Guide to the Priest Rapids Irrigation District Records 1909-1954
Cage 37

Summary Information

Repository
Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Creator
Priest Rapids Irrigation District
Title
Priest Rapids Irrigation District Records
ID
Cage 37
Date [inclusive]
1909-1954
Extent
14 containers., 8 linear feet of shelf space., 5700 items.
Language
Collection materials are in English.
Abstract
Correspondence of Fred J. Cunningham with water users, contractors, public works agencies; deeds, water and electricity contracts and other agreements; financial and administrative records; and papers concerning the dissolution of the district following the seizure of its properties by the federal government for use by the Manhattan District Atomic Energy Project.

Preferred Citation

[Item Description]. Cage 37, Priest Rapids Irrigation District Records. Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

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Biography/History

The Priest Rapids Irrigation District, White Bluffs and Hanford, Washington, a quasi-municipal corporation, was first organized by the Benton County Commissioners in 1920, but remained inactive until the early 1930's when it acquired the properties of two bankrupt firms, the Black Rock Power and Irrigation Company and Consumers Ditch Company. From 1931 to 1943 the district operated as a governmental business dealing in irrigation, electrical power and real estate development and known as the Hanford Irrigation Project. In early 1943, the district's properties were taken over by the federal government and were placed under the Manhattan District of the United States Army for use as an atomic energy facility. Because of the confusion caused by the swiftness of the government seizure, the district was not dissolved, nor its assets fully liquidated, until 1951.

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Scope and Content

The records consist primarily of correspondence of the secretary of the district, deeds, contracts and similar legal papers relating to the operation of the district, financial records which were maintained by the Benton County Treasurer, and papers concerning the lawsuits over the dissolution of the district.

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Arrangement

Records emanating from district operations between 1920 and 1943 are arranged in one alphabetical series. Following this is a short sequence of material concerning the dissolution of the district. The additional material donated by Mary Harris is in Containers 15-17, filed separately after the original donation.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections  © 2012

http://www.libraries.wsu.edu/masc/

Terrell Library

P.O. Box 645610

Pullman, WA, 99164-5610 USA

509-335-6691

mascref@wsu.edu

Restrictions on Access

This collection is open for research use.

Acquisition Information

The records of the Priest Rapids Irrigation District were donated to Washington State University by Mrs, Fred M. Harris of Yakima, Washington, in 1958. Further records were donated by Mary Harris in early 1973.

Processing Information

The records of the Priest Rapids Irrigation District were initially processed by Lawrence R. Stark, September, 1972. Further records were donated in early 1973 and processed by Lawrence R. Stark, April, 1973.

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Names and Subjects

Corporate Name(s)

Creator(s) :
  • Priest Rapids Irrigation District --Archives
  • Washington (State). Emergency Relief Administration
Subject(s) :
  • United States. Works Progress Administration
  • United States. Public Works Administration
  • Washington (State). Dept. of Conservation and Development
  • United States. Army. Corps of Engineers. Manhattan District

Personal Name(s)

Creator(s) :
  • Cunningham, Fred J. --Archives
Donor(s) :
  • Harris, Fred Mrs. waps --Archives

Subject(s)

  • Public works -- Washington (State)--Benton County
  • Irrigation -- Washington (State)--Benton County
  • Irrigation
  • Public Works
  • Washington (State)

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Detailed Description of Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

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Acquisition of properties 

 1

Address list 

 1

Agreements - Miscellaneous 

 1

Allis-Chalmers Company 

 1

American Blueprint Company 

 1

Annual reports--Priest Rapids Irrigation District 

 1

Arrowsmith Iron Works 

 1

Assessment receipts 

 1

Auditor's Report--Washington State 

 1

Ballots for bond election October, 1938. 

 1

Bank deposits and withdrawals 

 1

Bank statements 

 1

Banks, Frank A 

 1

Barge, C. E. 

 2

Beeuwkes, R. (Milwaukee Railroad) engineering reports 

 2

Benton County Treasurer's receipts 1941. 

 2

Benton County Utility District 

 2

Bids on Priest Rapids Irrigation District junk 

 2

Bills and old invoices 

 2

Bills of sale 

 2

Blueprints 

 2

Board meeting 

 2

Boie, H. H. 

 2

Bond application $175,000 

 2

Bond election and issue of bonds June, 1940. 

 2

Bond payments 

 2

Bond report data 

 2

Bonneville Power Administration 

 2

Brown, A.J. 

 3

Brown Brothers, Priest Rapids 

 3

Budgets 

 3

Calzo, Pete 

 3

Certificates of redemption 

 3

Cheney and Hutchinson 

 3

Circular letters 

 3

Claims 1943 

 3

Claims to be submitted to Board of Directors 

 3

Miscellaneous collections 

 3

Collens, Leonard 

 3

Department of Conservation and Development--Washington State 

 3

Contracts 

 3

Correspondence, miscellaneous 

 4

Correspondence with Marvin Chase, receiver, Black Rock Company 

 4

County auditor 

 4

County treasurer 

 4

Cox, Omar 

 4

Cross-section paper 

 4

Cunningham, Fred J. 

 4

Deeds to Irrigation District 

 5

Delinquent lists by county treasurer 

 5

Directors 

 5

Dishon, Charles 

 5

Dunning notices 

 5

Employer's papers 

 5

Estimates, miscellaneous 

 5

Exclusions 

 5

Federal Emergency Administration 

 5

Federal Land Bank 

 5

Federal Pipe and Tank Company 

 5

Federal Power Commission 

 5

Federal Public Works 

 5

Federation of Yakima Valley Irrigation Districts 

 5

Financial statements 

 5

Fonda, Mary E. 

 5

Fosseen's Incorporated, Yakima 

 5

Garsi, S. 

 6

Gas reports 

 6

General Electric Company 

 6

General Petroleum Company 

 6

Generator bids and deposits 

 6

Geological survey 

 6

Graybar Electric Company 

 6

Grazing leases 

 6

Hall, G.D. 

 6

Hanford contracts 

 6

Haynes, Manley B. 

 6

Department of Hydraulics 

 6

Insurance policies 

 6

Inquiries on 1935 tolls and assessments 

 6

Kennedy, E.D., et al v. Marvin Chase, receiver 

 6

Department of Labor and Industries 

 7

Land contracts 

 7

Land sales 

 7

Land settlement 

 7

Leases 

 7

Legal opinions 

 7

Legislative matters 

 7

Department of Licenses 

 7

Lowman-Hanford Company 

 7

McLean and Company re: bonds 

 7

Machine shops and supplies 

 7

Manufacturers -- miscellaneous 

 7

Maps and photographs 

 7

Meter readings 

 8

Miller and Adams 

 8

Milwaukee Railroad Company officials 

 8

Minutes and resolutions 

 8

Miscellaneous 

 8

Moulton and Powell, attornies 

 9

Division of Municipal Corporations 

 9

Newspaper clippings 

 9

Notes and mortgages 

 9

O'Brien, M.F. 

 9

O'Brien, K. Wagner 

 9

Oils and greases 

 9

Old business 

 9

Pacific Power and Light Company 

 9

Partlow, Lon 

 9

Pashen, H.F. 

 9

Payrolls 

 9

Petitions 

 9

Picatti Brothers 

 9

Pipeline construction--lateral "H 

 9

Plans and specifications 

 9

Plats 

 9

Poll book for bond election October, 1938. 

 9

Power dope 

 9

Power statements 1940. 

 9

Priest Rapids Development Company 

 10

Priest Rapids Irrigation District 

 10

Priority rating and correspondence 

 10

Private and district lands 

 10

Prosicuting [sic] Attorney, Benton County 

 10

Prosser 

 10

Department of Public Lands 

 10

Public Works Administration 

 10

Pump information, Consolidated Builders, Inc. [Grand Coulee Dam] 

 10

Receipts, miscellaneous 

 10

Reconstruction Finance Corporation 

 10

Redemption receipts 1940-1942 

 11

Refunding bond issue 

 11

Reports, federal and state 

 11

Roberts pumping plant estimates 

 11

Salvini, B. [John Bert] 

 11

Salvina, James P. 

 11

Sanford, Charles M. 

 11

Secretary's manual 

 11

Standard Oil Company 

 11

State and governmental departments 

 11

State auditor 

 11

State tax commission 

 11

State treasurer 

 11

Statements [of predecessor companies] 

 11

Supply firms 

 11

Tax schedule 

 12

Victory tax and withholding tax 

 12

Technical data 

 12

Tinling and Powell, attornies 

 12

Toll receipts 1952 

 12

Transfers [of contracts] 1936 

 12

Treasurer's receipts 1943 

 12

Unemployment compensation 

 12

Union Oil Company 

 12

Yakima Valley Iron Works 

 12

Letters in which warrants were sent 

 12

Washington Rural Rehabilitation Corporation 

 12

Water charges 

 12

Water contracts 

 12

Water deliveries 

 12

Water information 

 12

Water statements 

 13

Water users 

 13

Webber, Leo 

 13

Westinghouse Electric Company 

 13

Woodward Governor Company 

 13

C.F. Wooten case 

 13

Works Progress Administration 

 13

XYZ [Miscellaneous] 

 13

Yakima County 

 13

Yakima Hardware Company 

 13

Yearly totals 1936 

 13

Condemnation and dissolution of the Priest Rapids Irrigation District 1943-1951. 

 14

Priest Rapids Irrigation District Files 
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Minutes and resolutions 1938-1944 

 15

Copies of PRID deeds 

 15

Land Remittance Ration: Priest Rapids Land Development Company 

 15

United States Army 

 15

War Department 

 15

Description of Bonds issued in 1940 

 15

Application to Reconstruction Finance Corporation 1933 

 15

White Bluffs--Hanford Project as proposed by Citizens Committee 1919 

 15

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Condemnation and liquidation: Correspondence, briefs, depositions and related papers, mostly dealing with legal matters 1943-1954. 

 16

Appraisals of PRID properties (Including photographs) 1908-09 

 17

Transcripts and reports of trials before federal courts 1947-1952 

 17