Though power production from this powerhouse began in 1915, it wasn't completely finished until 1917. There are six generators installed in the 240-foot-long, 90-foot-high powerhouse. It was built entirely of concrete and local bedrock blasted from various locations on the site. In 1993 a second powerhouse was added to the project, more than doubling the power output, which today totals 94 MW.
As access to the powerhouse is quite limited, coordinates given are for a good observation point, near the south end of the High Bridge.
Historic Resources of Thompson Falls, Montana
(Page 2)
The Thompson Falls Multiple Resource Area nomination consists of one historic district and a variety of individual residential and commercial buildings constructed between 1900-1916. The Hydroelectric Dam Historic District is made up of five buildings and six structures, all of which date from 1910-1915 and are in good condition.
The six structures in the district consist of the Dry Channel
and Main Channel Bridges (1911), the concrete Dry Channel and Main Channel Dams (1915),
the masonry Powerhouse and the small, masonry Transformer House.
From the NRHP Nomination Form
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Planning for the design and construction of the Thompson Falls Hydroelectric Project began in earnest after die Thompson Falls Power Company entered into an electric power contract with the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad (Milwaukee Road) in February 1913. The Milwaukee Road intended to use hydroelectricity generated at Thompson Falls as one source of power for a proposed project to electrify the Rocky Mountain Division of its new "Pacific Coast"
transcontinental mainline. The Rocky Mountain Division was a difficult, 440-mile-long section of rail line that passed through the mountainous country between Harlowton, Montana and Avery, Idaho. Officials of the railroad believed that the steep grades and mountain passes on the division could be more efficiently handled by electric power than steam. It was hoped that the improved service would generate increased traffic for the line.
The engineering team of Henry Herrick and Max Hebgen held charge of the design of the Thompson Falls Hydroelectric Project.
After much consideration and debate, by late-summer 1913 Herrick and Hebgen had devised a development scheme for Thompson Falls. The scheme took advantage of a former channel or bend in the river which basically looped to the north and west of the falls. A dam built just upstream of the falls would divert and impound the river into the former and long-since-dry channel, creating a large supply reservoir. A second but smaller dam necessarily was required to impound the reservoir at the lower or downstream end of the dry channel as well. Although requiring construction of two dams, the use of the dry channel as the reservoir site afforded a rather simplified intake system. An earthen canal only would be needed to convey water from the reservoir down to the powerhouse.
From the Historic American Engineering Record