John L. Bacon papers
Finding aid prepared by Special Collections Processing Archivist Andrew Lippert
Special Collections & University Archives
The UCR Library
P.O. Box 5900
University of California
Riverside, California 92517-5900
Phone: 951-827-3233
Fax: 951-827-4673
Email: specialcollections@ucr.edu
URL: http://library.ucr.edu/libraries/special-collections-university-archives
© October 2023
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: John L. Bacon papers
Date (inclusive): 1906-1952
Date (inclusive): bulk: 1927-1932
Collection Number: WRCA 266
Creator:
Bacon, John L., 1878-1961
Extent:
3.3 linear feet
(3 boxes)
Repository:
Rivera Library. Special Collections Department.
Abstract: Materials in this collection are from John L. Bacon and are related to his work on the Colorado River Commission, the Boulder
dam (aka Hoover dam) project, water supply for California, division of Colorado River water within California, and affiliated
matters. The collection includes extensive correspondence with individuals involved in the Boulder dam project.
Languages: English
Access
This collection is open for research.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in the original order in which it was found at the time of processing. Many of the folders had
original folder numbers on them; these have been preserved in the current folder titles by a number within parenthesis. All
folder titles are copied from the original folder unless noted otherwise.
Biographical note
John L. Bacon (1878-1961) was the Mayor of San Diego from 1921-1927. He also served as the president of the Boulder Dam Association,
promoting the construction of the Boulder dam (aka Hoover dam) and as the Chairman for the Colorado River Commission.
Preferred Citation
[identification of item], [date if possible]. John L. Bacon papers (WRCA 266). Water Resources Collections and Archives. Special
Collections & University Archives, University of California, Riverside.
Related Materials
Content Description
The John L. Bacon papers include correspondence, finances, pamphlets, newspaper clippings, maps, published materials from
the United States Congress, and other materials related to Bacon's work on the Colorado River Commission and the Boulder dam
(aka Hoover dam) project. Other figures he worked and corresponded with include Elwood Mead, Charles B. Ward, John W. Ross,
S. C. Evans, Col. William J. Donovan, Congressman Phil D. Swing, Earl C. Pound, F. H. McIver, W. B. Mathews, Ray L. Riley,
and Francis C. Wilson, among others. Several notable entities and organizations represented within the collection include
U.S. Congress, Federal Bureau of Reclamation, Colorado River Commission, Imperial Irrigation District, and Coachella Valley.
Publication Rights
Copyright Unknown: Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction,
and/or commercial use, of some materials may be restricted by gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and
publicity rights, licensing agreement(s), and/or trademark rights. Distribution or reproduction of materials protected by
copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. To the extent other restrictions
apply, permission for distribution or reproduction from the applicable rights holder is also required. Responsibility for
obtaining permissions, and for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the
library's online public access catalog.
Subjects
Mead, Elwood, 1858-1936
Ward, Charles B.
Donovan, William J., Colonel
Swing, Philip David, 1884-1963
Johnson, Hiram W., 1866-1945
Wilson, Francis Cushman, 1876-1952
Hoover Dam (Ariz. and Nev.)
Colorado River (Colo.-Mexico)
Colorado River Watershed (Colo.-Mexico)
Colorado River (Colo.-Mexico) -- Water rights
Box 1, Folder 1
Bacon Files - Important References
undated
Processing note
No original title on this folder
Box 1, Folder 2
Bacon collection indices
undated
Scope and Contents
Indices created at a prior point, likely for Bacon's own use and reference. Indices are for pamphlets, correspondence, and
cabinet files.
Processing note
No original title on this folder
Box 1, Folder 3
Agreement on California Division of Water from Colorado River
1930
Processing note
No original title on this folder
Box 1, Folder 4
(1) Arizona Commission - Correspondence
1927-1931
Box 1, Folder 5, Flat-File-Folder 01
(2) Arizona - General Data - Copy of Norviel Letter re: III(b) Water
1928-1931
Box 1, Folder 6
(3) Bibliography
1926-1930
Box 1, Folder 7
(4) Boulder Canyon Finances
1927-1929
Box 1, Folders 8-9
(5) Boulder Canyon Project Pamphlets - Copies Distributed
1930-1932
Scope and Contents
Includes correspondence requesting copies of reports
Box 1, Folders 10-11, Flat-File-Folder 02
(6) Boulder Dam Association
1923-1932
Box 1, Folder 12, Flat-File-Folder 03
(7) Boulder Dam Celebration - Las Vegas 1930
1930
Box 1, Folder 13, Flat-File-Folder 04
(8) Boulder Dam correspondence
1927-1930
Bulk: 1929
Box 1, Folder 14, Flat-File-Folder 05
(9) Boulder Dam - General Data
1929-1931
Box 1, Folder 15
California Claim to a Reservation of Water
1925
Scope and Contents
Letter from San Diego Mayor John Bacon to Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover.
Box 1, Folder 16
(10) California (State) - General
1931-1932
Box 1, Folder 17
(11) California Commission Correspondence
1929-1931
Box 1, Folder 18
(12) California Intra-State Agreements & Conference
1931
Box 1, Folder 19
(13) California Projects - Lands to be irrigated by All-American Canal & Boulder Canyon Project
1930-1931
Box 1, Folders 21-22
(15) Colorado River Commission - Finances & Expense Account
1927-1931
Flat-File-Folder 06
(16) Colorado River Commission - Report of Exam. of Books & Records
1930-1931
Box 1, Folder 23
(17) Conference - 1925
1925
Box 1, Folder 24
(18) Conference - Denver
1927
Box 1, Folder 25
(19) Conference - Ely (re: contracts)
1930
Box 1, Folder 26
(20) Conference - Los Angeles, Van Norden
1929-1930
Box 1, Folder 27
(21) Conferences - Santa Fe
1929
Box 1, Folder 28
(22) Conference Washington, 1929 (Donovan)
1929-1930
Box 1, Folder 29
(23) Documents - Office File
1950
Scope and Contents
This folder was empty aside from the single sheet of paper dated to 1950. The paper says "These pamphlets were removed and
cataloged." It is unclear where these pamphlets went.
Box 1, Folder 30
(24) Wm. J. Donovan, Correspondence
1929-1930
Box 2, Folder 1
(25) Expenses & Per Diem - Commission
1929-1930
Box 2, Folder 2
(26) Finance - State
1929-1931
Box 2, Folder 3
(27) General Data - Congressional Record 1923 & Excerpts, Weymouth Report
1924, 1927-1931
Box 2, Folder 4
(28) General Notes
1926-1929
Box 2, Folder 5
(29) Imperial Irrigation District
1927-1931
Box 2, Folder 6
(30) International Water Rights
undated
Box 2, Folder 7
(31) Lands - Colorado River - General
undated
Box 2, Folder 9
(33) Los Angeles City - General
1924-1930
Box 2, Folder 10
(34) Los Angeles City - Public Releases to Press
1929-1931
Box 2, Folder 11
(35 Los Angeles Conference - California Interests
1930
Box 2, Folder 12, Flat-File-Folder 07, Flat-File-Folder 08, Flat-File-Folder 09
(36) Maps and Photographs
1906-1934
Scope and Contents
Folder includes 2 photos of early Hoover/Boulder dam construction as well as a variety of maps and oversized pamphlets pertaining
to the following: Merced Irrigation District, Barrett Dam, Lower Colorado River, All-American Canal, Salton Sink, Portland,
OR; and the Columbia River, California Lands and Water Requirements (cyanotype).
Box 2, Folder 13
(37) Mead - Boulder Dam policies
1929-1931
Box 2, Folder 14
(38) Metropolitan Water District
1929-1931
Box 2, Folder 15
(39) Mexican Conference and Data
1929
Box 2, Folder 17
(41) Miscellaneous Correspondence
1930-1932
Box 2, Folder 19, Flat-File-Folder 10
(43) Newspaper Clippings re: Boulder Canyon Project
1930
Box 2, Folder 20
(44) Office Equipment & Supplies
1929-1931
Box 2, Folders 21-22
(45) Pamphlets - Boulder Dam
1919-1932
Box 2, Folder 23
(46) Pasadena Meeting
1931
Box 2, Folder 25
(48) Personal (Bacon)
1931
Scope and Contents
File includes correspondence and materials related to the Rotary Club of San Diego and the Salvation Army.
Box 2, Folder 26
(49) Phoenix Meeting
1930
Scope and Contents
File includes reports and summaries
Box 2, Folder 27
(50) Power Costs and Data
1928-1930
Box 2, Folder 28, Flat-File-Folder 11
(51) Reno Conference
1930
Box 2, Folder 29
(52) Reports on Boulder Canyon Project & All-American Canal
1924 & 1930
Box 2, Folder 31
(54) Rolph, Governor James, Jr.
1931
Box 2, Folder 32
(55) Scattergood Correspondence
1929-1930
Box 2, Folder 33
(56) Swing, Phil D. - Correspondence
1929-1931
Box 2, Folder 34
United States Rights - Indian Rights
1926
Processing note
This folder title is copied exactly from the original folder as it was labelled by Bacon.
Box 3, Folder 1
(57) U.S. Contracts with Metropolitan Water District
1930
Box 3, Folder 2
(58) Upper Basin States - Correspondence
1929-1930
Scope and Contents
Folder includes correspondence with Francis C. Wilson, representative from New Mexico to the Colorado River Commission.
Box 3, Folder 3, Flat-File-Folder 12
Box 3, Folder 4
Use of Surplus to 1963
1926
Box 3, Folder 5, Flat-File-Folder 13
(60) Washington, D. C. - May & June, 1930 - memos, etc
1930
Box 3, Folder 6
(61) Water - California - Priorities
1925 & 1930
Box 3, Folder 7, Flat-File-Folder 14
(62) Water - Colorado River - General
1922-1930
Scope and Contents
See flat file folder for design diagram of Hoover/Boulder dam
Box 3, Folder 8
(63) Water - Quality of - Salt
1925-1932
Box 3, Folder 9
(64) Wilbur, Hon. Ray Lyman
1929-1930
Box 3, Folder 10
Inventories of materials Received by the late Senator Hiram W. Johnson's Office. Compiled 4-19-47 by E. A. Lowith.
1947
Box 3, Folder 11
Hiram Johnson Remarks in US. Senate, June 4, 1924
undated
Processing note
No original title on this folder
Box 3, Folder 12
Congressional materials
undated
Processing note
The materials in this folder were like materials that were loose in the third box and brought together into a single folder.
Scope and Contents
Folder includes copies of
Congressional Record and Senate Bill S.395
Box 3, Folder 13
Hearing Before the Committee on Irrigation and Reclamation of the United States Senate on the Boulder Canyon Dam Project
1925
Processing note
No original title on this folder
Box 3, Folder 14
Reciprocal Trade Agreement Speech by Sen Hiram W. Johnson and Congressional Records - Issues May 9, 1934 and June 1, 1936
undated
Processing note
No original title on this folder
Box 3, Folder 15
Congressional Record 1952
1952 (?)
Processing note
No original title on this folder
Box 3, Folders 16-17
Assorted Statements, Reports, Memoranda, etc
1944-1945
Processing note
No original title on this folder
Scope and Contents
Folder contains assorted materials reltaed to the U.S. Congress, Central Valley Project, and Bureau of Reclamation. Some materials
credited to Raymond Mathew and Henry Holsinger.
Box 3, Folder 18
Index: Second Swing-Johnson Bill - Hearings Before the House Committee on Irrigation and Reclamation
undated
Processing note
No original title on this folder
Box 3, Folder 19
75th Congress
1937-1938 & 1949
Scope and Contents
Folder includes scrapbook of newspapers clippings from 1949
