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President Kennedy Dedicates Whiskeytown Dam
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President Kennedy Dedicates Whiskeytown Description of Photo(s) Four images on a dark grey background. In the top right section is a photo of President John Kennedy standing at a podium with the Presidential Seal on it. Behind the President is seated two rows of dignitaries. Whiskeytown Lake with three sailboats is in the background. The image on the lower right section is a photograph showing the large crowd in the foreground with a line of helicopters along the crest way of Whiskeytown Dam. Whiskeytown Lake is on the right side of the photo and the slope of the dam is on the left. In the background is a tree covered hillside and two mountains in the distance. The caption under this photo reads, “Photos from President John F. Kennedy’s dedication of Whiskeytown Dam on September 28, 1963. Thousands of people turned out to hear the President speak.” The bottom middle image is a color photograph of the Kennedy Memorial, a geometric art piece made up of rectangular shapes with bas-relief inserts of the dam construction and President Kennedy along with stylized elements of California history. The caption under this photograph reads, “Located just to your right, the Kennedy Memorial was funded and spearheaded by local citizens after the President was assassinated. The bass relief panels were sculpted by local artist Roberto Ciabani. The panels represent Ciabani’s depiction of Kennedy’s legacy.” The graphic in the lower left section is a map of California showing the Central Valley Project. Inserts show the Shasta/Trinity River Division and the Delta Division of the project. Wayside Text President Kennedy Dedicates Whiskeytown On September 28, 1963, less than two months before his assassination in Dallas, President John F. Kennedy made his last official visit to California to dedicate Whiskeytown Dam. The dedication completed the Central Valley Project, a 500-mile-long water diversion system initiating a new era of growth in California. In this federally funded project, water from Northern California is diverted to the drier Central Valley, allowing one of the world’s most productive agricultural regions to thrive. The dam dedication occurred at this exact spot, and during the ceremony, President Kennedy recognized great conservationists of the past and expressed the need to utilize our precious resources wisely for the future. He spoke of his pride in the Central Valley Project and praised the completion of Whiskeytown Dam. “Every time we bet on the future of this country, we win,” President Kennedy said. “Every time we develop the water resources, [or] we set aside recreation areas, we can be sure they will be used.” Excerpts of the President’s speech can be heard at the Kennedy Memorial, located to your right.
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Audio description of the President Kennedy Dedicates Whiskeytown Wayside.
Date Created
01/29/2022
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