Grand Coulee Dam spillway, Grand Coulee, WA, circa 1942
- Card type
- Real photo
- Date
- c. 1942 (Linen)
About this postcard
Water surges over the spillway of Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River in eastern Washington, with the dam's concrete face and spillway gates above and a dark basalt hillside rising behind. The scene shows the structure in operation, after the reservoir had filled behind it. Built by the Bureau of Reclamation between 1933 and 1942, Grand Coulee was among the largest concrete structures in the world and the centerpiece of federal plans to irrigate the Columbia Basin while generating hydroelectric power. Its reservoir, Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake, backed water up the Columbia for miles, and the dam's generators became a major source of electricity for the Pacific Northwest.
Postcard Details
No address detected
Postcard record
| Publisher | Graycraft Card Co. |
|---|---|
| Series | S-294 |
| Condition | Excellent |
| Place depicted | Grand Coulee Dam, Grand Coulee, WA |
| Publisher | Danville, VA |
| Notes | White border; black-and-white photograph; no publisher or series mark visible. No postmark. Divided-back 'Natural-Finish' card printed by Graycraft Card Co., Danville, Va.; photo credited to U.S. Bureau of Reclamation; black triangle stamp-box corner marks; card number S-294. Faint pencil mark 'RMLJ 2-' at top right. White border on front. |
Cite this card
Grand Coulee Dam spillway, Grand Coulee, WA, circa 1942, postcard, c. 1942. PostalPast Collection. https://postalpast.com/postcard/grand-coulee-dam-spillway-grand-coulee-wa-circa-1942. Accessed November 2, 2026.