Sacramento Valley Sugar Company Records
Finding aid created by California State University, Chico staff using RecordEXPRESS
California State University, Chico
2020
California State University, Chico, Special Collections Meriam Library
400 West First Street
Chico, California 95929-0295
(530) 898-6603
SpecialCollections@csuchico.edu
http://www.csuchico.edu/special-collections/
Title: Sacramento Valley Sugar Company Records
Dates: 1905-1963, bulk 1905-1958
Collection Number: MSS 001
Creator/Collector:
Sacramento Valley Sugar Company
Extent: Items: 216 boxes, Linear Feet: 84
Online items available
Repository:
California State University, Chico
Chico, California 95929-0295
Abstract: Business records for Sacramento Valley Sugar Company 1905-1958, consisting of correspondence, financial, administrative, legal,
and property documents.
Language of Material: English
Collection is open for research without restriction.
The library can only claim physical ownership of the collection. Users are responsible for satisfying any claimants of literary
property.
Sacramento Valley Sugar Company Records. California State University, Chico
Gift of Berylwood Investment Company, 1965
Biography/Administrative History
Pacific Sugar Construction Company and Alta California Beet Sugar Company were established by James Hamilton in 1905 after
purchasing part of the Capay Rancho and Wilson Ranch. Both properties were adjacent to each other across the Sacramento River.
Hamilton was backed by Thomas Bard and his associates from Union Oil Company for the purpose of developing the sugar beet
industry in the central Sacramento Valley. It was the first agribusiness to develop in Northern California. The plant later
became part of the Holly Sugar Corporation, which discontinued processing sugar in 1996 and the plant was partially demolished
in 2006.
Scope and Content of Collection
The collection covers a period of time from 1905 to 1963, with only a very small amount of material representing the period
after 1958. The collection is organized in sections under the various company names, which were adopted in a series of corporate
reorganizations. These are: Pacific Sugar Construction Company (1905-1909), Alta California Sugar Company (1905-1909), Hamilton
Land Company (1906-1935), Alta California Sugar Company-Sacramento Valley Sugar Company combined (1911-1928), Pacific Sugar
Company- Sacramento Valley Sugar Company combined (1905-1930), and Sacramento River Farms, Ltd. (1930-1961).
Large number of records including company by-laws, payroll ledgers, annual reports, minutes, photographs, water rights, leaseholds,
maps. Subjects include labor records, railroad competition, eastern and oil money, land speculation, land distribution, agricultural
mechanization, crop experiments, irrigation projects, creation and distribution of electric power, ethnic minorities, fossil
fuels, alternative fuels, crop disease, water transportation, roads, bridges, levees, sugar tariffs, sugar factory mechanization,
and town planning.
The geographic area covered: Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Tehama Counties in California and Klamath County, Oregon, some parts of
Sutter, Yolo Counties of California as well.
The company purchased or leased part of Capay Rancho (Mexican Land Grand in California) and leased part of Stanford Vina Ranch
(owned by California Governor Leland Stanford).
Information about Southern Pacific Railroad line and spurs is of special interest. Also of interest is information on Pacific
Gas & Electric and their early operations.
Additionally, there are embossing stamps used by each of the aforementioned companies.
Beet sugar industry –California- Hamilton City
Sugar manufacture and refining
Beet sugar industry
Beet sugar
Agribusiness & food
Holly Sugar Corporation
Glenn County (Calif.)
Hamilton City (Calif.) - History