USA > California > Glenn County > History of Colusa and Glenn counties, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the counties who have been identified with their growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 25
USA > California > Colusa County > History of Colusa and Glenn counties, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the counties who have been identified with their growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 25
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Early Irrigation
John Boggs, George Packer, and others, constructed a ditch from the river, at a point near Princeton, from which they irri- gated their lands at time of high water. On Stony Creek, near Smithville (now Stonyford), John L. Smith several years before constructed a ditch for operating his flour mill, and also for irrigating his fields of alfalfa. Later, a company styled the Stony Creek Improvement Company constructed a ditch higher up Big Stony Creek, and irrigated a much larger area of land for alfalfa. On the north side of Stony Creek the landowners of that locality constructed a ditch for the irrigation of their orchards and fields of alfalfa. During this same period a China- man constructed a ditch from Stony Creek, a short distance below the two ditches mentioned, and irrigated his garden and orchard.
Following the early construction of irrigation works near the town site of Stonyford, other ditches were taken out along the entire course of Stony Creek. In the vicinity of Elk Creek, numerous private irrigation systems were constructed. The Fruto Land and Improvement Company constructed a six-mile ditch on the east side of Stony Creek, three miles south of Elk Creek, for the irrigation of several hundred acres of vineyard, orchard and alfalfa.
Irrigation District Projects
The years 1887 and 1888 were years of irrigation develop- ment in Glenn County. The first irrigation district under the Wright Law in Glenn County was formed on September 10, 1887, and was known as the Orland Irrigation District. The area of the district formed was about fourteen thousand acres, lying in what was then Colusa and Tehama Counties, and north of Stony Creek. Opposition soon arose, forcing the abandonment of this plan; and on August 20, 1888, the Kraft Irrigation District was formed, cutting from the boundaries of the first district the lands of those opposed to the plan, and including two thousand acres belonging to the Krafts, which they wished to develop by means of irrigation.
In 1888 the Stony Creek Irrigation Company was incorpo- rated, with C. B. Ashurst, of Red Bluff, G. W. Murdock, F. C.
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Graves, and T. J. Kirkpatrick as stockholders. A ditch taking water from Stony Creek about nine miles northwest of Orland, and running in a southeasterly direction for a distance of eight miles, was constructed for the irrigation of the lands adjacent to the canal.
On January 14, 1888, the Orland Southside Irrigation Dis- trict was formed. This district, as formed, comprised an area of approximately twenty-six thousand acres and included the town of Orland. This district proceeded with its organization, voted one hundred thousand dollars' worth of bonds for construc- tion purposes, and then failed to carry their plans to completion because of the opposition of certain landowners and the faulty provisions of the Wright Law.
Will S. Green, and the Central Irrigation District
Will S. Green, the chairman of the first irrigation meet- ing held in Colusa, in May, 1875, is known to this generation as the father of irrigation in Glenn and Colusa Counties. In the brain of that progressive man was first originated the plan of diverting the waters of the Sacramento River through a great canal, for the irrigation of the lands on the west side of the river in Glenn and Colusa Counties. From the time of the first irrigation meeting, until November 22, 1887, Mr. Green constantly bent his entire energies to the formation and completion of the plan of watering the lands now embraced in what is generally known as the Central Irrigation District. On November 22, 1887, the dreams and plans of Mr. Green were fulfilled. On that date the Central Irrigation District was formed by a vote of the electors of the proposed district, in accordance with the Wright Irrigation Act. The area of the district embraced one hundred fifty-six thousand five hundred acres of land lying on the rich, level plains of Glenn and Colusa Counties.
The formation of the irrigation district was an easy matter for Mr. Green and his enthusiastic associates. Bonds amounting to seven hundred fifty thousand dollars were voted on the second day of April, 1888, for the construction of the necessary canals and irrigation works, by a vote of more than five to one. The bonds were issued, dated July 1, 1888, bearing interest at six per cent., payable semiannually, and redeemable in installments at the end of the eleventh year and each succeeding year there- after until final maturity. In October, 1889, contracts for canal construction were let amounting to two hundred ninety thousand dollars, and work was commenced immediately.
The canal, as originally planned, had its source from the Sacramento River at a point near the Tehama County line, at
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which place proper water appropriations were made in behalf of the district and for the benefit of those lands embraced within the district boundaries. The canal, as proposed, covered the lands from its source to about midway between Willows and Arbuckle, where its outlet or discharge was provided for by a connection with a foothill drainage creek.
The engineers' original estimates provided for a main canal of sixty-five feet bottom width for a distance of thirty miles, the balance of the distance to be reduced to twenty feet bottom width. Lateral canals and subcanals were also included in this original estimate.
Difficulties of a nature beyond the control of the first spon- sors of the irrigation district arose, which proved to be the un- doing of the district plans. After bonds were sold, prominent owners of lands within the district resisted the bond lien upon their lands. Suits were brought, and the entire irrigation plan was thrown into chaos. Then followed years marked chiefly with suits resisting the plans of the district, which resulted finally in adverse conrt decisions as to the validity of the district and its bond issue. Water was denied the canal in its uncompleted condition, and the labors of a truly progressive irrigationist were temporarily lost. To others fell the work of carrying on the cause of irrigation in this district. Bridging the years from 1887 to 1903, progress in irrigation was estopped by litigation in all the irrigation districts of the county.
Orland Irrigation Project
In 1893, John H. Graves, the auditor and recorder of Glenn county, entered into a lease arrangement with the stockholders of the Stony Creek Irrigation Company, the owners of the only operative irrigation system of the county, for their canal system serving water to the lands adjacent to their canal, from its intake on Stony Creek to the east boundary of the Murdock Ranch, west of Orland. Mr. Graves interested others in his plan to bring water into the town of Orland, and in the fall of 1893, through the efforts of the lessors of the Stony Creek Irrigation System, the canal was extended and water was conducted to the lands of Orland and immediate vicinity. The water supply thus furnished, however, was found to be inadequate to the successful irrigation of the lands of that area.
From 1893 to 1907 untiring efforts were put forward by interested landowners to better irrigation conditions. Through the direct efforts of the Sacramento Valley Development Associa- tion and its first president, Will S. Green-aided by Frank Free- man and Charles L. Donohoe, of Willows, and William and J. B.
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Morrissey, H. A. Greenwood, J. M. Scribner, Frank S. Reager, David and Thomas Brown and others, of Orland-the Secretary of the Interior, Mr. Garfield, and the Reclamation Service en- gineers, investigated the possibilities and benefits of adequate irrigation of the lands of Orland and vicinity, and accepted upon behalf of the United States Government the responsibility of solving the irrigation problem of the district.
In 1908, the Government reclamation engineers completed their plans for the irrigation of an area of fourteen thousand acres of land in the immediate vicinity of Orland. Work was completed on a dam impounding water in a reservoir on the head waters of Stony Creek, in Indian Valley, Colusa County, in time for the irrigation season of 1910. Since the advent of the Government in the irrigation affairs of Orland and vicinity, the development of the resources of that district has steadily progressed.
Late Canal Irrigation Development
The year 1901 saw the beginning of the rehabilitation of the scheme of Will S. Green for the irrigation of the lands of the Central Irrigation District, and in addition the rich sedimentary lands along the Sacramento River in Glenn and Colusa Counties.
During the year 1901, Byron De la Beckwith of Colusa conceived the idea of running water to the lands of the Central Irrigation District by private enterprise. On November 30, 1901, water appropriations were made by him on the Sacramento River at the present intake of the Central Canal. Immediately Mr. Beckwith interested capitalists, among whom were Messrs. Sheldon and Schuyler, in an enterprise having as its object the lease of the Central Canal then constructed, and its comple- tion to the river intake for the watering of lands of the district. On September 20, 1902, the plans and efforts of Mr. Beckwith resulted in a lease being obtained by Sheldon, Schuyler and others upon the main canal of the Central Irrigation District from its de facto board of directors, or trustees, for a period of fifty years at merely a nominal annual rental. The Central Canal and Irrigation Company was organized for the purpose of car- rying out the plans for the irrigation of lands of the Central Irrigation District, and also lands along the Sacramento River. Construction work was commenced almost immediately, and was carried on continuously for a period of several years, through several changes of management of the company.
During this time the company was unable to secure the co- operation of the landowners within the area to be watered by their canal system. Crops had been good for several years, and
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the landowners were not inclined to turn their attention to irri- gation and intensive farming. This unexpected opposition on the part of the lands to be served with water forced the irriga- tion company to abandon the plan of selling water to the lands of this area and, in order to assure the success of their enter- prise, to assume the added responsibility of purchasing large tracts of land and constructing the complete system of irrigation works necessary for their irrigation, as a preliminary step to subdividing them and offering for sale small home tracts under irrigation for intensive farming.
This added and unforeseen responsibility offered an oppor- tunity to a man of large land-colonization experience. C. M. Wooster, of San Francisco, closely identified for years with the colonization of lands in California and other states, organized the Sacramento Valley Land Company for the purpose of pur- chasing lands, bringing them under canal irrigation, subdividing them into small home tracts, and colonizing them with farmers interested in intensive agriculture. Through the influence of Mr. Wooster and Frank E. Robinson of Los Angeles, and associates, the ownership of the Central Canal and Irrigation Company passed to the owners of the Sacramento Valley Land Company. At this time the irrigation system lost its identity as a canal company for the irrigation of those lands originally included in the plans of Messrs. Green, Beckwith and others, and became the governing feature of a land-colonization scheme. In 1905 and 1906 the ranches of the Honorable John Boggs in Colusa County, and of George F. Packer, and a portion of the Glenn Ranch, were purchased by the Sacramento Valley Land Company. Water was immediately brought to these lands, and the work of colonizing commenced.
The year 1905 was a milestone in irrigation development in this section of the county. Thirty years had passed since the time when Mr. Green called the first irrigation meeting in Colusa ; and eighteen years had passed since the time when the work of that tireless irrigationist resulted in the formation of the Central Irrigation District. Only the memory of that true friend and energetic champion of irrigation was left to the people of Glenn and Colusa Counties; but the final realization of his dreams, denied him during his lifetime, was now an accomplished fact. Others have carried on his work through many adversities, still inspired by the memory of his energy and optimism.
During the next succeeding years, the operation of the canal system was continued and extended under adverse conditions. In 1908, capitalists from Pittsburgh, Pa., and from Southern Idaho, purchased the control of the Central Canal and Irrigation
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Company, and the Sacramento Valley Land Company, merging both interests into the Sacramento Valley Irrigation Company. This company purchased additional large areas of land, and made extensive improvements and extensions of the canal and its lat- erals, investing approximately nine millions of dollars in the scheme. They immediately subdivided their immense holdings into small tracts for purposes of colonization and intensive farm- ing, and sold large areas to homeseekers from all states of the Union. During this period Glenn and Colusa Counties were the most progressive districts of the state in irrigation and colo- nization affairs.
Again adversity blocked the wheels of progress. Through the financial failure of Kuhn Brothers, of Pittsburgh, the prin- cipal owners of the Sacramento Valley Irrigation Company and sponsors for the irrigation project, the years from 1913 to 1915 were years of retrogression. In the year 1916, however, a way out of the unfortunate failure of 1912 was believed to have been found. The present owners of the canal system, through court judgments and rulings of the Public Utilities Commission, have learned that the waters of the canal are appropriated only for the use of the public, and not for the furtherance of any par- tienlar private land-colonization enterprise organized and con- ducted for its own benefit and profit; and that the plans of Mr. Green, as originally made in the sovereign interests of the lands of the irrigation district, are not to be interfered with, and water is to be held available for the use of the entire district. It is proposed to reorganize into an irrigation district, under the laws of the state, that territory originally embraced in the old Central Irrigation District founded by Mr. Green, thus completing after twenty-nine years the plans and hopes of the original organizer of the district.
On December 9, 1916, an irrigation district was formed under the laws of the state for the irrigation of those lands south of Sidds Landing on the Sacramento River, extending south into Colusa County and west to the original boundaries of the old Central Irrigation District. The canal and lateral systems are already constructed in this district. All that remains to be accom- plished by the district is the installation of proper pumping facil- ities from the source of water supply, the Sacramento River, near Sidds Landing and at Hart's Landing near Princeton, and the purchase of the canal-operating system from its present owners.
A second district is at this time in process of formation for the irrigation of those lands north of Sidds Landing on the Sacramento River, east of the boundaries of the old Central
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Irrigation District, and between the Main Central Canal and the Sacramento River.
Well and Pumping-Plant Irrigation Development
As the early pioneer stockman sought water for domestic purposes from rivers, creeks and springs, so the early pioneer in irrigation sought water from the same sources. The abundant underground water supply for irrigation purposes was overlooked by those seeking water for their lands until Henry B. St. Louis, a farmer west of Norman, investigated and found an abundant water supply on his farm. In the spring of 1908, Mr. St. Louis bored a well of large diameter and installed a five-inch centrifugal pump driven by a gas engine, receiving for his trouble an abun- dant supply of water for the irrigation of alfalfa. During years past, others had installed small pumping plants. Artesian water had been sought at great depths on the Rideout Ranch, later known as the Spalding Ranch, in the vicinity of Norman. To Mr. St. Louis and his industry, however, can correctly be cred- ited the beginning of pump irrigation in Glenn County.
Profiting by the experience of Mr. St. Louis, L. H. Twede purchased land for the Twede Ranch and Land Company south- east of Willows, and developed an adequate water supply for general farm crops, and later for rice cultivation. The water supply on the Twede Ranch is without equal in the valley. The success of Mr. Twede inspired the owners of the Spalding Ranch to undertake the development of their large acreage from pump- ing wells. Messrs. Wickes and MeCurdy installed the first large pumping wells on the Fony Glenn Farm southeast of Willows, which later proved to the subsequent owners of that farm that water for irrigation could be had in abundant quantities by the installation of pumping wells. In the vicinity of the Fony Glenn Farm, H. M. Garnett developed an adequate supply of water for a large acreage of alfalfa, as did also Mrs. Inez Garnett Freed, Lloyd T. Lacy, and the Singletary Brothers.
In the immediate vicinity of Willows, water for irrigation was first developed by William Leake, north of the county hos- pital, and Charles Clarke, one mile west of Willows, on the property now the residence of Charles Lambert. Later, the Marshall and Lacroix Farms were sold in small farm units, and water for irrigation was developed from wells. Other large water-development areas are the Germain Ranch, Mills and Brown Ranch Subdivision, and Kattenberg Tracts.
In the Germantown district, William M. Shaw, on his home section south of Germantown, has developed water for the irri-
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gation of about two hundred forty acres of alfalfa and sixty acres of orchard. An artesian well, supplemented by a pump, supplies water to a storage reservoir; and an underground con- crete pipe system conveys water to the different fields without loss. Through the demonstration of the abundance of under- ground water supply by Mr. Shaw, the Central Forest Company developed water for the irrigation of their alfalfa and eucalyptus acreages.
Beginning with the first successful large pumping plant of Mr. St. Louis in 1908, water development for irrigation from wells has gone forward with astonishing rapidity. During a period of eight years large areas of land have been brought under irrigation that otherwise would have remained undeveloped because of the lack of surface supply. The limit boundaries of underground water-bearing strata are now well known. Water for irrigation can be had from wells over almost the entire area not covered by surface gravity supply. Only those lands in the immediate vicinity of the low foothills are without abundant un- derground water-bearing strata of economical pumping depth.
Water for irrigation in Glenn County, through the Govern- ment Irrigation Project at Orland, the Great Central Canal Pro- ject, and the many individual and corporate pumping plants of the district not supplied with gravity flow, has added more than ten millions of dollars in assessed valuation to the county's wealth. During the years 1915 and 1916 a new cereal crop of unlimited possibilities has proved a success in the county. Rice has created a new demand for large quantities of water; and the Central Canal, during the irrigation season of 1917, was filled to capacity for the first time in its checkered history. Large individnal pump- ing plants have been installed for rice culture on the Charles H. Glenn Farm and the Mudd Ranch, now the property of Faxon and Montagne. A second irrigation pumping plant is being installed on the Sacramento River at Sidds Landing by P. B. Cross, an Oakland capitalist, for the irrigation of ten thonsand eight hnn- dred acres of rice land for the season of 1918.
Water is King. Its use and benefits are now fully utilized and realized. The anti-irrigationist has given way to the progress of the times. Water under the control of man has proved a necessity. The present and future years will be known as the Irrigation Age of Glenn County.
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CHAPTER X
WILLOWS
Origin of the Name
Standing out in bold relief from the vast expanse of treeless plains, "the willows" were the only landmark in early days between the settlements along the river and those in the foot- hills. These trees bordered a group of springs on Willow Creek, one mile east of the present town of Willows. Travelers between the foothills and Princeton guided their course by the willows, and gradually the name was applied to the locality surrounding the trees. The first store on the present site of the town was known as the store at "the willows." In 1876, when the town was formally laid out in lots, there was some talk of changing the name to Venado or Zumwalt, after the first pioneer of the town and the man who was instrumental in getting the railroad to pass through here at its present location ; but the force of habit was too strong with the people of the surrounding territory, and the place continued to be called "the Willows." The Post Office Department tried to distinguish it from a town in Southern Cali- fornia by making the name "Willow"; but as everyone continued to address letters by the popular name, even the Post Office De- partment finally fell in line, and in 1916 the name was formally changed to "Willows," in recognition of the popular wish.
Early Settlers and Selection of the Town Site
Willows, as a town, dates from June 11, 1876, when William Johnson and Moses Hochheimer established a general merchan- dise store on the present site of the Glenn County Lumber Com- pany's yards. The first family to establish themselves on the site of the present town of Willows was that of Daniel Zumwalt, Sr., who had built a home on his farm property prior to the beginning of the town. It is related that the first sale from the new store was a can of mustard, to Mrs. Zumwalt. Following close after the store, came a hotel, hardware store, drug store, blacksmith shop and saloon. J. O. Johnson built the first house on what is now Tehama Street. In the fall of 1877, the Southern Pacific Company laid out the town site of Willows; and develop- ment was rapid from that time on.
The Southern Pacific Enters Willow's
On September 26, 1878, the railroad was completed as far as Willows; and the event was celebrated with great rejoicing by
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the people of the town. The morning exercises were given over to speeches, music by the band, and the firing of anvils. Hon. John Boggs introduced Rev. T. H. B. Anderson, the orator of the day, who made a stirring address. After the speaking, the merry- making commenced. All sorts of contests, including a fat man's race, helped to keep the crowd in a good humor. This was fol- lowed by a harvest banquet in the pavilion; and the program closed with a masque ball in the evening.
Growth of the Town
The phenomenal growth of the town in the first two years of its existence may be seen from the following inventory of the busi- ness interests of the town at the time of the coming of the rail- road. There were then three general merchandise stores, two hardware stores, three hotels, one grocery store, one drug store, one jewelry store, one millinery store, two blacksmith shops, one cigar store, one harness shop, three livery stables, one feed mill, five saloons, two barber shops, and one weekly newspaper. Already two physicians had begun practice in the town.
Early Conflagrations
Four times in her early history Willows was swept by disas- trous fires-only to rise each time, like a phoenix, from the ashes, through the indomitable will and persistent courage of her citi- zens. Probably the most destructive one of these fires was that which occurred on May 30, 1882. The following description of the fire, taken from Rogers' History of Colnsa County, is interesting both in itself and as indicating the caliber of the men to whom Willows is indebted for her solid foundation.
"May 30, a fire broke ont at Willows at two o'clock in the morning; and in a very short time the principal business portion of that thriving, progressive place was in ashes. It was the most calamitous event which had ever happened to any part of the county. The fire originated in the Central Hotel, occupied by Captain Williams; and a strong north wind prevailing at the time, the fire swept all the line of buildings south, chiefly business honses, consisting of stores, saloons, hotels and restaurants. The fire was so rapid and so eager in its destructive work, that little could be saved. In the hotel where the fire originated, the occu- pants had barely time to escape with their lives. There being no water, nor any facilities for fighting the fire, the citizens were compelled to stand by and see their property destroyed by the devouring element. . . . The following are the names of those who were burned out: Weston's photograph gallery, Park &
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