'History in the Making' topic of chamber event

MOSES LAKE — With this year’s Grant County centennial, the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce selected “History in the Making” as its annual banquet talk for Tuesday at Pillar Rock Grill.

Local historian Mick Qualls presents the history of Grant County, how the county came to be and the efforts behind local dams, said Debbie Doran-Martinez, the executive director of the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce.

He also owns and operates Qualls Agricultural Laboratory, near Ephrata.

“It will be very interesting,” she noted. “Mick was chosen because it’s the centennial. The thought was, because we have so many people coming to the area, they may not know the history of the area.”

“We thought it was timely to bring him in and have him do the presentation.”

Part of his talk touches on the late 1800s, the Great Depression and the dams. Grand Coulee Dam was completed in 1941, when the chamber was formed, she said.

During her research, she came across what she called an “interesting quote” from the U.S. Secretary of the Interior saying the Pacific Northwest was going to be a dominant area in the future because of the dam.

The area is currently reaching population thresholds in Moses Lake and Grant County, Doran-Martinez noted.

Growth is important because some big businesses have eluded they will come to the area when Moses Lake reaches about 20,000 people, and 100,000 people live in Grant County, she explained.

Tuesday’s banquet starts at 5:30 p.m., with a one-hour social, dinner and then Qualls’ one-hour program.

Awards are presented at 7 p.m. Outgoing chamber President Billy Brice is set to speak.

He’ll turn the gavel over to Michelle Price, the chamber’s incoming president.

On Friday, there were between 20 to 25 tickets remaining for the members-only event.

For more information about tickets, call 509-765-7888.