Finding aid to the William Hammond Hall collection of photographs on irrigation and hydrology in California PC 036

Jaime Henderson

California Historical Society

June 2018

678 Mission Street

San Francisco, CA 94105

reference@calhist.org

URL: http://californiahistoricalsociety.org/

Language of Material: English

Contributing Institution: California Historical Society

Title: William Hammond Hall collection of photographs on irrigation and hydrology in California

Creator: Fryett, F.C.

Creator: Hall, Wm. Ham. (William Hammond)

Creator: Mathews, H.E.

Creator: Parker Photo

Creator: Rhea Brothers

Creator: San Diego View Company

Creator: Waite, C.B. (Charles Betts), 1861-1927

Creator: Watkins, Carleton E., 1829-1916

Creator: Wesner, H.B.

Identifier/Call Number: PC 036

Physical Description: 4.06 Linear Feet 1 half legal document box; 1 legal document box; 2 flat boxes

Date (inclusive): 1868-1917

Abstract: Consists of photographs depicting irrigation and water projects throughout California and other western locations collected by William Hammond Hall. The photographs were probably collected while Hall acted as California's first State Engineer (1878-1888) and while he worked in the private sector as a civil engineer. The photographs span the years 1868 to 1917 and depict various water projects throughout California. The photographs comprise a variety of formats including albumen silver prints; gelatin silver print; and cyanotype. Photographers represented in the collection include Carleton E. Watkins; H.B. Wesner; H.E. Mathews; C.B. Waite; Rhea Brothers; San Diego View Company; Parker Photo (Francis Parker) and F.C. Fryett.

Language of Material: Collection materials are in English.

Scope and Contents

Consists of photographs depicting irrigation and water projects throughout California and other western locations collected by William Hammond Hall. The photographs were probably collected while Hall acted as California's first State Engineer (1878-1888) and while he worked in the private sector as a civil engineer. While the State Engineer, Hall developed the first state-wide water resource plan and he continued to work on irrigation and hydroelectric projects throughout his life. The photographs span the years 1868 to 1917 and depict various water projects including the Golden Gate Dam on the Feather River in Butte County; agriculture and irrigation projects in Kern County; the flooding of the New River (San Gabriel River) in Los Angeles County; the Yuba Dam in Bear Valley, Nevada County; the Donner Dam and Lake in Donner Valley, Nevada County; the Mill Dam and Truckee River in Nevada County; the Yuba River in Placer County; the Lake Hemet Dam in Riverside County; the Bear Valley Dam in San Bernardino; the San Diego Flume and Sweetwater Dam in San Diego County; construction of the Santa Ana Canal by the Bear Valley Irrigation Company in San Bernardino County; and other unidentified water and irrigation projects in unidentified locations. The collection also contains three panoramas, a six plate panorama showing the city of Redlands looking east toward the San Bernardino Mountains; a two plate panorama showing a reflecting pool and garden in Redlands; and finally a six plate panorama showing the Santa Ana Canal in San Bernardino County. The photographs comprise a variety of formats including albumen silver prints; gelatin silver print;and cyanotype. Photographers represented in the collection include Carleton E. Watkins; H.B. Wesner; H.E. Mathews; C.B. Waite; Rhea Brothers; San Diego View Company; Parker Photo (Francis Parker) and F.C. Fryett. Most photographs have stamp on back that reads: Collection of William Hammond Hall, C.E., San Francisco, California, 1846-1934.

Biographical / Historical

William Hammond Hall was born in Hagerstown, Maryland in 1846. He joined the Army Corps of Engineers in 1865 as a draftsman, but later worked in Oregon and California preparing topographical surveys. In 1870 he was commissioned by the San Francisco Park Commission to prepare a topographical survey for what would become Golden Gate Park. He was then commissioned to design the park and became the park's superintendent in 1871. Hall resigned from the position in 1876, but continued to serve as Consulting Engineer to the San Francisco Park Commission. In 1878 Hall became California's first State Engineer. He developed the first state-wide water resource plan. He served until 1888. In 1890 Hall entered the private sector as a civil engineer, where he continued to work on hydroelectric and irrigation projects. He died in San Francisco in 1934.

Conditions Governing Access

CHS is not taking appointments for research at this time. Please check the Library's website updates: https://californiahistoricalsociety.org/collections/north-baker-research-library/

Conditions Governing Use

Materials in this collection, which were created in 1868-1917, are in the public domain in the United States. Permission to publish or reproduce is not required.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Materials found in collection; provenance is unknown.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item, date]; William Hammond Hall collection of photographs on irrigation and hydrology in California, PC 036; [box number, folder number]; California Historical Society.

Related Materials

William Hammond Hall Papers, 1878-1914 (MS 913) William Hammond Hall letter books, 1870-1883 (MS 914) William Hammond Hall Papers and Scrapbooks, 1873-1911 (MS 915)

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Agriculture -- California -- Pictorial works

Albumen prints

Aqueducts -- California -- Pictorial works

Butte County (Calif.) -- Pictorial works

Cyanotypes

Dams -- California -- Pictorial works

Donner Lake (Calif.) -- Pictorial works

Feather River (Calif.) -- Pictorial works

Floods -- Los Angeles County (Calif.) -- Pictorial works

Flumes -- California -- Pictorial works

Gelatin silver prints

Irrigation -- California -- Pictorial works

Juab County (Utah) -- Pictorial works

Kern County (Calif.) -- Pictorial works

Kern River (Calif.) -- Pictorial works

Lake Hemet (Calif.) -- Pictorial works

Los Angeles County (Calif.) -- Pictorial works

Nevada County (Calif.)

Panoramic photographs

Photographic prints

Placer County (Calif.) -- Pictorial works

Riverside County (Calif.) -- Pictorial works

Redlands (Calif.) -- Pictorial works

San Bernardino County (Calif.) -- Pictorial works

San Bernardino Mountains (Calif.) -- Pictorial works

San Diego County (Calif.) -- Pictorial works

San Gabriel River (Calif.) -- Pictorial works

Santa Ana Canal (Calif.) -- Pictorial works

Sweetwater Dam (Calif.) -- Pictorial works

Truckee (Calif.) -- Pictorial works

Truckee River (Calif. and Nev.) -- Pictorial works

Yuba River (Calif.) -- Pictorial works

Bear Valley Irrigation Company

Mt. Nebo Land and Irrigation Company

Lake Hemet Water Company

Box 1, Folder 1

Golden Gate Dam, Feather River, Butte County, California

Physical Description: 1 folder

Scope and Contents

Contain two photographs, most likely taken by Carleton E. Watkins in 1891. See Peter E. Palmquist's "Carleton E. Watkins: Photographer of the American West," pg. 80.

Box 1, Folder 2

Kern County, California

Physical Description: 1 folder

Scope and Contents

The photographs in this folder were taken by Carleton E. Watkins. The photographs are untitled, except for two images. The first is titled: View up the Kern River from the bluff along the water gates, Kern County, 1881. The second is titled: Calloway Canal, head hage and weir, the Kern River, kern County, 1881.

Box 1, Folder 3

New River (San Gabriel River) flooding, Los Angeles County, California

Physical Description: 1 folder

Scope and Contents

Contains a photograph taken by H.B. Wesner, depicting railroad tracks destroyed by flooding in Los Angeles County in 1868.

Box 1, Folders 4-5

Bear Valley, Nevada County, California

Physical Description: 2 folders

Scope and Contents

Contains photographs documenting water projects on the Yuba River in Bear Valley, Nevada County. The Yuba Dam and Yuba Flume are pictured in photographs dated 1884 July 28. Other photographs show Bear Valley on 1917 June 16. One photograph labeled: "Bear Valley site of one of the first Pacific Gas and Electric drum dams."

Box 1, Folder 6

Donner Lake and Donner Valley, Nevada County, California

Physical Description: 1 folder

Scope and Contents

Contains cyanotype photographs taken by H.E. Mathews. Photographs depict Donner Lake, the Donner Dam, a natural dam in Donner Valley, a panorama of Donner Lake (contains four plates, but some plates appear to be missing) and another panorama of a natural dam (contains only one plate, second plate appears to be missing). Photographs have been incorrectly labeled "Placer County." Donner Lake is in Nevada County.

Box 1, Folder 7

Truckee, Nevada County, California

Physical Description: 1 folder

Scope and Contents

Contains cyanotype photographs taken by H.E. Mathews in and around Truckee, including the Truckee River, Camp Dutton, Mill Dam, Truckee Bench, Truckee Dam site, Truckee Mill, Truckee Ice Valley. Only one photograph is dated, August 1889.

Box 1, Folder 8

Placer County, California

Physical Description: 1 folder

Scope and Contents

Contains photographs of Yosemite station and snowsheds; and the Yuba River near Summit and Cisco taken in 1917 June 17.

Box 1, Folder 9

Lake Hemet Dam, Riverside County, California

Physical Description: 1 folder

Scope and Contents

Contains photographs showing the construction of the Lake Hemet Dam in Riverside County. The photographs were taken by C.B. Waite around 1895. Photographs are labled San Diego County, but Lake Hemet and the Lake Hemet Dam are located in Riverside County.

Box 1, Folder 10

Bear Valley Dam, San Bernardino County, Califorina

Physical Description: 1 folder

Box 1, Folder 11

San Diego flume, San Diego County, California

Physical Description: 1 folder

Scope and Contents

Contains photographs of the construction of the San Diego flume taken by the Rhea Brothers and the San Diego View Company in 1886-1888. Some images show Chocolate Creek and Sand Creek Trestle.

Box 1, Folder 12

Sweetwater Dam, San Diego County, California

Physical Description: 1 folder

Scope and Contents

Contains photographs of the construction of the Sweetwater Dam in San Diego County. Photographs taken by Parker Photo in 1889 March 17.

Box 1, Folder 13

Mount Nebo Dam, Currant Creek, Mona, Juab County, Utah

Physical Description: 1 folder

Scope and Contents

Contains photographs showing the construction of the Mount Nebo Dam in Mona, Utah. Photographs are labeled with descriptions of the work depicted in the image. Construction by the Mount Nebo Irrigation Company, O.R. Young, Chief Engineer.

Box 2, Folder 1

Irrigation for agricultural projects, unidentified locations

Physical Description: 1 folder

Box 2, Folder 2-3

Unidentified water projects, unidentified locations

Physical Description: 2 folders

Box 3, Folders 1-6

Redlands, San Bernardino County, California

Physical Description: 6 folders

Scope and Contents

Contains six 41 x 33 cm. photographic prints mounted on cardstock. Four prints make up a panorama of Redlands, California, looking towards the San Bernardino Mountains. Two prints make up a panorama of a reflecting pool and gardens in Redlands. Photographs were taken by F.C. Fryett of Redlands, California.

Box 4

Santa Ana Canal, San Bernardino County, California

Physical Description: 8 folders

Scope and Contents

Contains cyanotype photographic prints, measuring 43 x 35.5 cm. Photographs show the construction of the Santa Ana Canal in San Bernardino County, California, circa 1895. The canal was built by the Bear Valley Irrigation Company and William Hammond Hall acted as Chief Engineer and General Superindendent of the project. Includes a six plate panorama of the Santa Ana Canal running through the San Bernardino Mountains.