Scope and Contents
The collection contains field diaries, correspondence, reports, project files including Columbia River and Bonneville dam projects, photographs, and a few personal files.
Rands' field diaries span his career from 1906-1941 with few lapses. Personal files that include correspondence, photographs, writings and notes are filed after the diaries.
Project files (1913-1925) are titled by project and arranged in rough chronological order. In addition to smaller projects Rands' worked on such as the Hammon Consolidated Gold Fields in Alaska, there is a large section of correspondence, reports and notes on Portland Electric Power Company's "Oak Grove Project." This project involved the construction of a system of dams and powerhouses on the Clackamas and Oak Grove rivers to supply power for Portland. The Oak Grove files include five volumes of progress reports with photographs, preliminary siting reports and a file of forecasted future power costs (1924).
Willamette River Survey files (1935-1937) contain construction cost information, flood control, irrigation, reservoir sites, and reservoir sites, railroad, and highway revisions. An organizational chart is filed at the beginning of box 13 that provides name identification for the correspondence folders which immediately follow.
The Columbia River and Tributaries Survey files (1932-1935) comprise materials on Bonneville dam construction including specifications for dam construction, powerhouse and locks, relocation of the railroad, a survey of grout and drainage pipe installation, preliminary traffic surveys of the river, background notes and computations, and surveys of tributary rivers such as the Deschutes and the Snake.
Dates
- Creation: 1906-1941
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time.
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights reside with Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries. Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs. All requests for permission to publish collection materials must be submitted to Special Collections and University Archives. The reader must also obtain permission of the copyright holder.
Biographical / Historical
Harold A. Rands (1871-1952) was a civil engineer. He superintended hydroelectric installations for various firms, including Portland Electric Power Co., Washington Water Power Co., and North Coast Power Co. From 1929-1935 he was in charge of power and flood control surveys on the Columbia River and tributaries for the U.S. Corp of Engineers. He also served as senior engineer for the construction of the Bonneville Dam and powerhouse complex.
Extent
8.5 linear feet (17 containers)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Harold A. Rands (1871-1952) was a civil engineer who superintended hydroelectric installations, was in charge of power and flood control surveys on the Columbia River and tributaries for the U. S. Corp of Engineers, and served as senior engineer for the construction of the Bonneville Dam and powerhouse complex. The collection contains field diaries, correspondence, reports, project files including Columbia river and Bonneville Dam projects, and photographs.
Arrangement
Collection is organized into the following series: Personal Files, Project Files, Willamette River Survey files, and Columbia River and Tributaries survey.
Other Finding Aids
Paper finding aid with additional information is available in Special Collections & University Archives.
Physical Description
17 containers
Processing Information
Collection processed by Cheryl Roffe, 1983.
This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
This collection received a basic level of processing including minimal organization and rehousing.
Description information is drawn in part from information supplied with the collection and initial surveys of the contents.
Subject
- United States. Army. Corps of Engineers (Organization)
- Rands, Harold A. (Harold Alva), 1871-1952 (Person)
- Rands, Harold A. (Harold Alva), 1871-1952 (Person)
- Portland Electric Power Company (Organization)
Genre / Form
Geographic
Topical
- Title
- Guide to the Harold A. Rands Papers
- Status
- Complete Description
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by University of Oregon Libraries, Archivists' Toolkit Project Team
- Date
- 2012
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
- Sponsor
- Funding for production of this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).
Repository Details
Part of the University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives Repository
