Charles F. Potter and Isaac B. Potter Papers: Finding Aid

Finding aid prepared by Jeffrey Wilensky, August 28, 2001.

The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens

Manuscripts Department

1151 Oxford Road

San Marino, California 91108

Phone: (626) 405-2129

Email: reference@huntington.org

URL: http://www.huntington.org

Overview of the Collection

Title: Charles F. Potter and Isaac B. Potter Papers

Dates (inclusive): 1887-1940

Bulk dates: 1905-1925

Collection Number: mssPotter papers

Creator: Potter, Charles F. (Charles Franklin), 1861-

Extent: 3,974 pieces in 10 boxes

Repository: The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. Manuscripts Department

1151 Oxford Road

San Marino, California 91108

Phone: (626) 405-2129

Email: reference@huntington.org

URL: http://www.huntington.org

Abstract: This collection contains the business and legal papers of legal and financial counselors Charles F. Potter (1861-1949) and his brother Isaac B. Potter (1856-1940), concentrating on several water and power companies in California, Arizona, and Nevada, with the bulk dating from 1905-1925.

Language: English.

Access

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.

Administrative Information

Publication Rights

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item]. Charles F. Potter and Isaac B. Potter Papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Provenance

Purchased from N. A. Kovach, February 8, 1945.

Biographical Note on Isaac B. Potter

Isaac B. Potter (1856-1940) was born in 1856 in Watervliet, New York, son of Oscar Fitzallen and Antoinette Bucklin Potter. Having graduated from Cornell University, he was admitted to the New York bar in 1880. He practiced law in New York, being member of firm of Potter & Alexander (1880-1883), Potter & Potter (1884-1886), Potter, Caldwin & Miner (1889-1893), and Potter & Miner (1903-1908). In 1888-1896, he served as chairman of Road Improvement Committee, League of American Municipalities, and wrote first pamphlet advocating road improvements (Gospel of Good Roads, 1890-1891). He was the founder of the Good Roads Magazine. In 1907, he was president of the League of American Wheelmen. In 1907-1910, he served as legal counsel for American Union Life Insurance Co. and other corporations.

In 1908, he opened offices in Denver and Los Angeles and practiced as a partner in Potter, West & Potter until 1911 when he formed a partnership with his brother Charles F. Potter.

Biographical Note on Charles F. Potter

Charles Franklin Potter (born 1861-1949) was born on September 25, 1861, in Watervliet, New York. He studied civil engineering and law under private tutors, as apprentice in law office, and through aid of Columbia University law lectures. For two years he was employed by the New York State Department of Public Works as civil engineer in design and construction of bridges, water works, sewers, and highways. In 1883, Charles F. Potter was admitted to New York State bar and practiced law in New York. Later he was associated with large interests in Texas and was legal counsel for many mining corporations in Colorado and Nevada, including Nevada Power Mining & Milling Co. (1904), the Nevada-California Power Co. (1907), the Southern Sierras Power Company and the Interstate Telegraph Co. (1911), the Nevada California Electrical Corporation, the Cain Irrigation Co., Pacific Power Corporation, and other companies in the Southwest. Charles F. Potter was director of the Mono Power Company in 1920. He formed a partnership with his brother Isaac B. Potter in 1911.

Scope and Content

The collection contains the business papers of lawyers Charles F. and Isaac B. Potter, brothers who were legal and financial counselors with extensive business interests in Colorado, Nevada, Texas, Arizona, and California. The papers concentrate on several water and power companies in California, Arizona, and Nevada. Although more than half of the collection contains daily business correspondence, there are also various reports on geothermal power resources and water rights issues in California and in the Owens River Valley in particular. The collection also includes agreements, deeds, incorporation papers, mortgages, organizational records, property and title holdings, and surveys.

Several water and power companies represented in the collection include: Cain Irrigation Company, California-Nevada Canal, Water and Power Company, Deseret Water, Oil and Irrigation Company, Goleta Consolidated Mining Company, Hillside Water Company, Hydro Electric Company, Mono Power Company, Nevada-California Electric Corporation, Pacific Power Company, and Southern Sierras Power Company.

Arrangement

Arranged in 10 boxes in alphabetical order by company name with a few reports filed at the end. Several of the folders were assigned an identification number, and in order to preserve the original filing system, these numbers are included in parentheses following each folder title.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Huntington Library's Online Catalog.

Subjects

Potter, Charles F. (Charles Franklin), 1861- -- Archives.

Potter, Isaac B. -- Archives.

Cain Irrigation Company.

California-Nevada Canal, Water and Power Company.

Deseret Water, Oil and Irrigation Company.

Goleta Consolidated Mining Company.

Hillside Water Company.

Hydro Electric Company.

Mono Power Company.

Nevada-California Electric Corporation.

Pacific Power Company.

Southern Sierras Power Company.

Corporate lawyers -- United States -- Archives.

Energy development -- California.

Energy development -- West (U.S.)

Geothermal resources -- California.

Geothermal resources -- West (U.S.)

Land titles -- California.

Land titles -- West (U.S.)

Lawyers -- California -- Archives.

Power resources -- California.

Power resources -- West (U.S.)

Water resources development -- California.

Water resources development -- California -- Owens Valley.

Water rights -- California -- Owens Valley.

Water-supply -- California -- History -- Sources.

Arizona -- Economic conditions.

California -- Economic conditions.

Nevada -- Economic conditions.

West (U.S.) -- Economic conditions.

Forms/Genres

Business records -- West (U.S.)

Deeds -- West (U.S.)

Legal files -- West (U.S.)

Letters (correspondence) (West U.S.)

Professional papers -- California.

Property records -- West (U.S.)

Reports -- West (U.S.)

Surveys -- West (U.S.)

Additional Contributors

Potter, Isaac B.

Box 1

Cain Irrigation Company

Folder 1

Cain Irrigation Company (C. I. 217): Australian Lode mining claim, 1917-1919 (46 pieces)

Folder 2

Cain Irrigation Company (C. I. 213): Contract with Pacific Power Corporation, 1915-1926 (42 pieces)

Folder 3

Cain Irrigation Company (C. I. 211): First Mortgage, 1915 (2 pieces)

Folder 4

Cain Irrigation Company (C. I. 211): Mortgage and bond issue, Mar. 1915-July 1915 (82 pieces)

Folder 5

Cain Irrigation Company (C. I. 211): Mortgage and bond issue, Aug. 1915-Nov. 1924 (75 pieces)

Folder 6

Cain Irrigation Company (C. I. 210): Organization and records, Mar. 1915 (38 pieces)

Folder 7

Cain Irrigation Company (C. I. 210): Organization and records, Apr.-Sept. 1915 (52 pieces)

Folder 8

Cain Irrigation Company (C. I. 212): Properties and titles, Mar.-June 1915 (82 pieces)

Folder 9

Cain Irrigation Company (C. I. 212): Properties and titles, July 1915-Mar. 1916 (71 pieces)

Folder 10

Cain Irrigation Company (C. I. 212): Properties and titles, Apr. 1916-Feb. 1935 (54 pieces)

Box 2

Cain Irrigation Company (continued) - Coachella Valley Ice and Electric Company

Folder 1

Cain Irrigation Company (C. I. 214): Water rights, 1915-1933 (30 pieces)

Folder 2

California-Nevada Canal, Water and Power Company (196): Jan. 1910-May 1918 (95 pieces)

Folder 3

California-Nevada Canal, Water and Power Company (196): June 1918-Aug. 1920 (74 pieces)

Folder 4

California-Nevada Canal, Water and Power Company (196-B): Dissolutions, 1906-1924 (66 pieces)

Folder 5

California-Nevada Canal, Water and Power Company (C. I. 216): Purchase of properties, 1919-1939 (44 pieces)

Folder 6

California-Nevada Canal, Water and Power Company (196-A): Sale to Cain Irrigation Company 1906-1922 (72 pieces)

Folder 7

Central California Electric Corporation (C. C. 206): Bondholders and stockholders agreements of underlying companies, 1915 (35 pieces)

Folder 8

Central California Electric Corporation (C. C. 209): General, 1915-1917 (60 pieces)

Folder 9

Coachella Valley Ice and Electric Company: Articles of incorporation, 1921 (1 piece)

Box 3

Deseret Water, Oil and Irrigation Company - Hillside Water Company

Folder 1

Deseret Water, Oil and Irrigation Company (195): 1916-1928 (112 pieces)

Folder 2

Goleta Consolidated Mining Company (200): Dec. 1917-Dec. 1919 (90 pieces)

Folder 3

Goleta Consolidated Mining Company (200): Jan. 1920-July 1925 (90 pieces)

Folder 4

Hillside Water Company (170): Organization and records, 1914-1934 (23 pieces)

Folder 5

Hillside Water Company (172): Properties and titles, 1887-1909 (20 pieces)

Folder 6

Hillside Water Company (172): Properties and titles, 1910-1939 (20 pieces)

Folder 7

Hillside Water Company (173): Reservoir, 1909-1912 (17 pieces)

Box 4

Hillside Water Company (continued) - Mono Power Company

Folder 1

Hillside Water Company (173): Reservoir, 1913-1923 (10 pieces)

Folder 2

Hillside Water Company (173): Reservoir, 1924 (84 pieces)

Folder 3

Hillside Water Company (173): Reservoir, 1925-1932 (11 pieces)

Folder 4

Hydro Electric Company (198): 1917-1927 (101 pieces)

Folder 5

Interstate Telegraph Company (I. T. 183): Property and titles, 1914-1931 (24 pieces)

Folder 6

Mono County Irrigation Company (194): 1910-1923 (85 pieces)

Folder 7

Mono Power Company (143-A): Condemnation Suit - City of Los Angeles, 1913-1923 (41 pieces)

Box 5

Mono Power Company (continued)

Folder 1

Mono Power Company (143): Owens River power development, 1905-July 1919 (59 pieces)

Folder 2

Mono Power Company (143): Owens River power development, 1906-1937 (14 pieces)

Folder 3

Mono Power Company (143): Owens River power development, 1919-1920 (25 pieces)

Folder 4

Mono Power Company (143): Owens River power development, Aug. 1919-Dec. 1919 (50 pieces)

Folder 5

Mono Power Company (143): Owens River power development, Jan. 1920-Mar. 1920 (79 pieces)

Folder 6

Mono Power Company (143): Owens River power development, Apr. 1920-1927 (64 pieces)

Box 6

Nevada-California Electric Corporation

Folder 1

Nevada-California Electric Corporation: 1917-1921 (64 pieces)

Folder 2

[Nevada-California Electric Corporation]:Arizona power development (N. P. 123): 1917-1919 (45 pieces)

Folder 3

[Nevada-California Electric Corporation]: Colorado River Development (N. C. 109 ½): 1920-1931 (37 pieces)

Folder 4

Nevada-California Electric Corporation: Correspondence at New York in 1916 relating to first lien indenture and bond sales, 1916 (73 pieces)

Folder 5

Nevada-California Electric Corporation (169): General, 1915-1917 (114 pieces)

Folder 6

Nevada-California Electric Corporation (N. C. 109-A): General, 1921-1927 (59 pieces)

Folder 7

Nevada-California Electric Corporation (N. C. 109-A): General, 1928-1940 (58 pieces)

Folder 8

[Nevada-California Electric Corporation]: Grant Lake Reservoir (N. P. 125): 1913-1923 (59 pieces)

Box 7

Nevada-California Electric Corporation (continued) - Southern Sierras Power Company

Folder 1

Nevada-California Electric Corporation (107): Legislation, 1910-1924 (60 pieces)

Folder 2

Nevada-California Electric Corporation: Water rights controversy, 1905-1908 (16 pieces)

Folder 3

Pacific Power Company (199): 1910 (3 pieces)

Folder 4

Pacific Power Company (199): Apr. 1915-Aug. 1915 (68 pieces)

Folder 5

Pacific Power Company (199): Sept. 1915-1924 (43 pieces)

Folder 6

Sierras Construction Company (S. C. 159 ½): Dissolution, 1928-1929 (30 pieces)

Folder 7

Sierras Construction Company (S. C. 159): Organization and records, 1911-1928 (35 pieces)

Folder 8

Southern Sierras Power Company (S. S. 145): Big Pine Creek Water and Power Company, 1913-1923 (46 pieces)

Box 8

Southern Sierras Power Company (continued)

Folder 1

Southern Sierras Power Company (S. S. 146): Contracts with consumers, 1913-1930 (24 pieces)

Folder 2

Southern Sierras Power Company (S. S. 144): Cottonweed Creek water and power development, 1913-1918 (85 pieces)

Folder 3

Southern Sierras Power Company (S. S. 142): Fish slough project, 1906-1913 (66 pieces)

Folder 4

Southern Sierras Power Company (S. S. 142): Fish slough project, 1914 (45 pieces)

Folder 5

Southern Sierras Power Company (S. S. 142): Fish slough project, 1915-1921 (57 pieces)

Folder 6

Southern Sierras Power Company (S. S. 135): Franchises and water rights, 1916-1930 (7 pieces)

Folder 7

Southern Sierras Power Company (S. S. 134): Lower development Rush and Levining creeks, 1922-1923 (3 pieces)

Folder 8

Southern Sierras Power Company (S. S. 130): Organization and records, 1915-1928 (49 pieces)

Folder 9

Southern Sierras Power Company (S. S. 133): Property titles, lands and rights of way, 1914-1930 (88 pieces)

Box 9

Southern Sierras Power Company (continued)

Folder 1

Southern Sierras Power Company (S. S. 150): Purchase and lease of lands from Cain Irrigation Company, Feb. 1923-Apr. 1923 (47 pieces)

Folder 2

Southern Sierras Power Company (S. S. 150): Purchase and lease of lands from Cain Irrigation Company, May 1923-[Dec.] 1923 (27 pieces)

Folder 3

Southern Sierras Power Company (S. S. 150): Purchase and lease of lands from Cain Irrigation Company, 1926-1934 (28 pieces)

Folder 4

Southern Sierras Power Company (S. S. 148): Purchase of properties of Bishop, Corona, Rialto and Coachella companies, 1907-1917 (7 pieces)

Folder 5

Southern Sierras Power Company (S. S. 149): Purchase of properties of Bishop, Corona, Rialto and Coachella companies, Mar. 1917-Dec. 1917 (103 pieces)

Folder 6

Southern Sierras Power Company (S. S. 148): Purchase of properties of Bishop, Corona, Rialto and Coachella companies, 1918 (13 pieces)

Folder 7

Southern Sierras Power Company (S. S. 148): Purchase of properties of Bishop, Corona, Rialto and Coachella companies, 1918 (15 pieces)

Box 10

Southern Sierras Power Company (continued); Reports

Folder 1

Southern Sierras Power Company (S. S. 148-A): Purchase of properties of Bishop, Corona, Rialto and Coachella companies, Jan. 1918-Mar. 1918 (68 pieces)

Folder 2

Southern Sierras Power Company (S. S. 148-A): Purchase of properties of Bishop, Corona, Rialto and Coachella companies, Apr. 1918-1925 (89 pieces)

Folder 3

[Southern Sierras Power Company] (S. S. 147): Water and Power Act, 1922 (42 pieces)

Folder 4

Statement regarding steam wells at Geyser, Sonoma County, California, 1927 (1 piece)

Folder 5

Subterranean heat as a source of energy [Paper presented by L. P. Breckinridge at a meeting of the United Engineering Societies], 1925 (1 piece)

Folder 6

Supplemental report on an investigation of the use of natural steam for power generating purposes, 1925 (1 piece)

Folder 7

Valuation of water rights (A-432): 1912-1914 (11 pieces)