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Serrano Irrigation District Records
MS.R.079  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Access
  • Publication Rights
  • Preferred Citation
  • Acquisition Information
  • Custodial History
  • Processing History
  • Organizational History
  • Biographical/Historical note
  • Collection Scope and Content Summary
  • Collection Arrangement
  • Separation Note
  • Bibliography

  • Contributing Institution: Special Collections and Archives, University of California, Irvine Libraries
    Title: Serrano Irrigation District records
    Creator: Villa Park Mutual Water Company (Calif.)
    Creator: Santiago Well Company (Calif.)
    Creator: Lotspeich Water Association (Calif.)
    Creator: Serrano Irrigation District (Calif.)
    Creator: Cerro Villa Mutual Water Company (Calif.)
    Creator: Gray Tract Water Company (Calif.)
    Identifier/Call Number: MS.R.079
    Physical Description: 7 Linear Feet (15 boxes and 3 oversized folders)
    Date (inclusive): 1971-1973
    Abstract: This collection documents the history of the Serrano Irrigation District of Orange County California, now known as the Serrano Water District. It includes records from the various water associations and companies that served the Villa Park region and led to the establishment of the Serrano Irrigation District. Organizations represented include the Serrano Water Association, Lotspeich Water Association, Gray Tract Water Company, Gray Tract Well Association, Santiago Well Company, Cerro Villa Mutual Water Company, and the Villa Park Mutual Water Company.
    Language of Material: English .

    Access

    The collection is open for research.

    Publication Rights

    Property rights reside with the University of California. Intellectual property rights for materials not yet in the public domain are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or to publish, please contact the Head of Special Collections and Archives.

    Preferred Citation

    Serrano Irrigation District Records. MS-R079. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California. Date accessed.
    For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.

    Acquisition Information

    Gift of the Serrano Water District via Betty Collins Nichols, 1999.

    Custodial History

    in this collection are in the handwriting of F. H. Collins and F. D. Collins, and company checks bear their signatures. Water company meetings were held at the Collins' family ranch in Villa Park even after the company became the Serrano Irrigation District and moved its offices to Lincoln Street in Villa Park, California. The Serrano Irrigation District, now called the Serrano Water District, left the records in the care and custody of the Collins family.

    Processing History

    Processed Cyndi Shein, 2007.

    Organizational History

    The Serrano Irrigation District in Orange County, California developed out of a consolidation of several water companies and associations established as early as the 1870s. These mutual irrigation organizations were privately owned by ranchers and farmers in the Villa Park, California area. In 1927 the Serrano Water Association, the John T. Carpenter Water Company, and the Irvine Company agreed to form the Serrano Irrigation District as a public corporation under the Irrigation Districts Act of the State of California. This enabled the district to hold elections to establish bonds to finance their share of the construction of the Santiago Dam. At this time, the assets of the Serrano Water Association, which included landowners from both the Gray Tract and Lotspeich Tract, were assigned to the Serrano Irrigation District.
    In 1928 the Villa Park Mutual Water Company absorbed the consolidated Gray Tract Well Company, Cerro Villa Mutual Water Company, and the Santiago Well Company. Beginning in 1956, the Serrano Irrigation District agreed to carry out all of the functions of the Villa Park Mutual Water Company. In 1963 the Villa Park Mutual Water Company was officially dissolved, and the Serrano Irrigation District agreed to continue furnishing water to the shareholders of the Villa Park Mutual Water Company. As irrigation decreased and urbanization increased in the 1960s, the Serrano Irrigation District built a filtering plant and additional reservoirs to facilitate the use of water received from the Irvine Lake.
    The Serrano Irrigation District is now called the Serrano Water District and is an independent governmental body serving the city of Villa Park and a small portion of the city of Orange.

    Biographical/Historical note

    Chronology

    1870s Serrano Water Association began operations.
    1907 Gray Tract Water Company was established.
    1910 Serrano Water Association adopted articles of association specifying that it was an "association" rather than a corporation.
    1912 Gray Tract Well Company was established.
    1914 Serrano Water Association members signed petition to oppose becoming a corporation.
    1915 Lotspeich Water Association was established.
    1918 Santiago Well Company was established.
    1927 July 25 Serrano Irrigation District was incorporated.
    1928 Villa Park Mutual Water Company absorbed the consolidated Gray Tract Well Company, Cerro Villa Mutual Water Company, and the Santiago Well Company.
    1931 First domestic water system of Villa Park was funded in 1931 after the residents approved a bond issue to provide water service to one house on each ten acres.
      Santiago Dam and Reservoir (Irvine Lake) was completed.
    1956 Serrano Irrigation District agreed to assume all the functions of the Villa Park Mutual Water Company.
    1963 Villa Park Mutual Water Company was dissolved. Serrano Irrigation District agreed to continue furnishing water to the Villa Park Mutual Water Company shareholders.

    Collection Scope and Content Summary

    This collection documents the history of the Serrano Irrigation District of Orange County California, now known as the Serrano Water District. It includes records from the various water associations and companies that served the Villa Park region and led to the establishment of the Serrano Irrigation District. Organizations represented include the Serrano Water Association, Lotspeich Water Association, Gray Tract Water Company, Gray Tract Well Association, Santiago Well Company, Cerro Villa Mutual Water Company, and the Villa Park Mutual Water Company. The records include annual statements, by-laws, articles of association, ledgers, ballots and voting results, check registers, correspondence, agreements, stock certificates, water studies, photographs, and deeds.

    Collection Arrangement

    This collection is arranged in six series.
    • Series 1. Serrano Irrigation District records, 1871-1973. 2.7 linear feet
    • Series 2. Serrano Water Association records,1890-1931. 1 linear foot
    • Series 3. Gray Tract Water Association records, 1907-1923. 0.4 linear feet
    • Series 4. Gray Tract Well Company records, 1912-1931. 1.5 linear feet
    • Series 5. Lotspeich Water Association records, 1915-1929. 0.6 linear feet
    • Series 6. Santiago Well Company records, 1918-1937. 0.8 linear feet

    Separation Note

    Several government publications were removed from this collection and cataloged separately in Special Collections and Archives.
    Serrano Water District. "Welcome to Serrano Water District." California: Serrano Water District. http://www.serranowater.org/ (accessed November 28, 2007).

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Maps -- California -- Irvine -- 20th century.
    Photographic prints -- California -- Orange County -- 20th century.
    Villa Park (Calif.) -- History
    Account books -- 20th century.
    Account books -- 19th century.
    Water supply -- California -- Orange County -- History -- Sources
    Water districts -- California -- Orange County -- History -- Sources.
    Santiago Dam (Calif.) -- History.
    Villa Park Mutual Water Company (Calif.) -- Archives
    Serrano Water District (Calif.) -- History
    Cerro Villa Mutual Water Company (Calif.) -- Archives
    Gray Tract Water Association (Calif.) -- Archives
    Serrano Irrigation District (Calif.) -- Archives
    Santiago Well Company (Calif.) -- Archives
    Lotspeich Water Association (Calif.) -- Archives