Boomtown: McNary Memorabilia
The legacy of McNary Dam days is still visible in Umatilla, in the high school building shipped to house the bursting student population of the 1940s, on the walls of the Umatilla Museum, and at the dam itself. Some of the memorabilia, viewed below, has been preserved by community members and the Corps of Engineers.
Fine "flour gold," reclaimed during sand and gravel mixing from the bed
of the Columbia, was placed in souvenirs such as the above. C. E.
Goody of Tacoma, WA, ran the gold operation, and 10 % of all gold
found during construction went to J.G. Shotwell of Hermiston who
produced the sand and gravel mix; another 10% went to the government.
Courtesy of Army Corps of Engineers
This motel welcome sign, reflecting Umatilla's growth during McNary Dam
Days, hangs on the wall of the Umatilla Museum and Historical Foundation.
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