History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. I, Part 43

Author: Lyman, William Denison, 1852-1920
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: [Chicago] S.J. Clarke
Number of Pages: 1134

USA > Washington > Benton County > History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. I > Part 43
USA > Washington > Kittitas County > History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. I > Part 43
USA > Washington > Yakima County > History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. I > Part 43

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A little later still another scheme was presented by J. H. Wells. He was manager of the Kittitas Valley Irrigation Company, already mentioned as un- dertaking a plan in 1892 which failed to materialize, for irrigating 85,000 acres. Mr. Wells now desired to enlist local interest such as would enable the bonding and revival of this great enterprise. He proposed a huge canal, 110 miles long, forty-eight feet wide at top, twenty-four feet wide at bottom, and ten feet deep, to cost about $1,500,000. Mr. Wells was sure that eastern capital could be secured if there was proper local backing. This great plan, however, went the way of its predecessor.

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HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY

Now came still another scheme. A certain promoter, A. S. Black by name, who had been engaged in irrigation in Colorado, became interested in reports about the Yakima country and in April, 1903, he visited Ellensburg and at a public meeting set forth plans for financing a high line canal. On their face the representations of Mr. Black seemed reliable and inviting, and the flagging enthusiasm of the people was rekindled. But alas, they were worse off than ever. At a second meeting on May 29th, the Colorado promoter revealed the fact that he was through with the plan and must call it all off.

The era of glowing visions ended. The existing canals, the Town, the West Kittitas, the Cascade, and the group of small ones, covering in all about forty thousand acres, were serving a most useful purpose, demonstrating the great capacity of the Kittitas Valley under irrigation.

The time had now come when the Government was ready to enter the field and the era of private enterprises in Kittitas came to an end.

Meanwhile several canal projects of much importance were being shaped in the middle and lower valleys. These were in a way the connecting links between the great Government projects beginning in 1905 with surveys and entering into the construction era a few years later, and the pioneer enterprises which we have traced, from 1866 to the close of the century.

In the closing years of the last century and the first few of the present, several canal propositions of a location and character to lead logically to the Government undertakings were established. The most important of these were the Sunnyside under various heads, the Cowiche and Wide Hollow Irrigation district, the Selah-Moxee, the Northern Pacific, and the Congdon. Lesser ditches which served areas more distinctly local, were the Fowler, the Wapatox, the Hubbard, and the Konnewock. Limits of space forbid going into detail about all of these. In a general way it may be said that they were in process of construction about contemporaneously, the work being somewhat broken and interrupted with some of them, but the years from 1898 to 1904 being the central time.

From these and their connections grew the conditions which resulted log- ically in the assumption by Government of the primary interest in irrigation.

These first stages of development in the valley witnessed sundry near- sanguinary scenes. Water rights were very rudely defined and if one neighbor chose to appropriate the whole available supply the only convenient recourse of the next neighbor was to go and tear out the first one's dam and ditch. Usually, too, he would take along a "gun" of some sort in order to be ready for eventualities. As stated in the Government report, it was customary under state law to make a filing before beginning any construction work, and an amount of water altogether beyond the appropriator's needs was usually filed. Moreover many filings were made purely for speculative purposes. As a result the low water flow was many times over appropriated. It became obvious that chaos in irrigation systems would result unless a general harmony and pre- arrangement of plans was worked out.

Two essentials were announced by the Government engineers: First, a

MT. ADAMS FROM SUNNYSIDE CANAL

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comprehensive treatment of the water-right situation, involving a cooperative effort among the various appropriators, with a view to defining and limiting their actual needs.

Second. Investigations with a view to determining the most feasible loca- tions for storing the flood waters of the various streams to supplement the low water flow during the irrigation season.

The working out of those two principles became the foundation of the Federal irrigation system in all its magnitude as it exists today.

THE SUNNYSIDE CANAL

The largest of all these enterprises in both the private and the Government stages, was the Sunnyside. To a special degree this laid the foundations for the immense Government project, not as yet nearly completed. For our authority on this portion of the history we have had recourse mainly to the exhaustive report of Government engineers in the Reclamation office in Yakima.

One thing may well be remembered in connection with this section of the history, and that is the fact that the Northern Pacific Railroad Company held approximately half the land in the valley as a subsidy, and hence its interest in the development of irrigation systems and other industries, as well as in town sites, was inevitable.

To Walter N. Granger must be accorded the place of special honor in inaugurating the Sunnyside system. In June, 1889, he made an investigation of the area now embraced in the Sunnyside Unit, and the Yakima Canal and Land Company was formed by him. Later his company united with the North- ern Pacific Railroad Company in the Northern Pacific and Yakima Irrigation Company. This company began construction work in 1890, C. R. Rockwood being chief engineer and H. H. Hall consulting engineer.

Meanwhile the managers made investigations of the lakes at the head of the Yakima and its tributaries with a view to a larger utilization of water. As a result they formed a new company to succeed the former, known as the Northern Pacific, Yakima, and Kittitas Irrigation Company. Work was initi- ated on dams at the lakes, but the financial troubles and the inability of the Northern Pacific Railroad to continue its aid compelled a cessation of work. This situation resulted in the formation of still another company as a financing agency, known as the Yakima Investment Company. This new company took over the property of the preceding company. Paul Schulze, as a railroad rep- resentative, became president of the new organization, and Walter N. Granger continued as manager of construction.

This Yakima Investment Company met with disaster through the failure and tragic death by suicide of Mr. Schulze. It was discovered that he had hypothecated securities of the company to the value of $400,000. As a result the company went into a receivership. Mr. Granger, however, retained the supervision, operation, and management of the property during the receiver- ship.

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A very important stage came on with the acquisition in 1900 of the Sunny- side enterprise by the Washington Irrigation Company.

It should be remembered that before the death of Mr. Schulze forty-two miles of canal had been completed under the name of the Northern Pacific, Yakima and Kittitas Company. That section extended from the head gate seven miles below Yakima to a point forty-two miles down the Valley. In honor of that event a celebration was held at the head works on March 26, 1892, in which all the country participated and about which the "Yakima Herald" issued a special illustrated number. Speeches were made by Paul Schulze, Edward Whitson, J. B. Reavis, and G. G. Hubbard. A young lady, Dora Allen, broke a bottle of champagne over the head gate, and "all the people huzzaed." Then later came the period of disasters resulting in the reorganiza- tion. The forty-two-mile section, however, was a valuable asset of the new company.

The Washington Irrigation Company was financed by Portland and Seattle capital. Its officers were as follows: W. L. Ladd of Portland, presi- dent ; George Donald of Yakima, vice-president ; R. H. Denny of Seattle, treas- urer; J. S. Bleecker of Seattle, secretary; E. F. Blaine of Seattle, attorney ; Walter N. Granger, superintendent; C. F. Bailey, cashier ; R. K. Tiffany, chief engineer; W. S. Douglass, water superintendent. The four last named were located at Zillah, the local headquarters A large amount of work was done by this company. Up to 1904 about $1,700,000 had been expended upon the enterprise, including the outlays of the previous companies. The main canal extended from the intake, seven and a half miles down the river from Yakima, to a point opposite Prosser, about fifty miles. Nearly seven hundred miles of laterals were constructed. One of these wound around Snipes Mountain in such a manner as to utilize considerable part of the splendid land composing the lower slopes of that curious ridge. The main canal was the largest anywhere in the northwest, until the great Minidoka and Twin Falls canals in southern Idaho were constructed. It was sixty-two feet wide at the top and thirty at the bottom, eight feet deep, and capable of carrying 800 second feet of water. As laid out by the company the system commanded 64,000 acres of land, of which about half was under cultivation in 1904.

At that time the company was projecting the extension to the Rattlesnake slopes and the great flats facing the Columbia River. The water supply was adequate for all farms under ditch. Indeed it was stated by Professor Waller of the State College that a great overplus was used around Sunnyside, amount- ing to 70 to 80 inches, if reduced to rainfall; so much, in fact, as to be detri- mental to the land. For it caused the alkali to rise, and a few years later neces- sitated a great drainage canal through the Sunnyside district. The annual main- tenance charge was only a dollar an acre a year, a very low rate for the North- west, though more than that usual in the Fresno district of California, and more than the subsequent charge by the Government.

In general the work of the Washington Irrigation Company was highly satisfactory. But perhaps the most important event in its career was the fact that it prepared the way for the Government enterprise.

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That is another story, and we leave the Sunnyside section at this point and turn to others of the private enterprises which, like the Sunnyside, paved the way to the Government projects.

THE SELAH-MOXEE CANAL

The Selah-Moxee Canal was one of the best smaller ones of that period. This was mainly the work of George S. Rankin and W. T. Clark. The former was president and the latter secretary of the company. Edward Whitson was vice-president and J. D. Cornett was treasurer. This canal took water from the east side of the Yakima near the mouth of Selah Creek and conveyed it over a higher district than had been reached by the previous canals. There was a total length of canal of twenty-seven miles, and an area under water of 7,000 acres. An interesting celebration in honor of the completion of this im- portant enterprise took place on June 8, 1901.

One of the significant events of this period was an election held by the Cowiche and Wide Hollow Irrigation District.

COWICHE AND WIDE HOLLOW IRRIGATION DISTRICT

This election was held on January 9, 1892. By a vote of fifty-two to fifteen, the district was to be bonded for half a million dollars for the purpose of constructing a canal from the Tieton River to a point from which water could be distributed to all parts of the district, including the higher land. It contemplated bringing 46,000 acres under irrigation. Although this district canal was never constructed, the vote for bonds and the popular discussion and agitation connected with it was a great factor in creating a demand for the use of the Tieton, and that helped prepare the way for the great Tieton project of the Government.

The next private canal enterprise of capital importance was that of Chester A. Congdon in 1893. Mr. Congdon was a Chicago capitalist, who had made a fortune in copper mining. He had become interested in Yakima soon after the laying out of the new town in 1888.

He had acquired land in the present "Nob Hill" section, and a deed is on record conveying land from himself and his wife to North Yakima, to be valid in the event of the selection of that city for the state capital.

THE CONGDON DITCH, OR YAKIMA VALLEY CANAL

The Congdon Ditch was the first to reach the highland section west of the city. It was conveyed from the Naches at a point twelve miles above the mouth, and carried along the hillside to the point of the bluff at the Painted Rocks. Then it was conducted in a siphon across the Cowiche Valley to a point on the opposite heights, from which it was distributed over the rolling lands south toward Wide Hollow. More than any other one agency the Congdon Ditch helped perform the task of transforming that sagebrush desert between the Cowiche and Ahtanum into the splendid suburban section which makes Yakima one of the wonders of the West. Other ditches, especially the Hubbard and

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lower down, the Union and the Mill and the Power Company ditches, have played and continue to play important parts in reclaiming that region, so barren and seemingly hopeless in its first estate, so inviting and productive after the rod of enterprise had smitten the rocks and bidden the streams gush forth in the desert.

THE WAPATOX CANAL

The Wapatox Canal belongs to the same period. It was a local enterprise in the Naches Valley, extending down the north side, designed to cover the lower lands. It was constructed and managed by the local farmers, but it became the property of the Pacific Power and Light Company. This is the chief power plant in central Washington. The power house has an installed capacity of 7,500 kilowatts on water and 2,000 kilowatts on steam. The canal flows between 500 and 600 second feet and is lined with concrete throughout its entire length of eight miles.

The next important enterprise in the near vicinity of Yakima during that time was the

NACHES-SELAH CANAL

The canal is owned by the farmers of the Selah section. It was completed in 1894, though a series of betterments in 1907 made another date of comple- tion. It is of much interest to take a jump down to the present date in con- nection with this canal and note some remarkable betterments in progress at the time of this publication. It is just now undergoing a thorough rehabilita- tion. Its circuitous course along the steep hill sides on the north side of the Naches Valley, with the danger of breaking and with the waste of water through seepage and with the many sections of wooden fluming, made it a menace to the valley below and made its upkeep expensive. The association of farmers took up in 1917 the question of improvement by tunnels. E. M. Chandler, formerly superintendent of the Burbank project on Snake River, was put in charge and at the date of this publication is bringing to a conclusion the most elaborate system of tunnels anywhere in the Northwest. By means of eight tunnels that section of the canal is reduced from six miles to two miles, a safe and solid foundation is provided, and water is conserved and distributed in a manner to make an infinite improvement over the former circuitous and risky route. For financing this great enterprise the Selah farmers bonded the district for $375,000. The district embraces 10,300 acres, and all but 300 of this is in productive cultivation at the present time. Six hundred families reside upon and own the land covered by this important and interesting canal. It is probably safe to say that no other part of the Yakima Valley has been so thoroughly developed as this Selah tract, and none is more typical of the Yakima country at its best.

In passing from the middle valley to the lower, note should be made of the

KONNEWOCK CANAL

This covered about 3,000 acres beginning in the lower Parker Bottom. It was important, not from size, but because it was owned by the farmers of that

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section and because it was a sort of starting point for the Sunnyside system. It was the first completed canal on the north side of the river below Union Gap.

The original owners acquired and used the right-of-way, and water rights in this ditch, giving in return a free perpetual water right to the 3,000 acres originally served by it. These lands, situated in Parker Bottom and Parker Heights, have today the best water rights in the Northwest and are among the richest and most productive in the valley. Capt. Robert Dunn, D. A. McDonald, and W. P. Sawyer are among those prominently identified with this develop- ment.

LATER HISTORY OF IRRIGATION IN THE LOWER VALLEY

We traced in earlier pages of this chapter the series of stages in the Kiona- Prosser-Kennewick section to the year 1902, when the N. P. R. R. acquired the Kennewick system. Resuming the course of events we note that in 1903 the ditch had been repaired and the water was again running. Good times came again to that fine little place on the Columbia. Many improvements in building in the town and the opening of new farms under the ditches followed.

The canal was enlarged to a width of twenty-eight feet on top and eighteen on the bottom, and five feet deep. The company sold land very cheap, $25.00 an acre with water right, but with the stipulation of residence and improvements. In 1908 the Northern Pacific Irrigation Company came into possession of the property. The officers of the company consisted of O. A. Fechter president, J. J. Rudkin manager, C. S. Mead treasurer, and D. E. Gould of Boston, vice president. In 1909 a very important step was taken, by which the splendid Highlands district was placed under water by a pumping system raising water from the main canal. At the same time the beautiful Olmstead addition on the west of the city was put upon the market. These two tracts constitute an addi- tion to Kennewick which within a short time can not fail to make it one of the most beautiful cities of the state.

In 1917 another forward step was taken throughout the irrigated regions. This was the formation of irrigation districts. This movement is the natural sequence of the Government irrigation processes. During some years past the Government has encouraged the creation of districts incorporated under state laws and having the organization and powers of municipal corporations.

Experience seems to demonstrate that these districts have advantages over the former water-users' associations. To a large degree they supplanted the associations.

In pursuance of the policy of district formation the people under the Kennewick gravity system have formed the Columbia Irrigation District. The new organization has taken over the Northern Pacific Irrigation Company's holdings in the area of about 12,000 acres covered by the gravity canals. The officers chosen by the voters of the district are at the present time: H. S. Hughes, director and president ; A. S. Goss and L. E. Johnson, directors; M. M. Moulton, secretary.

In like manner the water users of the Highlands, under the pumping sys- tem, have organized a district and have acquired the property of that section. Their officers are J. J. Rudkin, director and president, and G. N. Hughes and M. N. Hudnal, directors.

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This district buys its water from the Columbia Irrigation district, and the water is furnished, as before, by the pumping system. It may be added that the extension of the Sunnyside Canal by government, commonly referred to as the "high line" will convey water to about 40,000 acres of the choicest land in the Kennewick region. The Kennewick Irrigation District was organized primarily to facilitate cooperation of the local producers with the Federal Gov- ernment.

It is expected that the Sunnyside extension will ultimately cover 130,000 acres in what are known as the Benton and Ledbetter units. The development of this vast area is a leading object of the Government in the Yakima Valley.

RICHLAND, HANFORD, AND WHITE BLUFFS SECTIONS

From the Kennewick section we turn northward, cross the Yakima River, and discover three irrigation systems, each with a history of its own. These are the Richland, the Hanford, and the White Bluffs sections.

The fine area of level and fertile land centering at Richland was brought under an initial system of irrigation by Nelson Rich, one of the foremost build- ers of the lower Yakima, in 1892. In 1905 Mr. Rich's enterprise was succeeded by the Benton Water Company, in which Mr. Rich and Howard Amon were the chief factors. This in turn gave way in 1907 to the Lower Yakima Irrigat- ing Company, of which the chief owners and managers were M. E. Downs and W. R. Allen. In spite of great industry and seemingly prudent management this company became involved in financial pressure and went into a receivership. Mr. Allen's sudden death in 1912 caused a new organization known as the Horn Rapids Irrigation Company in that same year. F. J. O'Brien became superin- tendent in 1912, a post which he still holds. The Horn Rapids system has sixty-five miles of main and chief distributing canals and supplies an abundance of water to about 1,400 acres. The Richland people, like those of Kennewick have joined the district movement. On December 2, 1918, the Richland dis- trict was formed by vote of the landowners.

The Hanford system was inaugurated in 1906 by Maj. H. M. Chittenden and Judge C. H. Hanford. Seattle capital became interested through these men. Manley B. Haynes became superintendent. The source of water supply was the Columbia River, and the water was to be pumped by electric power supplied from a water power at the head of Priest Rapids. This is one of the greatest water powers in the country. There is a total fall of 71 feet in about ten miles. H. K. Owens of Seattle was the engineer in charge of the installation of the power plant. The author has been informed by Mr. Owens that 240,000 horse- power could be generated at low water. The amount at high water is almost limitless. Both Hanford and White Bluffs are supplied with water by the Priest Rapids power, though what is known as White Bluffs Orchard Tracts has a water supply pumped from the river by gas pumps, the first of the kind in this country. In 1908 Mr. F. J. O'Brien, now of Richland, became superintend- ent at Hanford. The Hanford project covers about 11,000 acres, and the White Bluffs section is of about the same extent.

HORN RAPID IRRIGATION COMPANY CANAL

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While this Columbia River irrigated section seems to have had a good deal of difficulty and while returns have not equalled the sanguine expectations with which the promoters inaugurated their plans, it is evident that a great future awaits that splendid region. In length of growing season it surpasses all other parts of the state, four crops and sometimes five crops of alfalfa being produced in a season. The great power at Priest Rapids will, when taken up by Govern- ment with adequate working force, become one of the greatest sources of power for irrigating, lighting, and furnishing power in the Union. With a proper system of dams and locks and canals, it will also open the river to navigation for many miles. The Government has also considered a nitrogen plant at this point.

SUMMARY OF PRIVATE ENTERPRISES

Before entering upon the history of the Government projects we shall do well to recapitulate here the essential facts in regard to the various private en- terprises which we have been describing. They may be described as grouped around these points; Ellensburg, Yakima, Sunnyside including the Zillah and Prosser sections, and Kennewick and northward on the Columbia.

The Ellensburg section was covered by the Town Canal, the West Kittitas Canal, and the Cascade Canal. These, with several small local canals, supply water at the present time for about 40,000 acres. The canals in the Yakima, Naches, Cowiche, Selah-Moxee, and Ahtanum sections radiating around the city of Yakima may be summarized at the beginning of the period when the Government was getting ready to enter the field, 1902-5, as follows: On the east side of the river, the Selah-Moxee, the Moxee, the Hubbard, the Granger and the Fowler, covering in all about 10,000 acres; on the west side, the Selah- Valley, the Wapatox, the Naches, the Gleed and the Naches-Selah, taking water from the Naches at the higher points, and covering about 20,000 acres; the Yakima Valley Canal (Congdon) heading about twelve miles up the Naches, crossing the Cowiche with a siphon and reaching about 4,000 acres; and the group originating near the mouth of the Naches, the Hubbard, the Power Com- pany, the Schanno, the Broadguage, the Union, and the Town, coming down the Naches in the order named, covering with the Ahtanum in all about 30,000 acres ; the Sunnyside, Zillah, and Prosser section covering together about 70,000 acres ; the Columbia River section about 20,000 acres.

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History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. I, Part 43

Author: Lyman, William Denison, 1852-1920 Publication date: 1919 Publisher: [Chicago] S.J. Clarke Number of Pages: 1134

Author: Lyman, William Denison, 1852-1920
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: [Chicago] S.J. Clarke
Number of Pages: 1134