McNary and Community: Dedication Day

The story of McNary Dam. . . is the story of the development of a great natural resource, the waters of the Columbia River, for this and future generations.
East Oregonian, September 22, 1954

Mrs. McNary turns the first shovelful of earth for McNary Dam. The day of
merry-making is now recalled fondly in an exhibit where the still-shiny bucket and shovel sit at the McNary Dam Visitor's Center. Courtesy of East Oregonian

A flurry of activity absorbed Umatilla as it geared up for the first phase of McNary construction. On April 15, 1947, 10-12,000 residents of towns up and down the river met in Umatilla to view a parade of floats and marching bands. The day of festivities, riverside picnics, and speeches culminated with Mrs. Charles McNary, a recent widow, turning the first shovel-full of earth, heralding an "age of progress ahead and the happiness of a people."

Governor Earl Snell, representatives of the federal government, dignitaries of three Northwest states, and leaders of the movement for a dam attended the ceremonies. Janis Paige, of Tacoma and Hollywood, was named Miss Damsite. Little did excited observors know that within a generation comprehensive development of the Columbia River would spark unforeseen consequences. By 1969, the lower half of the town of Umatilla was removed and by the 1990s conflict over endangered salmon and possible dam-breaching raged throughout the state.