USA > California > El Dorado County > Historical souvenir of El Dorado County, California : with illustrations and biographical setches of its prominent men & pioneers > Part 23
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55
Sec. 2. At said annual meeting these laws may be amended or changed by a two-third vote of the miners present.
ART. 9. All quartz mining laws heretofore made or existing are hereby repealed.
ART. 10. A copy of these laws shall be deposited by the recorder in the office of the Justice of the Peace of Georgetown, and by him handed over to his successor in said office.
I hereby certify that the above is a true copy of the quartz mining laws now in force in this district.
WVM. T. GIBBS, Recorder.
GEORGETOWN, Dec. 10, 1866.
CHAPTER XXII.
THE WATER SUPPLY.
No similar area of country in the world can boast of a finer water supply than El Dorado County. Com- mencing on the north with the Middle Fork of the American river and its numerous branches, such as the Rubicon and Pilot creek, having their sources among the snow of the summit range, we come to the South Fork of the same river, drawing its supply from Blackrock creek, Greenwood creek, Rock creek and Sil- ver creek on the north, and Weber, Plum, Mill, Alder and Alpine creeks on the south ; not enumerating the numerous smaller tributaries spread like veins all over its immense basin. The water poured into the Sacramento river every year, from this single stream, would be sufficient, if it could be stored up for use at the proper season, to irrigate ten times the entire area of the county.
On the south we have the Cosumnes, with its various forks and tributaries, forming a complete net- work over the southeastern portion of the county. In the mountains are numerous lakes, ranging in area from a few acres to many square miles ; most of them so situated that, at a small expense, they can be made useful as storage reservoirs for the great ditches below. Then, crossing the summit, we find the rich grazing country in Lake Valley, watered by the Little Truckee, and a score of small creeks, many of them perennially supplied by beautiful ponds and lakes, and all pouring their floods into that most magnificient of inland seas, Lake Bigler, which also occupies a large corner of this county.
An examination of the map shows that there are three distinct main ridges, running east and west, the first from the junction of the North and South forks of
the American, the second from the mouth of Weber creek, the third from the plains, between the South Fork, and the Cosumnes, all culminating at the crest of the water-shed. Thus it will be seen, that with the exception of a few isolated peaks, there is hardly a square mile of mining or agricultural ground but can be effectively reached for washing or irrigating purposes. Along each of the ridges before mentioned is located one of the three principal canals of the county; the California Water Company, the El Dorado Water and Deep Gravel Mining Company and the Park Canal and Mining Company (limited). Besides these, there are numberless minor ditches, mostly constructed for minor purposes, but many of them of considerable length and importance.
The first water ditch in El Dorado county, and in the whole mining region of California, had been built at Coloma, in 1850 to 1851, by Valentine Mc Dougall, Davis Thompson, Lippset, Starr and Birdsall ; taking the water down to the Coloma basin in a ditch of three miles in length, and $10,000 was spent for the con- struction of the same.
As immediate followers, in the ditch enterprise in the same mining district, we mention the Holling- worth & Co's ditch; the Coloma canal ; the Shanghai ditch ; the Williams ditch ; the Greenhorn ditch and the U. S. M. Other parts of the county did not stay behind in the construction of water ditches, and about the first of January 1856, the county made a show of the following ditches, and canals:
The Pilot and Rock Creek canal, carried water from twenty-six miles east of Georgetown to Georgetown, Johnstown, Kelsey, Spanish Flat, etc., Bottle Hill, Greenwood, Wildgoose Flat and Pilot hill. Cost of construction $ 180,000. South Fork canal, taking water out of the South Fork of the American river to supply Placerville and the surrounding country, and had almost control ot the mining region between South Fork and Weber creek ; its construction had cost $700,000. The Eureka canal, provided Diamond Springs, Ringgold, Newtown, El Dorado, Logtown, Frenchtown, Buckeye Flat and Missouri Flat, with water from the North Fork of the Cosumnes river. The Natoma ditch drawing its supply from the South Fork of the American river, two miles above Salmon Falls; its cost was $300,000. The Cosumnes and Prairie canal used water from the Cosumnes river, carrying it over the prairie country to the South and East in Amador and Sacramento counties; cost $125,000. Cedar and Indianville canal carries the water from the Middle Fork of the Cosumnes river to Indian Diggings, Cedarville, Brownsville ; the cost was $100,000. Cosumnes and Michigan Bar canal takes water from the South Fork of the Cosnmnes river
105
WATER SUPPLY.
down to the divide between Cosumnes and Dry creek, cost $80,000. The Mosquito canal cost $200,000; El Dorado and Georgetown ditch, $50,000. Negro Hill ditch, $20,000. Coloma was then furnished with water by the following companies, Coloma canal, cost $42,000 ; Coloma Water Co's, $30,000 ; El Dorado Canal, $40,000 ; Miner's ditch, $18,000; Union flume, $15,000. Chilean Bar canal cost $30,000; Rock creek and Gold Hill ditch, $10,000 ; Gold Hill canal, of Gold Hill, $10,000 ; Weber creek and Coon canal, $22,000 ; Dear creek canal, $20,000 : Covey & Co's canal, near Michigan Bar, on the north side of the Cosumnes river, $23,000. The Iowa canal, tak- ing its water from Long, Iowa and Brush canyon", with its terminus at Negro Hill, had a length of twenty-one miles. The length of the South Fork canal, with all its branches, was then 155 miles.
Before taking up the history and description of the leading water companies of the county, it may not be amiss to say something on the origin of the local cus- toms and laws of the State on the subject of water rights. The early miners were not long in discovering the value and importance of perennial streams in their operations on the placers, hence in localities where water was scarce during the dry season, resort was had to the construction of ditches, drawing their supply from permanent streams, and delivering the water in gulches and canyons otherwise dry. The water thus delivered was sold at prices regulated by the law of supply and demand. Local regulations were soon brought in play to protect parties, engaged in the busi- ness, from unjust competition. In other words, a party having constructed, or in good faith commenced the construction of a ditch tapping any stream, no subse- quently acquired rights could interfere to prevent the original party from obtaining the quantity of water, specified in their preliminary notice ; provided the river or creek tapped afforded that much.
The earliest organizations took the benefit of the act of April 22d, 1850, for the incorporation of com- panies for manufacturing, mining, mechanical or chemical purposes. This act, being too vague in its language, was amended from time to time, until the act of May 14th, 1862, finally took its place. This gave full power to take up unappropriated water for the supply of mining or irrigating ditches, leaving authority with the County Supervisors to fix the rates of toll at not less than 172 per cent of the capital actually invested.
Under the law, as it now stands, any unappropriated water may be taken up; but a special notice, giving quantity claimed in inches, under four inches pressure, must be posted on the ground and recorded with the county clerk, and due diligence must be used in the
prosecution of the work ; failing in which, subsequent claimants may step in. Recognizing the anomalous condition of California and the States and Territories west of the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains, the Congress of the United States, in 1866, indorsed and confirmed the local laws and regulations on the sub- ject of water rights, in the following language, which will be found in the revised statutes.
"SEC. 2339. Whenever, by priority of possession, rights to the use of water for mining, agricutural, manufacturing, or other purposes, have vested or ac- crued, and the same are recognized and acknowledged by the local customs, laws and the decisions of the courts, the possessors and owners of such vested rights shall be maintained and protected in the same ; and the right of way for the construction of ditches and canals for the purposes herein specified is ac. knowledged and confirmed ; but whenever any person, in the construction of a ditch or canal, injures or dam- ages the possession of any settler on the public domain, the party committing such injury or damage shall be liable to the party injured for such damage,"
"SEC. 2340. All patents granted, or pre-emptions or homesteads allowed, shall be subject to any vested and accrued water rights, or rights to ditches or reser- voirs used in connection with such water rights, as may have been acquired under or recognized by the preceding section."
Under the protection of these laws, companies with large means have tapped the mountain torrents at their very sources, and now control franchises of incalcu- lable value. Recognizing, fully, the future capabili- ties of the county, they have planted millions in works which will prove imperishable monuments to their foresight and sound business discretion.
The Park Canal and Mining Company (Limited.) Among the first to take hold of ditch construction on an extensive scale, was the firm of Bradley, Berdan & Co., incorporated August 4th, 1851, for " manufactur- ing, mining, mechanical and chemical purposes," and, to further these objects claiming water from “ Ring- gold creek and Cosumnes river or its northern branches, or from some of the southern branches of the Ameri- can river." The capital stock was originally placed at $54,000, subsequently increased to $75,000, and again to $150,000. Their main canals .: the " Ringgold ditch," tapping the creek of that name, and also the South Fork of Weber creek, and the " Bradley Ditch,', taking up the waters of Sly Park and Camp creeks Distributing ditches spread the water all over the Dia- mond Springs and Mud Springs area. In the list of early stockholders we find the names of D. O. Mills and John Parrott. From the first, Bradley, Berdan & Co. were involved in litigation. May 25tlı, 1852, we find
106
HISTORY OF EL DORADO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
them engaged in a contest with Daggett & Darling- ton-Weber Creek Canal Company-for the water of Ringgold creek.
Jones, Furman & Company were constructing a small ditch from Squaw creek to Diamond Springs, about the time of the organization of Bradley, Berdan & Co. The record shows a notice from these parties of hav- ing called a " miners' meeting " at Diamond Springs, to settle the dispute over the Squaw creek water. The time of the meeting was demurred to by Bradley, Berdan & Company, with a proposition for a meeting of all the miners in the county at Placerville or Co- loma. In 1852, Jones, Furman & Company extended their ditch to Clear creek; in 1853 it was further ex- tended to Camp creek, and enlarged through its entire length, to its present dimensions. But financial diffi- ties swamped them, and, in 1854, the property was purchased at sheriff's sale by W. P. Scott, of Diamond Springs, now of Sacramento, who named it " Eureka Ditch." Scott extended the ditch to the North Fork of the Cosumnes and took up Steele's Fork. He also built the Squaw Hollow reservoir, which was twice washed out and is now in ruins.
Finally, in 1856 the two companies were consoli- dated under the name of the "Eureka Canal Com- pany." The distributing ditches of the two lines reach every part of the divide between the Cosumnes and Weber creek, extending to within seventeen miles of Sacramento, with numerous reservoirs, conveniently situated.
Among the Bradley, Berdan & Company records we find the following definition of an inch of water : " A rectangular notch one inch wide, extending three inches below the surface of the water, and giving a flow of two cubic feet per minute, shall be considered a miner's inch, and each additional inch in width shall add one inch to the measure." The prices charged were $1.50 for the first use, $1.00 for the second, and 75 cents for the third and each subsequent use; pay- able daily in advance or on demand. The standard of the present company is a rectangular opening one and a half inches wide, two inches deep with four inches pressure, yielding, theoretically, 84 cubic feet per hour.
The entire property was purchased in 1875 by J. M. Crawford and others, of Philadelphia, under the title of Park Canal & Mining Company (Limited,) incorpo. rated under the Pennsylvania law. The officers of the company are: J. M. Crawford, chairman ; Samuel F. Fisher, secretary and treasurer; J. J. Crawford, gen- eral manager ; M. G. Griffith and Samuel Hale, su- perintendents. The principal office is 308 Walnut street, Philadelphia, with branch offices at Diamond Springs and Dry Gulch.
In 1877 the company built a substantial ditch, ca- pable of carrying 1,800 inches of water-the old En- reka Ditch carried but 1,200-from Camp creek, under the New Baltic mill across Diamond and Stone- breaker creeks, dropping into Sly Park creek in Hazel Valley. The system of the company's canals is such, that water used for mining purposes may be taken up again and again, being available for distribution over a large area of country, particularly adapted to the cultivation of vines, fruit trees and vegetables. The whole extent of ditches owned and controlled by the company is nearly 300 miles.
SOUTH FORK AND PLACERVILLE CANAL COMPANY.
The ditch of this company, now known as the "Weber Canal," was the first to bring water to Coon Hollow. It was incorporated September 30, 1851, with a capital stock of $10,000, divided into twenty shares, and the ditch was constructed soon afterwards, from a point on the North Fork of Weber creek, nearly south of Sportsman's Hall, to the reservoir above the present Excelsior Mine. The original design was to bring the water from the South Fork of the Amer- ican river over the divide, and drop it into the Weber, constituting the channel of the latter stream a part of the canal, down to the head of the present ditch. This plan, however, was never carried out, and it remained, practically, a " wet weather ditch." In course of time Messrs. Kirk and Bishop acquired a controlling inter- est and it was by them transferred to the E. D. W. & D. G. M. Co. in 1873. Since that time the ditch has been enlarged as far up as Big Chunk canyon, where a reservoir site was located, and it now assists in car- rying the water of the Main Trunk canal to Coon Hollow.
IOWA CANAL.
The demand for water in the rich mining district known as "White Rock," early turned the attention of parties interested to the practicability of tapping some of the canyons on the south side of the South Fork of the American river. A company was organ- ized, consisting of twenty members, who contributed the funds necessary to construct the ditch known as the Iowa Canal. In 1852 they carried it up as far as Big Iowa canyon, taking in Johnson's North and South canyons, Brush and Little Iowa canyons. One of the prime movers in the enterprise was Alfred Briggs, then a merchant at White Rock ; since, internal reve-
nue collector at Sacramento. Another was G. W. Swan, now superintendent of the E. D. W. & D. G. M. Co., who says his contribution amounted to $1,300. The following year they carried their ditch up to Long canyon, which action brought them in conflict with the South Fork Canal company, and that part of the line was
WINE CELLAR
TEAMSTERS STABLESA
HOTEL & RESIDENCE OF THE LATE JOHN BARTHEL KOCH NOW RES. OF MRS-MARGARET KOCH DIAMOND SPRINGS- ELDORADO CO.
107
WATER SUPPLY.
eventually abandoned. This canal, too, finally came into the hands of Kirk & Bishop, and through them, became the property of the E. D. W. & D. G. M. Co., by whom it was enlarged to a capacity of 2,000 inches as far up as Johnson's North canyon, where it received a portion of the water of the Main Trunk. The point Of junction-by the construction of the new canal- has now been brought several miles further down. The great reservoir at Blakeley's is above the Iowa canal, and discharges into it; there were several smaller reservoirs along the ridge in former years, but they are now abandoned and going to decay.
GOLD HILL CANAL COMPANY.
Articles of incorporation of the Gold Hill Canal company were filed with the county clerk, under date of October Ist, 1853. The capital stock was $ro,ooo, and the original directors were W. B. Williams, Lo- renzo Dexter and Joseph Lamb. The object was to furnish water to the miners about Gold Hill, and for mining and irrigation purposes, to the entire region lying between Weber creek and the South Fork of the American river.
The ditch heads at Hangtown creek, in Placerville; it depended for water on Hangtown creek, water from the South Fork canal, or purchase from the latter. It was once an immensely profitable property, the for- tunate location enabling the owners to dispose of the same water to a dozen different miners in one gulch, and then by carrying it around to the next mining ground, repeat the operation again and again. It has been the means of establishing one of the most ex- tensive fruit-growing interests in the county. Like the Weber and Iowa canals, it is now part of the property of the E. D. W. & D. G. M. Co.
SOUTH FORK CANAL.
The placers along Hangtown creek, in the vicinity of Placerville, were among the richest in the world ever known, and the bed-rock of the gulches, running up to the gravel beds surrounding the basin, was fairly yellow with gold. Being so near the source of the creek, however, water, even in winter, was not over- abundant; while summer mining was greatly hampered. Notwithstanding the difficulties, the enterprise of bringing a supply from the American river was not se- riously undertaken for several years. On the 10th of July, 1852, articles of incorporation of the South Fork Canal company were filed with the county clerk. The capital stock was fixed at $500,000. B. F. Keene, Jas. M. Estell, J. M. Rhodes, Caleb Finch, Bruce Herrick, W. H. Smith, T. A. Springer, John Buchanan and B. R. Nickerson were the first trustees ; B. F. Keene, first president ; A. T. Taylor, first secretary; A. J. Bin- ney, engineer.
The original plan located the distributing point on the divide at what is known as "Nigger " or " Reser- voir Hill." No enterprise of the kind could have been inaugurated under more favorable auspices. Money was plenty, and parties on all sides satisfied of its profitable character, were ready and anxious to invest. Among those now here we may mention Messrs. Nu- gent, Cooper and Barss, all of whom invested liber- ally, and alike, lost every dollar subscribed. This, as we understand, was not due to dishonesty on the part of the management, but to a want of appreciation of the magnitude of the work on hand. When subscrip- tions to between $200,000 and $300,000 had been received, the books were closed, the trustees believing the amount sufficient to complete the work. Their lack of judgment on this point resulted in the ruin of the original investors. One or two incidents will illus- trate this point :
"A large and well-appointed hotel having been erected at " Reservoir Hill," the intended terminus of the Main Trunk, it was believed that here would be established a fashionable resort, and, being desirous of catering to the æsthetic enjoyment of the citizens of Placerville, as far as possible, the trustees solemnly discussed the question whether the last half-mile of the flume should not be built of "dressed lumber." It was only after a prolonged consideration that a negative conclusion was arrived at.
" The use of battens not having occurred to the management, for the purpose of making the joints on the sides and bottom of the flume water-tight, it was determined to nail strips of canvass over the cracks. But tack hammers were scarce, none could be ob- tained, except from a certain harness shop, and those were not for sale ! So Mr. Springer, one of the trus- tees, rented a dozen, at fifty cents per day each ; the hammers to be returned in good condition. It so | happened, however, that when the work was com- pleted, the hammers were thrown into the tool-house, and there remained until the owner's inquiries brought them to light, and a bill, amounting to over $900, had to be paid for the use of a few hammers !"
Satisfied that the character of the soil was such that ditching on any part of the line would be impractica- ble, a flume structure for the entire length was deter- mined on. This flume, four feet wide by three feet and a half deep, with a grade of four feet per mile, was constructed in 1853, from Reservoir Hill to Long canyon, and in 1854 to the South Fork of the Amer- ican river, near the foot of Randolph canyon, a total distance of twenty-five miles. But the cost went far beyond the estimates of the engineer. The construc- tion of the reservoir, by Mr. Kirk, footed up to $75,- ooo. The flume went several hundred thousand above
108
HISTORY OF EL DORADO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
the cash on hand. New subscribers to the stock were not to be had. The golden opportunity had fled for ever. A long series of lawsuits with the con- tractors followed; receiver after receiver was appointed, and for fifteen years, the South Fork canal was a foot- ball for courts and lawyers, now in the hands of one and then of another, yielding annual fortunes in its revenue from water sold, only to be swallowed by the illimitable maw of the law.
Finally, in 1869, the property came into the hands of B. F. Hunt, T. and G. Alderson, C. Broad, J. Cooke and George Williams. By this time, however, the original demand for "sluice-heads " had passed away; hydraulic mining had been inaugurated, with an increased pressure and water demand, not contem- plated at the inception of the enterprise. Another and grander project, inaugurated by Messrs. Kirk & Bishop, was on foot, and the South Fork canal, with the Coon Hollow mines, passed into the possession of the E. D. W. & D. G. M. Co. in September, 1873. Whether it will be renewed and maintained is a ques- tion for the owners and the future water demand to decide.
Placerville had one citizen who recognized, at an early day, the great value that was to attach to the vast stores of water in the mountain streams and lakes ; who anticipated, by almost a generation, the demand which was yet to come, for mining and agricultural purposes, and who saw that the slender flumes of the South Fork canal must be supplemented by a water- course more permanent in character, occupying a higher level, and of greatly increased capacity. That man was Mr. John Kirk. He commenced with the elaboration of the system which finally culminated in the property of the E. D. W & D. G. M. Co. as early as 1856, and from the deposition made by Mr. Kirk in the case of Osgood vs. the E. D. W. & D. G. M. Co., we are enabled to follow his operations up to the time when capital came to his rescue and carried the work through ; but fully twenty years elaj sed between the first start and the perfection of the enterprise.
In 1856 he posted his first notice claiming the water of the South Fork of the American river ; sur- veyed and claimed Silver and Clear lakes and Silver creek. In 1858 he surveyed a line from Coon Hollow to Alder creek, a distance of sixty miles, and located a reservoir near the Elk Horn mill; the above line probably ran around the spurs in the region of Iowa and Long canyons, which accounted for its great length. In 1860, he located the head of the canal and dam at Cedar Rock, and located reservoirs at Medley, Tom Andrain's and Echo lakes. In 1866, Mr. F. A. Bishop, who had already made some surveys for Mr. Kirk, became interested in the enterprise. That year
a line was run from Cedar Rock to Sportsman's Hall. The final location of the Main Trunk canal was made about 1872. In 1868 work was commenced on the Sportsman's Hall end of the line; 1870-'71 three or four miles of ditch near the Hall was completed ; the dam, bulkhead and a short section of ditch at Cedar Rock were constructed, and water turned in at the head. The construction of the dam at Silver Lake was commenced in 1871, and the flume grade at Echo lake in 1872.
In this preliminary work more than $20,000 was ex- pended. The system was perfected to what we see it now, covering a water-shed of more than 350 square miles ; embracing claims on the South Fork of the American river, Silver, Alpine, Wolf, Alder, Mill, Plum and Echo creeks, aggregating 66,000 inches of water; with reservoir claims on Silver lake, Willow valley, Twin lakes, Andrain lake, Echo lake, Med- ley lake and Glazier lake. Nothing in the State compares with it. But Messrs. Kirk & Bishop lacked the money necessary to carry it to completion. It was only after many years of anxious efforts, that men of means were found ready to undertake a work so grand in its conception, so promising in its results, but so costly in construction.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.