About this Collection

The M.W.A.K. Columbian (retitled The Columbian in 1938) was published by the Safety Department for Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Company, the contractors hired to construct the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington state. This publication includes notices about safety including safety tips and statistics about injuries on the job site. The publication also served as a news source providing information about local events and advertisements for local stores and movie theaters. M. Pete Shrauger is listed as the editor over the course of the newsletter's run. These issues were scanned from either the Roy Dimond Collection (SPC 012-0704) or the Donald Beaty Papers (SPC 982-0165).

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M.W.A.K. Columbian, Vol. 3, No. 20

Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Co.

Articles in this issue include pieces on the reduction of earth moving vehicles resulting from the end major earth excavation, the cleaning of the main riverbed, and all time high employment on the site. Page 7 was scanned from the Donald Beaty Papers (SPC 982-0165) due to poor legibility of the copy from the Roy Dimond Papers (SPC 012-0704).
M.W.A.K. Columbian, Vol. 3, No. 21

Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Co.

Articles in this issue include pieces about reaching a record for daily concrete pouring, the importance of safe monkey wrench handling, and sub-surface grouting.
M.W.A.K. Columbian, Vol. 3, No. 22

Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Co.

Articles in this issue include pieces on concrete used for Grand Coulee Dam, the threat of working in high heat, and the twist slot between blocks 9 and 10.
M.W.A.K. Columbian, Vol. 3, No. 23

Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Co.

Articles in this issue include pieces on new structures that will be built into the dam such as gates, outlets, and trashracks, the addition of new "dinky" train engines, and a milestone reached on west side construction.
M.W.A.K. Columbian, Vol. 3, No. 24

Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Co.

Articles in this issue include pieces on the use of lumber at the construction site, the financial cost of injuries on the site, the theft of dynamite from the construction site, and a decision to dig a deeper gorge between blocks 52 and 55.
M.W.A.K. Columbian, Vol. 3, No. 25

Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Co.

Articles in this issue include pieces on the development of construction vehicles to deal with heavy mud, a new cut at the Brett gravel pit, and changes in peak water levels for the Columbia River.
M.W.A.K. Columbian, Vol. 3, No. 26

Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Co.

Articles in this issue include pieces about the human history of the Grand Coulee, celebrating the 4th of July safely, and progress on the low trestle.
M.W.A.K. Columbian, Vol. 3, No. 27

Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Co.

Articles in this issue include pieces about pumps used at Grand Coulee Dam, the dangers of electricity, and the near completion of the high trestle.
M.W.A.K. Columbian, Vol. 3, No. 28

Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Co.

Articles in this issue include pieces about phone service at Grand Coulee, drinking while on the job, and the removal of the cross river cofferdam.
M.W.A.K. Columbian, Vol. 3, No. 29

Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Co.

Articles in this issue include pieces about pipe on the construction carrying air, water, and steam, injuries caused by falling, the drowning death of Charles Bassett, and the completion of drilling on the riverbed.
M.W.A.K. Columbian, Vol. 3, No. 30

Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Co.

Articles in this issue include pieces about a new labor contract signed with the American Federation of Labor (AFL), beginning operations in the cement screen plant, and hot summer weather.
M.W.A.K. Columbian, Vol. 3, No. 31

Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Co.

Articles in this issue include pieces about the high volume of money orders issued by the Mason City post office, avoiding eye burns caused by arc welding, and progress on the center portions of the dam.
M.W.A.K. Columbian, Vol. 3, No. 31 (misprint)

Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Co.

Articles in this issue include pieces about the many shafts and galleries running through the dam site, and an estimated 1.25 billion pounds of concrete poured to date.

Issue number 32 printed as issue 31.
M.W.A.K. Columbian, Vol. 3, No. 33

Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Co.

Articles in this issue include pieces about the 500,000 tourists that have visited viewing points (vista houses) at the dam site, and the construction of gates to re-divert the river to its original path.
M.W.A.K. Columbian, Vol. 3, No. 35 (misprint)

Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Co.

Articles in this issue include a reminder to workers to sign up with the American Federation of Labor, little known facts about the Columbia Basin Project, and a temporary stoppage of construction on certain blocks to allow the migration of salmon through the site.

Issue number 34, misprinted as issue number 35.
M.W.A.K. Columbian, Vol. 3, No. 35

Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Co.

Articles in this issue include pieces about large gates that will re-divert the Columbia River and the amount of meat served by the mess hall.
M.W.A.K. Columbian, Vol. 3, No. 36

Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Co.

Articles in this issue include pieces about the east pit tool room used to outfit many of the workers and inner cell removal on blocks 41-44.
M.W.A.K. Columbian, Vol. 3, No. 37

Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Co.

Articles in this issue include pieces about saw filers, a radio broadcast from the dam site, and construction in the west side diversion channels.

Page 9 marked as 7 and page 10 marked as 8.
M.W.A.K. Columbian, Vol. 3, No. 38

Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Co.

Articles in this issue include pieces about arc welding, the potential use of clock 32 as a temporary fish way, and the upcoming use of 160-ton gates to block water from certain sections of the dam.

Several paragraphs on page 8 of the physical original are illegible.
M.W.A.K. Columbian, Vol. 3, No. 39

Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Co.

Articles in this issue include pieces about the use of air compressors on the site, a visit from the Shriners, and an upcoming visit by President Franklin Roosevelt on October 2.

Pages 7 and 9 are switched from their original positions.
M.W.A.K. Columbian, Vol. 3, No. 40

Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Co.

Articles in this issue include pieces about the amount of freight brought to the site via train, a remembrance of the Chicago fire, and further progress on the installation and use of gates to divert water from certain sections of the dam.

Page 9 printed as page 7.
M.W.A.K. Columbian, Vol. 3, No. 41

Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Co.

Articles in this issue include pieces about the activities of the machine shop and the importance of on site telephone communications.

Page 10 printed as page 2.
M.W.A.K. Columbian, Vol. 3, No. 42

Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Co.

Articles in this issue include pieces about the completion of bedrock work on blocks 42 and 44, a poem titled "Mud Shifter's Prayer," and the clearance of the east pit area.

Page 11 has bleeding from page 12.
M.W.A.K. Columbian, Vol. 3, No. 43

Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Co.

Articles in this issue include pieces about the use of panels to construct the concrete forms, a visit from actress Mary Carlisle, and the plans for building temporary fish ladders.
M.W.A.K. Columbian, Vol. 3, No. 44

Mason-Walsh-Atkinson-Kier Co.

Articles in this issue include pieces about curing concrete on the dam and increased concrete work on the west side of the dam.

Significant bleed through on pages 2 and 3, and both are cut off at the top. Pages 7 and 9 are reversed.