Looking for an image for this weeks Sepia Saturday had me thinking I’d have nothing. I don’t have any vintage photos of caves unless I drag out some old Viewmaster slides of Carlsbad Caverns. That was tempting until I remembered this photo. Now is the perfect time to post this vintage snapshot.
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Looks like nothing more than an old car on a snowy mountain road, but then the title had me searching for something more.
This image shows the Hungry Horse Dam under construction in Montana. I'm guessing it was a Christmas card for the workers to send back home.
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Hungry Horse Dam is an arch dam on the South Fork Flathead River in the Rocky Mountains of the U.S. state of Montana. It is located in Flathead National Forest, in Flathead County, about 15 miles (24 km) south of the west entrance to Glacier National Park, 9 miles (14 km) southeast of Columbia Falls, and 20 miles (32 km) northeast of Kalispell. The Hungry Horse project, dam, and powerplant are operated by the United States Bureau of Reclamation.
At 564 feet (172 m) in height, the dam was the third largest dam, and second highest concrete dam, in the world at the time of its completion in 1953, with a volume of 3,100,000 cubic yards (2,400,000 m3). The dam's spillway is the highest morning glory structure in the world. The spillway is controlled by a 64-by-12-foot (20 by 3.7 m) ring gate.
Construction of Hungry Horse Dam was authorized by the Act of June 5, 1944 (58 Stat. 270, Public Law 78-329). Construction began in April 1948 and was completed on July 16, 1953. The purpose of the Hungry Horse Project, authorized by law, are irrigation, flood control, navigation, streamflow regulation, hydroelectric generation, and other beneficial uses such as recreation. However, no irrigation facilities were built and the project has no irrigation obligations. Hydroelectric power generation is the primary purpose of the dam today. Flood control is the dam's other main purpose. The dam, reservoir, and surrounding area are used for recreation. (SOURCE: Wikipedia)
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So how did the place get the name Hungry Horse?
The severe 1900-01 winter left two freight horses lost and starved in the rugged Flathead River wilderness. Found a month later, their owners nursed them back to health. "Hungry Horse" became the name of a nearby mountain and creek and, later, this Reclamation project.
The first permanent settlers entered the Flathead Valley in 1860. As the Flathead Valley grew in the new century, so did the belief that a new dam could reduce flooding and harness the river's force to produce electricity. Montana citizens worked for 30 years toward bringing this belief to life. Federal agencies surveyed lands and began efforts toward Congressional approval to build a large water project. (SOURCE: US Bureau of Reclamation)To read more about the history of the area click here.
And this is what the dam looks like today.
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