Collection Guide
Collection Title:
Collection Number:
Get Items:
Guide to the Serrano Irrigation District records
MS-R079
No online items
View entire collection guide
Search this collection
Table of contents
Title: Serrano Irrigation District records
Date: 1871-1973
Collection Number: MS-R079
Creators:
Serrano Irrigation District (Calif.);
Serrano Water Association (Calif.);
Lotspeich Water Association (Calif.);
Gray Tract Water Company (Calif.);
Gray Tract Well Association (Calif.);
Santiago Well Company (Calif.);
Cerro Villa Mutual Water Company (Calif.);
and Villa Park Mutual Water Company (Calif.)
Extent:
7 linear feet
(15 boxes and 3 oversized folders)
Languages: The collection is in English.
Repository:
University of California, Irvine. Library. Special Collections and Archives.
Irvine, California 92623-9557
Abstract: This collection documents the history of the Serrano Irrigation District of Orange County California, now known as the Serrano
Water District. It includes records from the various water associations and companies that served the Villa Park region and
led to the establishment of the Serrano Irrigation District. Organizations represented include the Serrano Water Association,
Lotspeich Water Association, Gray Tract Water Company, Gray Tract Well Association, Santiago Well Company, Cerro Villa Mutual
Water Company, and the Villa Park Mutual Water Company.
Important Information for Researchers
The collection is open for research.
Property rights reside with the University of California. Intellectual property rights for materials not yet in the public
domain are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or to publish, please contact
the Head of Special Collections and Archives.
Serrano Irrigation District Records. MS-R079. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California.
Gift of the Serrano Water District via Betty Collins Nichols, 1999.
in this collection are in the handwriting of F. H. Collins and F. D. Collins, and company checks bear their signatures. Water
company meetings were held at the Collins' family ranch in Villa Park even after the company became the Serrano Irrigation
District and moved its offices to Lincoln Street in Villa Park, California. The Serrano Irrigation District, now called the
Serrano Water District, left the records in the care and custody of the Collins family.
Processed Cyndi Shein, 2007.
The Serrano Irrigation District in Orange County, California developed out of a consolidation of several water companies and
associations established as early as the 1870s. These mutual irrigation organizations were privately owned by ranchers and
farmers in the Villa Park, California area. In 1927 the Serrano Water Association, the John T. Carpenter Water Company, and
the Irvine Company agreed to form the Serrano Irrigation District as a public corporation under the Irrigation Districts Act
of the State of California. This enabled the district to hold elections to establish bonds to finance their share of the
construction of the Santiago Dam. At this time, the assets of the Serrano Water Association, which included landowners from
both the Gray Tract and Lotspeich Tract, were assigned to the Serrano Irrigation District.
In 1928 the Villa Park Mutual Water Company absorbed the consolidated Gray Tract Well Company, Cerro Villa Mutual Water Company,
and the Santiago Well Company. Beginning in 1956, the Serrano Irrigation District agreed to carry out all of the functions
of the Villa Park Mutual Water Company. In 1963 the Villa Park Mutual Water Company was officially dissolved, and the Serrano
Irrigation District agreed to continue furnishing water to the shareholders of the Villa Park Mutual Water Company. As irrigation
decreased and urbanization increased in the 1960s, the Serrano Irrigation District built a filtering plant and additional
reservoirs to facilitate the use of water received from the Irvine Lake.
The Serrano Irrigation District is now called the Serrano Water District and is an independent governmental body serving the
city of Villa Park and a small portion of the city of Orange.
Biography/Organization History
| 1870s | Serrano Water Association began operations. |
| 1907 | Gray Tract Water Company was established. |
| 1910 | Serrano Water Association adopted articles of association specifying that it was an "association" rather than a corporation. |
| 1912 | Gray Tract Well Company was established. |
| 1914 | Serrano Water Association members signed petition to oppose becoming a corporation. |
| 1915 | Lotspeich Water Association was established. |
| 1918 | Santiago Well Company was established. |
| 1927 July 25 | Serrano Irrigation District was incorporated. |
| 1928 | Villa Park Mutual Water Company absorbed the consolidated Gray Tract Well Company, Cerro Villa Mutual Water Company, and the Santiago Well Company. |
| 1931 | Santiago Dam and Reservoir (Irvine Lake) was completed. |
| First domestic water system of Villa Park was funded in 1931 after the residents approved a bond issue to provide water service to one house on each ten acres. | |
| 1956 | Serrano Irrigation District agreed to assume all the functions of the Villa Park Mutual Water Company. |
| 1963 | Villa Park Mutual Water Company was dissolved. Serrano Irrigation District agreed to continue furnishing water to the Villa Park Mutual Water Company shareholders. |
Serrano Water District. "Welcome to Serrano Water District." California: Serrano Water District. http://www.serranowater.org/
(accessed November 28, 2007).
Collection Scope and Content Summary
This collection documents the history of the Serrano Irrigation District of Orange County California, now known as the Serrano
Water District. It includes records from the various water associations and companies that served the Villa Park region and
led to the establishment of the Serrano Irrigation District. Organizations represented include the Serrano Water Association,
Lotspeich Water Association, Gray Tract Water Company, Gray Tract Well Association, Santiago Well Company, Cerro Villa Mutual
Water Company, and the Villa Park Mutual Water Company. The records include annual statements, by-laws, articles of association,
ledgers, ballots and voting results, check registers, correspondence, agreements, stock certificates, water studies, photographs,
and deeds.
This collection is arranged in six series.
- Series 1. Serrano Irrigation District records, 1871-1973. 2.7 linear feet
- Series 2. Serrano Water Association records,1890-1931. 1 linear foot
- Series 3. Gray Tract Water Association records, 1907-1923. 0.4 linear feet
- Series 4. Gray Tract Well Company records, 1912-1931. 1.5 linear feet
- Series 5. Lotspeich Water Association records, 1915-1929. 0.6 linear feet
- Series 6. Santiago Well Company records, 1918-1937. 0.8 linear feet
Several government publications were removed from this collection and cataloged separately in Special Collections and Archives.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Serrano Irrigation District (Calif.) -- Archives.
Serrano Water District (Calif.) -- History.
Serrano Water Association (Calif.) -- Archives.
Gray Tract Well Company (Calif.) -- Archives.
Gray Tract Water Association (Calif.) -- Archives.
Lotspeich Water Association (Calif.) -- Archives.
Santiago Well Company (Calif.) -- Archives.
Water districts -- California -- Orange County -- Archives.
Water supply -- California -- Orange County -- Archives.
Santiago Dam -- California -- Archives.
Orange County (Calif.) -- Archives.
Genres and Formats of Materials
Account books -- 19th century.
Account books -- 20th century.
Maps -- Orange County (Calif.) -- 20th century.
Photographic prints -- Orange County (Calif.) -- 20th century.