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