Betting on the Rapids
Speculation runs wild in White Bluffs as the Milwaukee railroad moves to electrify its lines, fueling dreams of a massive dam at Priest Rapids.
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.
Directors of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railway on January 26th authorized the electrification of the Puget Sound division from Avery, Idaho, to the Pacific coast, and authorized the issuance of $36,000,000 in bonds for that purpose. While much of the power will likely come from the Montana and International power companies, local belief is strong that the segment from Othello to the coast will be powered by a future dam at Priest Rapids. Government engineers have been seen measuring water speeds, and land has been withdrawn by executive order for a power reserve, leading many to believe that the long-awaited development of the Columbia River is finally imminent. The Hanford Irrigation Power company assets were previously auctioned off, and many suspect the railroad interests are quietly consolidating control over the site.
“To harness the Columbia at this point will call for the expenditure of a great many million dollars and it is not probable that capital could be found to develop a site of that size until legislation is enacted.”
This article captures the early 20th-century obsession with 'harnessing' the Columbia River. Decades later, the construction of the Priest Rapids Dam would fundamentally reshape the region, echoing the same promises of prosperity and industrial dominance that captivated White Bluffs residents in 1917.
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