South Riverside Land and Water Company records., 1774-1960, bulk 1887-1920

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Summary

Creators:
South Riverside Land and Water Company
Abstract:
This collection consists of records concerning the development and business of the South Riverside Land and Water Company.
Extent:
13,348 items in 36 boxes and 35 volumes
Language:
The records are in English .

Background

Scope and content:

The documents provide insight into the business history and practices of the South Riverside Land and Water Company as well as the Jameson Packing House, which shipped citrus fruit, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Business Records, the largest series of the collection, with 9,638 items, is arranged alphabetically by folder title and then by date where applicable and includes banking records; bills of lading; blueprints; checkbooks, check stub books, and checks; contracts; daily reports of the fruit; ephemera; financial records; freight bills; inventories and inventories of fruit; land surveys; legal documents; maps; receipts; stock certificates; tax records; deeds from states such as Colorado, Florida, and Iowa; sales records, primarily of Queen Colony Fruit Exchange document fruit was shipped to Toledo, Minneapolis, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Pittsburg, Boston, Sioux City, Cincinnati, Omaha, Buffalo, Spokane, St. Louis, Calgary, Oklahoma City, Peoria, Vancouver, Milwaukee, Butte, Des Moines, Cleveland, Kansas City, Wichita, Seattle, Denver, Regina, Louisville, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Grand Rapids, Winnipeg, Baltimore, San Antonio, Albany, Columbus, Sacramento, Scranton, Waterloo, and Detroit; shipping records; records of fruit treatment; logs of temperature and meter readings for fruit; and time books.

The Correspondence series contains 3,613 items. Most of the correspondence is business related with many inquiries from potential customers wishing to purchase land. The majority of the correspondence has been arranged by the author’s last name or the name of the company from which the correspondence was sent. Some correspondence was batched together alphabetically if there were fewer than two items from the same author or if the complete signature was indistinguishable. Correspondence was noted from the following locations: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, Nebraska, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Washington, B.C. Vancouver, and Winnipeg Canada, and includes many law offices, newspapers for which the company often advertised in, and county records including deeds, taxes, and correspondence to county officials. In addition, there are numerous documents from banks regarding their business finances and letters from various fruit companies and railroads discussing shipping. Some of the notable clients and companies include Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad Company; California Fruit Agency; California Fruit Growers Exchange; Foltz, Clara Shortridge, 1849-1934; Huntington, Henry Edwards, 1850-1927; Lemon Administrative Committee; and Southern Pacific Railroad Company.

The 35 volumes include fruit logbooks, fruit shipping records, cashbooks, account books, ledgers, letter books, and an account journal.

Biographical / historical:

In 1886, developer Robert Taylor persuaded his partners, Adolph Rimpau, George L. Joy, A. S. Garretson, a Sioux City banker, and ex-governor of Iowa, Samuel Merrill to form the South Riverside Land and Water Company. Together they raised approximately $110,000 to purchase approximately 12,000 acres of good agricultural land. Taylor realized the importance of water for the soon to be developed community, and additional funds were used to ensure that sufficient water rights were obtained. Taylor hired Anaheim engineer H. C. Kellogg to design a circular Grand Boulevard three miles round. To the north along the railroad tracks were the manufacturing plants and packing houses. The southern end of town was left to the citrus industry. Presently this land is known as the City of Corona. As a citrus growers' organization, the company purchased the lands of Rancho La Sierra of Bernardo Yorba, and the Rancho Temescal grant and the colony of South Riverside was laid out. They also secured the water rights to Temescal Creek, its tributaries and Lee Lake. Dams and pipelines were built to carry the water to the colony. In 1889 the Temescal Water Company was incorporated, to supply water for the new colony. This company purchased all the water-bearing lands in the Temescal valley and began drilling artesian wells.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from Jim Ducote, November 4, 1969.
Arrangement:

The collection is organized in the following series:

  • Business Records (Boxes 1-23)
  • Correspondence (Boxes 24-35)
  • Oversized Boxes (Boxes 36-37)
  • Volumes

Rules or conventions:
Finding Aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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