An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day, Part 69

Author: Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1038

USA > California > Los Angeles County > An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 69
USA > California > San Diego County > An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 69
USA > California > Orange County > An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 69
USA > California > San Bernardino County > An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 69

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Distribution Works .- The Yucaipa distrib- uting reservoir is at the end of this section, and into the waters of the canal are led, and taken thence, as described under another heading, into the pipe distributing system of the settlement of Redlands. Across the arroyo, in which is the dam for the reservoir, and just below the damn, the Bear valley waters are led in a twenty-two-inch wrought iron, riveted, pressure-pipe, 1,225 feet in length, with a maximum head of pressure of fifty feet, and a hydraulic gradient of one foot in 100. Thence flowing still westerly, around the extreme upper edge of the mesa, and sometimes on the steeper hillsides, the waters are led in a thirty- inch cement pipe laid in a trench and covered. The length is 2,375 feet, and grade 0.3 in 100. This is the end, for the present, of the Bear valley main work on the south side of the river, and here is placed a concrete chamber into which the wa- ters are received, and from which they are apportioned out over weirs to four pipe lines. Of these, one supplies a portion of the Redlands colony water; another furnishes West Redlands and Terracina; the third extends to Gladista

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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

and the Drew tract; and the fourth skirts the valley and crosses San Timoteo creek to Monnd City.

Possibilities of the Project .- The Bear Val- ley Company's reservoir site and water supply and its command of advantageous lines of deliv- cry for its waters, constitutes the basis of a property which could be made of inestimable benefit to a great area of rich and fruitful lands, favorably situated in one of the most important irrigation regions of the State. Putting out of view the works by which the purpose has been or is songht to be accomplished, and concerning which this report only states facts withont comment, the work is one of importance to the irrigation interests of the State. Fully and properly accomplished, this conservatism of water might be made not only to greatly extend irrigation in San Bernardino County, but to save the irrigation interest from disaster in years of drought which are sure to come.

History of the Work and Organization .- During the summer of 1880 a topographical survey was made of Big Bear Valley, as a reser- voir site, under the direction of the State Engi- neer, for the State, and it was reported upon as one of the best locations for the purpose found in Southern California. In May, 1883, it was visited by F. E. Brown, a young civil engineer, in company with Hiram Barton, who was fa- miliar with the San Bernardino mountains. Brown had heard of the survey and report on the reservoir site, and Barton had seen the place. Both had become impressed with the advisa- bility of storing the flood waters of the Santa Ana river from experience in irrigation and water development works, in the neighborhood of Red- lands and Old San Bernardino. Returning to San Bernardino, a company was formed. This organization was at first in the nature of a part- nership, in which there were thirty-six parts or shares. A. purchase was made from Los An- geles owners of 3,800 acres of the land, and 700 were obtained from the Southern Pacific Railway Company, and from the Government, which all cost in round numbers about $25,000 to $30,000,

and which embraced all of the reservoir site desired, and part of the water-shed. Work was begun on the damn on September 27, 1883, and continued until November 17, when the winter's near approach compelled its stopping for the season, and the retreat of the force to the lower valleys. An excavation for the foundation was made, and abont 250 cubic feet of masonry were put in place during this short season. On July 3, 1884, work was resumed and pushed forward during that summer until about the last of No- vember, when the dam, so far as projected, was completed, except a part of the coping and flood escape-way.

Organization .- The Bear Valley Land and Water Company was incorporated in September. 1883, with a capital stock of $360,000, divided into 3,600 shares of $100 par value each, of which the whole amount was taken by eleven local subscribers, in lots ranging from fifty to 1,000 shares cach. The principal place of basi- ness was named at San Bernardino, and term of incorporation fixed at fifty years. At once $30,000 were paid up, and to this time, July, 1888, $180,000 have been paid in by the stock- holders, in the way of original payment and sub- sequent assessments. Each share of stock was intended to represent one inch of water flowing throughout the irrigating season of six months. The price o' this stock gradually increased. In the spring of 1884 it had cost thie holders $4.50 per share; and was selling at $25 per share; and in the summer of 1877, it had cost the holders $45 per share, and was selling at $225 to $255 per share. In addition to stock certificates, the company has issued water cer- tificates to its stockholders, which are transfer- able independent of the stock shares, and which are in the nature of water-rights in the Bear valley water supply.

The North and South Fork Companies' Combination .- Under agreements made with the North Fork Water Company, and others owning interest in the North Fork canal, and with the owners of the South Fork water-right and ditches, the Bear valley has secured right

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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

of way for its waters through these canals, and has thereby secured an outlet for them on each side of the river,-around the margins of the valley,-so as to command the whole region which may naturally look to these waters for irrigation.

Bear Valley Branch Works .- From the end of the Bear valley main four pipe lines extend. These may be briefly described as follows :- Gladista and Drew Line. This main distribu- tary is a twelve-inch cement pipe, extending down the mesa through Redlands; and thence diagonally in a northwest direction across the plain, a total distance of about three miles, to the Gladista tract, which is west of Lugonia; and thence ten-inch and eight-inch cement piping is laid westerly through this tract to Drew tract, which is next north of Old San Bernardino.

Mound City Main .- From the end of the Bear valley south side main condnit, a wronght iron riveted pipe, thirteen inches in diameter, is carried across the West Redlands settlement; thence across San Timoteo cañon, and out on the bench lands, still westerly to Mound City, a total distance of five and one half to six iniles.

East Redland's Water Company District and Work .- A tract of 450 acres in area, lying adjacent to the northeast end of the Redlands settlement, on the same bit of mesa, and com- inanded by the old Redlands ditch, now the Bear valley canal, is known as East Redlands. It is a colony settlement very much on the plan of Redlands, and its irrigations are effected through works owned and controlled by the East Red- lands Water Company. These works are mere distributaries of waters from the Bear valley canal, and consist of three-fourths mile of twelve- inch, one and one-half miles of eight inch, four miles of six-inch, and three miles of five-inch cement concrete pipe, laid and arranged on the same general plan as those of the Redlands sys- tem. The total expenditure on works has been abont $10,000.

Operation and Maintenance .- The pro- moters of this enterprise owned the land, and had Bear valley water certificates as water

rights for use thereon. They organized the East Redlands Water Company, and placed in it 1,000 certificates, which call for one-seventhi of an inch of water each from the Bear valley supply, taking the stock of the company in re- turn. In selling the lands they transferred one share of the stock with each acre. The works are in charge of a zanjero, and are operated npon the same principle as those of Redlands.

Water-Supply and Use .- The water-supply is represented by that of Bear valley, in the proportion of certificates held. There are at the present time 150 acres under cultivation, chiefly in citrus fruits and raisin grapes, owned and irrigated by about twenty irrigators.

History -Organization .- The East Red- lands Water Company was incorporated in Sep- tember, 1886, with a capital stock of $100,000, divided into 1,000 shares. Its purpose is to enpply water to stockholders only.

West Redlands Water Company-District and Work .- Lying immediately west of the southeast end of Redlands colony lands is a tract of 1,000 acres of similar red mesa forma- tion, which has been placed in the West Red- lands colony enterprise. The. West Redlands Water Company is organized for its irrigation service. The works, taking their supply from the Bear valley canal, consist of about two miles of fourteen-inch, one mile of twelve-inch, one and one-half miles of eight-inch, five miles of six inch, and four miles of five-inch concrete cement pipe, laid and planned on the same principle as those of the original Redlands. The cost thus far has been about $15,000.

Operation and Maintenance .- This is an exactly similar organization to that of East Redlands, with similar water rights and same relation between the company and its stock- holders as water customers, and it is maintained and operated in the same way. Each share of stock represents the right to the water due one Bear valley certificate, and the right to have it delivered through the pipe system of the com- pany, and there is a share conveyed with each acre of the land sold. Distribution is in charge

447

HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

of a zanjero, and is made upon orders received from the irrigators, and arranged in rotation by the water master.

Water Supply and Use .- As explained above, the lands have a Bear valley water right of one-seventh of an inch to each acre. There are abont 150 acres irrigated by abont fifty irri- gators, this being the first year of cultivation.

History -Organization .- The West Red- lands Water Company was incorporated in April, 1887, to supply water to its stock- holders, with a capital stock of $100,000, divided in 1,000 shares.

The new dam to be constructed for Bear val- ley reservoir will store water sufficient to irri- gate 150,000 acres, and a new system of reser- voirs recently surveyed just north of the moun- tains will, when constructed, furnish water for 50,000 acres more.

A considerable tract of land on the San Ber- nardino portion of the San Jacinto plain has been purchased by parties interested in the Bear valley system, who design to convey thither the waters from this storage systemn. The main condnit to be constructed for this purpose must be some forty miles in length, carrying 300 cubic feet of water per second. The territory to be watered by this extension will cover some 75,000 acres or upwards.

THE GAGE CANAL SYSTEM.

The following account of the Gage Canal System is taken entirely from the work of William Hamilton Hall, State Engineer, on " Irrigation in California (Southern):"

"History of Enterprise, and Water-Right. -The success achieved in irrigation of the mesa plain south of the Santa Ana river by the Riverside canals, and the high valnes attained by the lande there planted to the orange and the vine, for which the soil and climate proved specially suitable, stimulated desire to furnish water to that portion of the mesa lying above the reach of the highest of these canals, where the soil was equally fertile, but barren for lack of irrigation. Surveys were made

by the State Engineer in 1880 to deter- mine the feasibility of irrigating this plain, and a canal line was run in substantially the position now ocenpied by the Gage canal out on the mesa. The plan then in view was the forming of a reservoir in Bear valley (since carried out by private enterprise), and the con- struction of a canal from the mouth of Santa Ana cañon, skirting the valley on the south and east to Mill creek, crossing the Mill creek ditch, continuing around the valley to the south of the present Lungonia, Redlands and Mound City tract, and thence extending to the River- side plain. In connection with this system a reservoir was planned for the main Yucaipa valley, and one or two others in the vicinity, to serve as feeders and regulators of the canal A large reservoir was also to be made in the Te- quisquite arroyo above Riverside, into which the canal was to discharge. Parts of this com- prehensive system have since been carried out by private parties, but independently of their connection with the whole, the Gage canal in its course around the bluffs and out on the mesa being substantially one of the links.

"Organization .-* * This enterprise * has been carried forward purely as a business operation by one person- Mr. Matthew Gage, of Riverside. His capital was small. He obtained a bond on the water-bearing and riparian rights; outlined the project; secured several small, old ditch water-riglite, and an advantageous agreement with owners of another old ditch riglit; and then negotiated a bonus for irrigating water rights with owners of dry lands out on the mesa. He contracted a number of irrigating water-rights at rates ranging to $100 or more per acre of land to be irrigated, and obtained agreements that held the lands as security for their acceptance and payment. Virtually, on this foundation, which represented so much cash, or very valuable lands should the works prove successful, he borrowed the money to carry it through to a point where it made a good showing as a work. Just then came a boom in water and land matters. Water-

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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

rights generally were in demand. Those in the Gage canal sold at high figures. Land secured by bond or contract from the promoter jumped from tens to hundreds of dollars in market value. And so the financial strength of the enterprise was sufficiently assured to carry the works to completion.

" Water Rights and Claims .- The Gage canal depends for water-supply upon several sources and claims of right. There is (1) the Old Hunt & Cooley right of diversion from the river: (2) the Wells & Long claim also fron the river; (3) the Parish or Caric claim to water rising on bottom lands north of the river and above the head of the ditch; and in addition to these (4) the water obtained and to be obtained by boring artesian wells.

" The Hunt & Cooley ditch was one of the oldest diversions on the middle part of the Santa Ana through its course in its basin. It diverted water at about the point now occupied by the Gage canal, and carried it on to the lands south of the river and considerably below the present grade line of the Gage ditch. Owning artesian lands at a lower elevation that would supply their ditch, the managers of the Gage enterprise made an arrangement with the owners of the Hunt & Cooley ditcli whereby they would supply these latter with artesian water equivalent to the agreed capacity of the Hunt & Cooley ditch, and in return they secured the right of diverting into their canal the amount of water claimed from the river for the Hunt & Cooley ditch. Then, to make good their contract with the Hunt and Cooley irri- gators, the gage management bored a number of artesian wells, and, securing enough water in this way for these lower irrigators, were themselves enabled to carry water under the Hunt & Cooley claim out of the river and through their new canal to the higher mesa. * The Wells & Long claim from the river is based upon the construction of a ditch out upon the north side, and use of water pre- vious to 1884. The floods of that year swept the head of this ditch away, and it has not

since been used. The spring ditch, known also as the Parish or Caric ditch, rises upon lands owned by the Gage canal management, and rights which had been established to the use of its waters by other parties on the northern banks of the river having been bought ont, the Gage management is entitled to its full flow. *

" Water-Supply and Use .- SOURCES AND CLAIMS .- Near the upper limit of the artesian basin, the Gage canal has about 600 acres of river-bottom lands lying in a belt a little less than two miles in length, and with a maximum width of little over half a mile, at and above the head of its canal and at points wherein the first four groups of wells have been suuk. It is claimed by the engineer and the manager of the enterprise that the results of these borings has shown a capacity on the part of these lands to yield an artesian flow of at least twenty miner's inches for each acre of ground, and that one well to each acre will develop such supply. Upon this assumption, it is estimated by those in charge of the work that a flow of 12,000 miner's inches could, if required, be ob- tained by boring the necessary number of wells, namely, one to each acre; and thus, it is asserted that water may be obtained from this source alone, up to the capacity of the canal, and sufficient to supply, at the rate of an inch to five acres, all of the lands of the mesa which the canal controls. Thus far the wells already bored have generally been kept capped, there having been sufficient water in the river to supply the demand for delivery to the customers of the canal. The work of boring additional artesian wells on this tract is being actively pushed, the larger size, ten-inch, having been adopted. It is the intention to keep this work going uninterruptedly until, as is hoped, 2,000 miner's inches are made available from this source. * * * On the wells already bored, the average of the first sixteen is forty-seven and seven-tenths miner's inches per well, that of the total twenty-nine wells is thirty-three miner's inches per well. * * *

" Irrigation :- Barely sufficient water is

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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

allowed to flow down the canal to supply present needs. It is believed by its managers that the entire area commanded by it will rapidly come under cultivation, and the works thereafter be taxed to their ntinost capacity. In the present year (1888) there will be 1,106 acres irrigated; of which 613 are in oranges, 216 in vines, sixty-two in alfalfa, fifteen in summer crops, and 200 acres are in town and residence lots cultivated as gardens.

" District and Work .- This work, the longest and one of the largest artificial water-courses in San Bernardino County, has for its object the watering of nearly all the Riverside inesa plain lying above the reach of the Riverside canals. Although not depending in the main upon the Santa Ana river for its waters, its commence- ment is in the nature of a diversion from that stream, at a point four miles above the month of Warm creek, and nine to nine and one-half miles below the cañon opening. Taking its de- parture from the left bank of the river, it swings rapidly to the south, away from the stream, over a gently sloping plain for about two miles in length; then skirts along a steep, sloping bench- land westerly for about one mile; then clings to the face, and tunnels through the points of a precipitous bluff for nearly two miles far- ther westward, where, turning sharply to the south, it passes by a long tunnel through the upper edge of the mesa, out upon that sloping plain itself. and then follows it, generally as a ditch in excavation, enconntering no serious obstruetion save one rocky point of mountain which is passed by means of a tunnel.

" Canal and Structures .- The length of the work over all, from head-gate to Tequisquite Arroyo, is 11.91 miles; thence to the terminus, 8.22 miles, making the total length 20.13 miles, which is 2.3 miles longer than a straight line drawn between its terminal points, in a general direction nearly northeast and southwest. It commands for irrigation almost the whole of the mesa above the Riverside upper canal, compris- ing some 12,000 acres, and extending in a belt from one-half to two and one-half miles in

width, and about thirteen and a half miles in length. Of the area below the canal on the plain, about 420 acres is hill-land not com- manded by the grade line. For the first 2,000 feet the work of the canal excavation was in sand or sandy loam; thence for about 13,000 feet, through an " alluvial adobe," merging into a gray clay or heavy soil, which gradually changed as the bluff was approached, to a friable, marly earth, underlaid in some places by soft sandstone, and in others by a disintegrating soft granite, and overlaid by a thin layer of heavy red soil, except in the eross-washes, where sand beds were encountered. Coming out upon the mesa, the construction was in ordinary heavy red mesa soil, growing lighter and more sandy toward the lower end of the work, with the ex- ception of a 700-foot tunnel through hard gran- ite at the point of a mountain heretofore referred to. The cross-sectional dimensions of the open canal are as follows: the depth throughout, four feet; side slopes, one to one; bottom width, for 14,000 feet, eight feet; for 41,312 feet, six feet; and for the lower 40,647 feet, five feet. It is, for the most part, excavated to a depth of three feet below the natural surface on the lower side, the top foot of water-way being supported by the embankment. * * * There are four heavy fills in the work, which average about 6,000 cubic yards each. The grade slope of the canal is about two feet per mile throughout.

" Dam and Heudworks .- The diverting dam is of wood about 300 feet long, extending across not only the low-water channel proper of the river, but also across a portion of its extreine flood-water way. It was planned in three sec- tions of about 100 feet each; the middle section being two feet seven and one-half inches lower than the end section. * * * The head-gates are framed into the end of a receiving chamber thirty feet in length, ten feet wide, and eight feet deep. The floor of the chamber, being eighteen inches below the grade of the canal, serves the purpose of a sand-box; there being a sluice-way provided at its lower end by which to clear it when necessary.

450

HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

" Tunnels .- There are fifteen tunnels, whose aggregate length is 6,178 feet-the longest being 2,320, and the shortest 110 feet. * * * These tunnels, in rock, are 6.5 feet, wide and 6.5 feet high in the clear at center, the top being in arched form. . In earth they are lined with concrete on bottom and sides, and timbered overhead, the waterway being six feet wide and 4.5 feet deep on the sides in the clear. The concrete lining averages six inches in thickness. About 5,500 linear feet of tunnel are lined with concrete and cemented.

" Flumes .- There are thirteen flumes whose aggregate length is 4,170 feet; the shortest being forty-eight and the longest 1,000 feet. Of these, three are in section 7 x 4 feet ; five are 6 x 4; and five are 5 x 4, -- the width decreasing with that of the canal in three successive divisions of the work from the head. The flume over the Te- quisquite arroyo is eighty feet high in the deepest part, and 1,000 feet long, supported on trestle bents sixteen feet apart. These trestles are of Oregon pine, light, but wel' braced, and stiff in all directions. * * *

" Operation and Maintenance .- The distri- bution system is composed generally of pipes of iron and cement, and wooden finmes of small size, the grade of the plain laterally from the canal being 75 to 100 feet per mile. All dis- tribution is effected at the expense of the pur- chasers of water-rights, who have planned and carried out their works in their own way, as best snited their means and convenience, in some cases individually, and in others by combining together in little districts. As far as known, these laterals are at present about as follows: Two miles iron pipe; 4.12 miles cement pipe; 12.12 miles wooden flume; three miles open ditch, all varying much in size. The aggregate cost of these is given at $17,469. The canal supplies domestic and irrigation water to several additions to the town of Riverside, each of which has its separate system of pipes, heading in a small distributing reservoir, placed imme- diately below the canal. * * *

" The first section of the Gage canal, from its

head to the Tequisquite arroyo, 11.91 miles, was begun October, 1885, and completed so far as to carry water through it November, 1886, although regular use in the way of irrigation was not begun until the spring of 1887. Work was begun on the extension of the canal Febru- ary, 1888, and completed June, 1888, a distance of 8.22 miles, to a point a short space farther down the valley than the terminus of the River- side canals. This completed the canal as far as it has been projected."

The cost of the first division, between the Santa Ana river and the Tequisquite arroyo, including all items, was $545,300. The whole enterprise, to the point attained in April, 1890, has cost the considerable sum of $1,400,000.

Owing to the unceasing personal efforts of Matthew Gage, this enterprise has recently passed into the control of a company of English capitalists, who under the name of the Riverside Trust Company, Limited, of London, assume the management, retaining Mr. Gage in the position of managing director, of the Gage Canal System, and a tract of some 5,000 acres of land below the same, including some of the best orange lands in the county. These lands, taken np by Matthew Gage for $1.25 per acre, are now selling, unimproved but with a water- right, at from $300 to $600 per acre. During the ensning year this company intends to ex- pend $500,000 in improving this tract, develop- ing the water system, and placing the lands on the market.

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Author: Lewis Publishing Company Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : The Lewis Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1038

Author: Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1038