The Ex-Mayor and the Drainage Ditch
A former Tacoma mayor pivots from city hall to heavy civil engineering, bringing a crew of eighteen to remake the Richland landscape.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Geo. T. Wright of Tacoma is the successful bidder for the massive Richland drainage project. Wright, a former two-term Democratic mayor of Tacoma, secured the contract with a bid of 19.8 cents per yard. He plans to mobilize a dredge from Tacoma, potentially dismantling it to navigate regional bridges or transporting it via river scow. The operation will employ eighteen men working in two 10-hour shifts, including specialized crewmen he retains year-round, while prioritizing local laborers for remaining roles. The project is seen as a significant civic step for Richland's infrastructure.
“Any one who has kept posted on political affairs in the City of Destiny for the past few years are familiar with the name of Geo. T. Wright.”
Drainage and irrigation projects were the lifeblood of 1910s Richland, transforming arid land into the orchard-heavy 'Atomic City' we know today. George Wright’s transition from a big-city mayor to an infrastructure contractor reflects the era’s ethos: the 'City of Destiny' (Tacoma) and other hubs were the training grounds for the men who physically built the inland Pacific Northwest.
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