Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1939-11-02
New Lake Will
Change Map


bic assets Of mankind.
This action is unprecedented. Until
recently new lakes Of such volume
were unknown. But it is necessary be-
cause on the Columbia river in the
northwest there is coming into being
the longest man-made and maroon.
trolled lake known.
This rapidly enlarging major body
of water approaches its rendezvous
with. history nameless. It may be the
largest lake ever built with human
hands. AS yet no plans are perfected
for any larger reservoir and no such
construction contemplated.
Three years ago the map makers
had to make room for Lake Mead, the
115-mile reservoir created by Boulder
dam, highest concrete dam in the
world. Now they have this newer res!
ervoir to cope with as Grand Coulee
dam piles back the waters Of the
Columbia river.
When the dam is complete and the
reservoired waters are backed up to
their full length about two years
from now, the lake will stretch all the
way to the Canadian border, ISL
miles distant. Vessels can travel over
the lake for that distance and sailors
can make their journey international
if desired by continuing on into Can
ada as far as the Arrow lakes.
The Columbia river system domin-
ates the northwest. Its branches sprad
die out from Washington and Oeegon
into Idaho, Montana and Canada. And
Grand Coalee dam in turn will domin
ate the river system, 50 rich in pres
ent and future economic usefulness.
Treasure seekers for centuries have
vaguely felt the potential promise
held out by the great r5rer, records
reveal. After Spanish frigate dis
covered in 1902 the mouth Of trap
id and abundant river, with ash trees
willows and brambles, and other trees
Of CASTLE upon its banks,'' and was
prevented from entering it because OF
its powerful .current, explorers never
ceased their efforts to bring the riv.
er under mans sway.
Almost 200 years later, on May IL
1892, Boston trader commanding che
Columbia Rediviva Gran in with al.
sails SET" and assembled the river 2t
miles. He named the river the Colum-
bia in honor Of his ship and claimed
it for the United States.
But for this event, the Spanish OF
the English might have held the Pac.
ific coast. and the United States might
never have become as great nation.
INLAND exploration Of the Pacific
northwest began with the fur trade;
and for years the economic and poliH
ical history Of the territory paralleled
closely the fortunes of the great fur
companies.
One of the first Americans to real
ize the importance Of the so-called
Oregon country was John Ledyard, a
Yankee sailor who in 1886 Interested
Thomas Jefferson in an expedition TO
ascend the Missouri river, to cross the
Shining mountains (the Roekies) and
to descend the Columbia to the Pacif.
ic.
The expedition is believed by manly
historians to have been outstanding in
fixing the public interest on territorial
expansion, and in determining the
country's destiny.
Furs are products Of the wilderness
80 settlement was not encouraged, blu,
the westward pressure Of agricultur.
al population of the United State.
quickly developed the middle west
and in relatively short time trappers
gold seekers, cattlemen and farmer
rapidly succeeded one another in oc
cupying the Oregon country.
Now, 800 years later, the treasur
seekers are finding the new wealtl
that is in the Columbia--its potentia
power for the benefit Of man existing
in ripping waters and in the cart
they serve. And increasingly, in tn
future, that earth will be made t
serve man more and more, by recla
nation developments.
The economic usefulness Of tn
great river and its tributaries is we
begun. Water diverted from them a
ready transforms lonely desert waste
to flourishing farms-real homes, Of
fering security and happiness. Eles
trical energy created by their fallin
waters lights cities and operates fat
Dries and mines.
Grand Coulee dam, largest mai