Grand Coulee Dam and spillway, Coulee Dam, WA, 1947
- Card type
- Real photo
- Date
- c. 1947 (Chrome)
About this postcard
The view looks down on Grand Coulee Dam, with water moving over the spillway and power lines crossing the foreground. The long concrete face sits between granite abutments, holding back the Columbia River, with reservoir water and dry eastern Washington hills behind it. The dam rises 550 feet from its lowest bedrock and runs 4,173 feet long. Completed in 1942, Grand Coulee was built for irrigation, flood control, and hydroelectric power, and by the late 1940s it was a stop for travelers crossing the state. A sender wrote home from Coulee Dam in June 1947 while passing through to Montana, reporting that they had seen the dam.
Postcard Details
582 South Rodney Helena, MT
Postcard record
| Postmarked | , Coulee Dam, WA |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Western Souvenirs |
| Series | 511 |
| Condition | Very good |
| Place addressed | Mrs Maud Grogan, 582 South Rodney, Helena, MT |
| Place depicted | Grand Coulee Dam, WA |
| Stamp | 1c George Washington, green, issued 1909 |
| Stamp | 1c George Washington, green, issued 1938, perforated on all sides |
| Notes | White border; real photo postcard; printed caption "The Grand Coulee Dam, Wash., nestled in granite abutments - 550 feet high from lowest bedrock and 4,173 feet long"; copyright 1947 Western Souvenirs, series 511. Postmark: COULEE DAM, WASH. JUN 16 10-AM 1947. Real-photo card, divided back, glossy with white border; light edge wear and a few surface spots on the front. 1c green George Washington stamp tied by wavy machine cancel. |
Cite this card
Grand Coulee Dam and spillway, Coulee Dam, WA, 1947, postcard, c. 1947. PostalPast Collection. https://postalpast.com/postcard/grand-coulee-dam-and-spillway-coulee-dam-wa-1947. Accessed November 2, 2026.