Daytime bombing practice near ML in 1941

A bombing range was established near Moses Lake in 1941. Planes from Geiger Army Air Base in Spokane would use the range. Of course, only practice bombs were used, which were non-explosive. I understand, during the time the range was used, those planes bombed Warden twice. Also, the planes buzzed local houses at least once. Read on.

E-mail from Cheryl

Facts from the past gleaned from the Moses Lake Herald, Columbia Basin Herald and The Neppel Record by Cheryl (Driggs) Elkins:

From the Moses Lake Herald on Aug. 7, 1941:

Daylight bombing

Both day and night bombing has been taking place at the bombing range eight miles southwest of town. Bombing groups from the Spokane area are taking part in the demonstrations according to Captain Wilkes D. Kelly, public relations officer at Geiger Air Base.

Many bombing planes have been passing over Moses Lake during the past few days and nights. Tuesday night residents of the village were given quite a scare when one of the big bombers zoomed down within a few feet of the tops of buildings.

Sand dam for Moses Lake

Contract for building a new sand dam at the south end of Moses Lake to replace the one which went out on June 7, has been let to Thomas Hansen and sons, and work is scheduled to start at once.

Following a conference between Ed Davis, director for the State Department of Development and Conservation, and Lars Langloe, state engineer, and the directors of the Moses Lake Irrigation District, it was definitely decided that a sand dam is the most feasible and that a concrete dam is an impossibility.

The contract calls for a sand dam. It will have a 40-foot top, will be eight feet above the extreme high water and will contain 35,000 yards of sand.

Contractor Hansen estimates that it will require 40 days to complete the dam.

Ellensburg to have airport

CAA engineers started surveying last Monday at Ellensburg for the improved airport to be constructed at a cost of $321,000 according to word received from civil aeronautics authority officials.

Moses Lake represented at meeting

Headed by Fire Chief George Hockstatter, ten members of the local fire department went to Ephrata last Friday to attend the school of instruction which was to have been put on by Fire Chief Bryson of Wenatchee. He was unable to come, however, and Capt. Cook, of the Seattle Fire Department, took over.

Capt. Cook has been with the Seattle Fire Department for 36 years. He has a year’s leave of absence and is spending time traveling over the state visiting the different fire departments, instructing them in the various phases of fire fighting. Those who attended are enthusiastic and feel that they received a great deal of benefit and knowledge from the instruction and demonstrations given by the captain.

Those who went from here are: Fire Chief George Hockstatter, William Graier, Howare Roberts, Eric Peterson, Marshall Burress, Mr. Wilmot, Chas. Abel, Chas. Olsen, E.E. Laing and John Powers and Albert Estes.

Local boy inducted

Numbered among the young men who left Grant County last Monday for the Tacoma induction station to serve their training period were Harold Bluhm, Moses Lake, Ray Diveti, Wilson Creek, Ervven Seibert and Don N. Williams, Grand Coulee.

Permit issued for post office

The Ephrata City Council granted a building permit to Paul Patrick, contractor for the Columbia Basin Finance Company, to erect a $10,000, 26 by 82 feet brick building to be used for the post office.

Construction work will start next week on the new building, which will be located on Pacific Avenue. The building is expected to be ready for occupancy by October first, Patrick said today.

The postal department, which has leased the building for 10 years, will install new equipment for handling the mails. The Ephrata Post Office has recently been elevated to second class.

Dennis note: This is a confusing news story. Ephrata is going to build a new post office building, but two paragraphs later it is indicated the building has been leased for 10 years. Are they going to build a new building or remodel an old building?