A.A. Durand and Son Drilling Records

Collection

Identifier: WCMss-060

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The A.A. Durand and Son Drilling Records includes geological surveys, information about irrigation districts, correspondence, legal documents, and reports of Walla Walla well-drilling contractors. Other files such as blueprints, maps, newspaper clippings, water reports, video footage from drilling sites, and field notes can be found in this collection. The dates span from approximately 1930 to 1980. Many items relate to several hundred contracts in the Northwest.

Dates

Creation: 1930-1980

Creator

A.A. Durand and Son (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Historical Note

A.A. Durand and Son was a well-drilling company founded by Albert Aloysius Durand in Walla Walla, Washington. Albert Durand moved from Missouri in 1897 to Walla Walla, and brought with him an early-type well drilling rig. He ran the well drilling business for decades before his retirement. His company is responsible for thousands of wells across Washington, Oregon and other western states.

The company had many clients throughout the Pacific Northwest, offering their services on both the private and corporate levels. They supplied water for agriculture, industrial plants, government projects, as well as domestic locations. Their slogan was “No well too large. No well too small.”

Some of their services included the construction of oil, gas and water wells, core drilling, seismograph drilling, drainage, and sanitary facility wells and pump installation.

The company was later owned and run by his son Paul A. Durand, a Walla Walla native and graduate of Whitman College, until it was sold in 1958 after more than 50 years of operation.

Extent

49.25 Linear Feet (49 record cartons, 1 tube)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Th A.A. Durand and Son Drilling Records houses drilling records and information for wells across the Pacific Northwest from the A.A. Durand and Son well-drilling company based in Walla Walla, Washington. The states include Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Alaska, and Montana.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated to the Whitman College and Northwest Archives by Paul A. Durand in 1970 and 1987. The accession number is retro-0106.

Processing Information

In 2012 this collection was transferred to archival boxes. The original order provided by the donor was maintained, and no additional arrangement was imposed by the archvist. Materials were described on the collection-level.

In 2019, the collection was rehoused to stabalize the materials, and the inventory provided by the donor was used to create a box-level container list.