Lumber, Concrete and Hundreds of Men
Building the Thompson Falls Project took five years and a workforce that reached 650 men. With the exception of steel, all of the project's construction materials were obtained or manufactured on location. Supplying the project's construction needs created a short-term boom in the local economy.
Shops and a work camp were constructed near present dav Power Park. Ten bunkhouses, a boarding house, bathhouse, and dining hall that seated 450 were built there, as were warehouses and carpenter and machine shops. Only one building was designed to be permanent—an office and dormitory building for the executives and clerical staff.
Because work was done over a distance of about one mile, several miles of narrow-gauge railway were built to move steam shovels, compressors, lumber, concrete, rock and other heavy equipment and materials for the extensive excavating and concreting. A sawmill one-half mile downstream furnished crib timber, form lumber, ties and other wood products, while a concrete mixing plant on the Dry Channel supplied 100,000 yards of concrete.
Work on the project was conducted day and night, every day of the week, whatever the weather. Sometimes tragedies occurred; five workers were killed during project construction. Although work was hard and by today's standards hazardous, life was not entirely without leisure—a baseball team and brass band were organized, tennis courts were built, and dances and "get together banquets" were held from time to time.
From the Plaque