The Social Promise of Development

Tulip farm in the Willamette Valley with Mt. Hood in the background.
Courtesy of the Oregon Tourism Commission and the Department of Agriculture

Hand in hand with the conservation, development and great utilization of the under-developed areas should go the improvement of the cultural and social opportunities by the development of cultural, recreational and welfare projects.
--"The Willamette Valley Project," 1935

Aerial view of the Willamette Valley near Corvallis.
Courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Proponents hoped development would bring about a new social order, the materialization of the American Dream for the common man and woman. Part of that optimism stemmed from the experience of the New Deal whose impact was felt fully when initial plans for the dams were proposed. Authors of those first plans argued that the Willamette Valley was only developed to half its capacity and that the dams could bring widespead and stable employment to the area long after the engineers and contractors were gone. A fully developed basin could provide productive farm land to as many as 20,000 to 25,000 families escaping the poverty of other regions. Furthermore, increased recreational opportunities would engender a stronger sense of community in the valley.

"Some Social Aspects of the Willamette Valley Project"