Atomic West, Atomic World: July 6 - 10, 2014
As this page exists, it will feel like a "mash-up" of notes, pictures, and materials. I am taking notes and publishing as the event unfolds. The views and information presented are the scholar’s own and don't represent National Endowment for the Humanities, NEWESD101, or Department of Energy.”
As this page exists, it will feel like a "mash-up" of notes, pictures, and materials. I am taking notes and publishing as the event unfolds. The views and information presented are the scholar’s own and don't represent National Endowment for the Humanities, NEWESD101, or Department of Energy.”
This section of photos will document the people, events, activities. |
Rob McCoy – Public Historian The way people REMEMBER is key to this concept. Rob enjoys working with tribal members in the area. “Land that was ripe for the taking” seemed the way the country was when non-natives arrived. View native American people as people – not the conservationist. Europeans with the white make-up dusting and whigs covering up pox and hair loss due to unhealthy living conditions. Two major rounds of smallpox work through the northwest before 1804. Removal, Assimilation, Reservation – three key words that go with “Indian Policy.” Deaths of the Whitman family allows reason for militarization of forts and outposts. Treaties led to “usual and accustomed places” fishing, hunting, and gathering. Also, protection with military and goods and materials. . |
Jeff Sanders – Environmental Historian
The Columbia River is a series of lakes, it has become an “organic machine.” From Patty Limerick’s work, the “Frontier is Closed.” The ways the area developed were technological, organizational, and innovations. You go west to become a true American, as opposed to staying European. Chicago, Illinois is a special place in America because it is the PROCESSING CENTER – lumber, Sears and Roebuck, grain futures, railroad crossroads, and slaughter houses. Spokane, Washington seemed to be hoping to be the “Chicago of the West.” There can be “limits of the place” when the land does not meet people’s expectations, therefore the federal government needs to get on that – irrigate and maintain the soil. We watched a video from YouTube titled “The Columbia – America’s Greatest Power (1949) Restored Version.” A key quote from the film stated “the Columbia is a wild, uncontrollable giant. |
John Findlay – University of Washington Professor
The “Atomic West” is getting people ready for the Cold War. Dupont Company had a war profiteering reputation from WWI. Hanford didn’t have many physicists, they were elsewhere in the Manhattan Project. The three international crisis are one large blend – Great Depression, WWII, and the Cold War. These bring the American West into a huge role in the time. Regional mindset contributes to locals feeling less critical of the development of resources. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) gets the control of the project, taking it from the hands of the military. The Department of Energy is formed, and then becomes an agency to oversee clean-up efforts. The west will remain a NUCLEAR region for thousands of years to come. “Your bombs are certainly wonderful” – Mrs. J.W. Nichols. This region was often based on extraction of natural resources, the west was seen as “colonial.” Jobs, sophistication, investment, need for development, and industry would come with the Atomic West. Las Vegas, Nevada was excited about Atomic Testing. Casinos were said to have encouraged all night gambling, then in the morning when winds were calm, the mushroom cloud would entertain. Kennewick, WA was a “sun down town” where African-Americans could visit, but not stay the night. Segregation was present and prevalent in Pasco. The State of Washington never got around to placing a Southern Washington State University in the Tri-Cities – it was talked about as a main political issue. |
|
The REACH museum in the Tri-Cities was a destination for our group. It has only been open a week, finishing efforts were happening as we entered. The REACH museum tries to tell the story of the Columbia River through certain conduits: 1) Building the Grid, 2) Expanding the Grid, 3) The Cost of Progress, 4) Protecting the Environment, 5) Bringing Power to the Region, 6) Promoting Energy Conservation, 7) Working Together, 8) Keeping the Lights On, 9) Meeting the Challenge, and 10) A Grand Project, and 11) Powering the Economy. The museum is a work in progress. Limitations included wordy rooms, people leaning on walls that are images, benches in poor spots, and struggles. How do you make this accessible to children? how young? in what way? |
I enjoy the people, food, and beverages of travel. The additional pieces that inspire my interest are included in these pictures. We enjoyed visiting a winery, eating at the Atomic Ale house, and touring. Mornings here are warm, nice to walk along the river. |
This section of photos will document the event and fun items.
|