Description
Valley Land & Sugar Co. Papers consist chiefly of Board of Directors Minutes,
correspondence, receipts, property records and maps of the Tracy Garden Farms Corporation
(1916-1921) and Valley Land & Sugar Co. (1921-1926).
Background
Following the creation of the Naglee-Burk Irrigation Association (1912) and the West Side
Irrigation District (1915), land north of Tracy became a valuable commodity for those
interested in growing sugarbeets. In 1917 the Pacific Sugar Co. opened the first mill in
Tracy, but the firm quickly ran into difficulties because government price supports on
sugarbeets ended with World War I and whitefly began to consume the crop. From 1919 sugar
refiners always experienced difficulties in getting farmers to plant beets. After a few
years the company leased the plant to Amalgamated Sugar Co. of Ogden, Utah (1920) and
eventually sold it to Holly Sugar Co. of Colorado Springs (1925). The Garden Farms Co.
and its successor Valley Land & Sugar were in the business of leasing and selling land
for sugarbeet cultivation along Old River north of Tracy. These companies flourished
between 1919 and 1926.
Restrictions
Publication Rights
The library can only claim physical ownership of the collection. Users are responsible
for satisfying any claimants of literary property.
Availability
Access
Collection is open for research by appointment only.