1948 Map of Grand Coulee Dam

About this map

The Grand Coulee Dam anchors this post-war landscape, holding back the waters of the Franklin D Roosevelt Lake along the border of the Colville Indian Reservation. This 1948 field survey captures the engineering and social infrastructure of the mid-century Coulee region, showing the proximity of settlements like Grand Coulee, Coulee Dam, and Elmer City near the dam's power generation and irrigation facilities. Away from the water, the map reveals the rural character of the high country, including the Lafollette Cem and the Grand Coulee Grange, alongside numerous named coulees and draws such as Klobuschar Draw and Broadax Draw. The landscape is etched with the geological legacy of the Channeled Scablands, evidenced by features like Sand Hill and the deep cuts of Hells Canyon and Kwei Kwei Canyon.