San
Joaquin County
Biographies
WEST SIDE IRRIGATION DISTRICT
With nearly 12,000 acres of fertile
land under irrigation, producing abundantly rich crops, the originators and
backers of the great West Side Irrigation District, in the Tracy country, have
cause for general rejoicing. This
magnificent system cost in the neighborhood of $545,000, and its operation
under most favorable conditions stands out as a glowing tribute to the men who
labored so loyally carrying the big project forward along progressive
lines. All the preliminary organization
details from a legal standpoint were worked out by Neumiller & Ditz, of
Stockton, and the bond issues and contracts by Crittenden & Hench, who
handled all matters in an able manner, and did much to push forward the sale of
the irrigation bonds at the right time.
The West Side Irrigation District is
the first one of its kind in the West, and it is unique in that the water
supply is not governed by seasonable conditions in the mountains, and consequently,
the district is not limited to seasons for operation. There is a big acreage of alfalfa, where
formerly some ninety per cent of the land was in barley and wheat. Many of the farmers have planted a variety of
products, including fruit trees of various kinds, corn, potatoes, beans, sugar
beets, and garden truck, all securing splendid results.
Water is pumped from the head of the
intake canal from Old River, which cost in the neighborhood of $32,000,
including the right of way, bridge over the road, and all other costs. This runs from Bethany Ferry to a point just
north of the Southern Pacific Railroad, where the huge pumping plant is
located. The water is pumped from this point
through two pipe lines to two big main canals, one at an elevation of fifty-five
feet and the other at an elevation of 110 feet.
The water is then carried through these canals and laterals to the
highest point of each 160 acres in the district. The intake canal is one and one-eighth miles
long, the excavation being from 85 to 100 feet wide and from twelve to
twenty-eight feet deep. A notable
feature of this big project is the fact that the pumps can be operated
separately or all together and all started or stopped by one operator at a
switchboard.
The pumps provide enough water in
fifty-two days to cover each acre of land in the district one foot deep, and
the total horsepower of the plant is about 2,000. There are some sixty-two head gates,
consisting of concrete inlets and outlets, with corrugated iron pipes through
embankments, the gates being operated by screw lift devices. In the construction work ten railroad
crossings were built under the tracks, together with concrete inlets and
outlets. The flumes consist of two concrete
and two wooden ones. Sixty-eight combined
drop structures, road crossings and check gates, made of corrugated iron pipe
of special construction, were necessary to complete the details.
Twenty-two reinforced concrete
county highway crossings and siphons and sixty-six wooden takeout gates were installed
on this project. A complete telephone
system of three wires with underground road crossings, equipped with drop
signals and telephone instruments every mile and a half, was installed. Power for the great project is furnished by
the Pacific Gas & Electric Company.
Substantial houses have been built for the engineer and employees of the
plant.
Among the well-known early day
boosters who worked energetically with other leading interests for the
formation of the project are such well-known leaders as A. Grunauer, C. A.
Slack, A. R. Arnold, Linne Brothers, J. D. Van Ormer, L. Kroner, Lewis Parker, S. A. Shearer, Fred P. Von
Sosten, Peter P. Schmidt, the Heinbockel brothers,
Henry A. Frerichs, George J. Luhrsen,
Mrs. Anna Von Sosten, D. J. Looney, Neil and Tom Looney, Neil Fabian, W. G.
Lang and others. The first meeting was
held on November 9, 1915, and Samuel A. Shearer was chosen chairman or
president, W. G. Hunter of Stockton as engineer, who resigned, and was
succeeded by the present engineer, Mr. W. D. Harrington, in November,
1918. At present Henry Frerichs is president; Mrs. Bertha M. McGee, treasurer; and
George L. Parker, assessor. Neumiller
& Ditz were chosen as attorneys; later Crittenden & Hench became the
attorneys for the project. Mr. Ditz was
the first secretary, but upon his resignation, William Von Sosten was chosen
fill that office; in 1917 John C. Chrisman was chosen secretary. The people of Tracy and this section of
central California are proud of this big irrigation achievement, as it has
proven early day statements made by men who had faith in the solidity of the
enterprise.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1155. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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