Everett Gibbons

Class of 1923

During his days at Ephrata High School Everett Gibbons participated in basketball, football, track, and was business manager of the “Orange Moon”, the school’s’ first annual.

In 1906 Everett, his parents Robert and Matilda and his brother Wallace came by immigrant train to settle in the Ephrata area. The family located in a dry-land farming area north of town. It was difficult making a living at farming so, in 1917, the Gibbons family, which now included Jay and Louise, moved into town where Everett’s father supported the family by operating a dray and transfer business. His mother Matilda died in the 1918 influenza epidemic, leaving the housekeeping to the older boys while their father entered into the service of Grant County through various elected positions.

In 1981 Everett prepared an autobiography about his time in Ephrata and his family has generously agreed to share excerpts from his story which tells of his memories.

“There were very few jobs available in the ‘20s and early ‘30s. I was fortunate to get a two-three weeks job on a survey crew for Charlie Duncan, Grant County Engineer, during the fall of 1919 and again for a few weeks in the summer of 1920. In 1919 the county commissioners requested that Mr. Enger go to the site of the proposed Grand Coulee Dam and report on his findings. Mr. Enger spent some time walking around the area examining the rock formations and the hills on both sides of the Columbia River. He then set up his transit and made some more observations and calibrations, making notes in his log book. He later reported to the commissioners that it was one of the best sites for a dam he had ever seen and that, in his judgment, a large dam could be built there. This survey was done in 1919. If I recall, my wages on this crew were $2.00 a day.

“After I graduated from Ephrata High School in 1923 I got a summer and fall job with an orchardist in Wenatchee. In the spring of 1924 I enrolled in a pre-medical course at Washington State College. After completing my second year of college in 1925, Mr. James Griffith, Mayor of Ephrata, asked me to be Town Marshall and Water Superintendent. Although I was given a pistol to carry on my hip, it was really more of a shovel job! At this time water was scarce and the old wooden pipelines were giving out and springing leaks everywhere. It wasn’t an easy or a very clean job as the Water Superintendent.

“The following March 1926 I went to work for the Washington Water Power Company in Ephrata. I started as a storage clerk, meter reader and collector. My starting salary was $110.00 a month. Mr. H. O. Klehm was manager of the Ephrata District which covered the areas of Marlin, Wilson Creek, Stratford, Adrian, Grant Orchards, Ephrata, Moses Lake and Quincy. We worked under no union in those days so if I got caught up on my work I could go out and work with the line crew and help with electrical wiring jobs, repair electrical equipment, etc. No additional pay was ever given for this extra effort. I wanted to learn everything I could about the business and my fellow workers were always glad to help me.

“On the 18th of June 1928 I married Loretta Gover. We somehow lived through the Great Depression and we had two sons, Gerald born in 1931 and Robert in 1935.

“In September 1938 I was promoted to the position of District Manager, Ephrata District of the Washington Water Power Company. I held this position until June 14, 1945 when the Public Utility District #2 of Grant County acquired most of the electrical distribution properties of the Washington Water Power Company by condemnation. I was offered the position of Superintendent of the PUD, which I accepted. Mr. Glen Smothers was the Manager.

“In 1954 I became Assistant Manager of the Grant County PUD and in 1955 became the Manager. At this time Priest Rapids Dam was under construction. No start had yet been made on the Wanapum Dam. However, they were both completed and in full operation while I was Manager.

“On August 23, 1965 I was unceremoniously fired by a three-to-two vote of the five-man PUD Commission. Reason given – “will of the Commission”. For the next one and a half years I worked for the Bonneville Power Administration in its Portland, Oregon office. As a result of a recall election, which resulted in three members of the Grant County PUD Commission Board being recalled, I returned to Ephrata to work for the District as a consultant until my retirement November 1, 1969.”

Everett Gibbons


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