1980.