Eugene Clyde La Rue Papers: Finding Aid mssLa Rue papers

Processed by The Huntington Library staff; supplementary encoding and revision supplied by Brooke Dykman Dockter and Diann Benti.

The Huntington Library

2000

1151 Oxford Road

San Marino, California 91108

Business Number: (626) 405-2191

reference@huntington.org

URL: http://www.huntington.org

Note

Finding aid last updated on August 1, 2023 by Kelly Kress.

Contributing Institution: The Huntington Library

Title: Eugene Clyde La Rue Papers

Identifier/Call Number: mssLa Rue papers

Physical Description: 27.51 Linear Feet (36 boxes)

Date (inclusive): 1909-1949

Abstract: This collection consists of papers and 876 maps of Southern California hydraulic engineer Eugene C. La Rue (1879-1947) related to irrigation projects in the western United States, as well as diaries of La Rue's Colorado River trips from 1921, 1922, and 1924.

Language of Material: English.

Conditions Governing Access

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information

Conditions Governing Use

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]. Eugene Clyde La Rue Papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Mrs. E. C. La Rue, 1950-1955.

5 boxes of addenda were added January 25, 1972.

Separated Materials

Photographs Transferred to the Photograph Department (photCL 136)

I. Photographs
A. Stereos - 65 (2 boxes: one of pictures, one of negatives)
B. Folders (7)
1. 1910s (58 pictures, including 10 of the Snake River in 1905 and 2 of Idaho in 1906)
2. 1920s (84 pictures, including 1925 winter scenes, 1921 views of Boulder Canyon, 18 pictures of a pump belt drive [1926], and views of the Lafayette Dam in 1928)
3. 1930s (72 pictures, including 15 of Owens Valley in 1931, ten of the March 2, 1938, Altadena Flood, and 17 of the lower Colorado River in 1938)
4. 1940s (20 pictures)
5. No Date (229 pictures)
6. No Date (80 pictures)
7. (Addition) Photo collection of Lewis R. Freeman (33)
C. Small Envelopes (4)
1. Colorado River (ca. 20)
2. Modoc Lava Beds - Tule Lake outlet test pits, June 1920(16)
3. Miscellaneous (14)
4. Miscellaneous (18 - found in envelope with daily weather maps, dated November 25-27, 1926)
D. Large Envelopes (3) - Folder 1 (11); Folder 2 (95); Folder 3 (3).
II. Negatives
A. Small envelopes (5) Includes an envelope containing negatives of 1921 pictures and an envelope containing negatives of Powell's second expedition.
B. Large envelope

Biographical / Historical

Eugene Clyde La Rue (1879-1947), a Los Angeles hydraulic engineer, was born in Riverside, California, and graduated from the University of California in 1904. He was employed by the U.S. Geological Survey making field examinations for power sites and reporting on irrigation projects, first as district engineer for the Great Basin District headquartered in Salt Lake City (1907-11), and then in the Water Resources Branch (1911-27). After this time La Rue entered a private civil engineering partnership in Los Angeles.

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of letters and documents (including 8 volumes) and 876 maps related to irrigation projects in the western United States. There are correspondence, reports, etc. regarding Colorado River projects (including the Colorado River-Los Angeles Gravity Flow Aqueduct); the Klamath Lake Project in Oregon; the Merced Irrigation District in California; the San Juan River, Little Colorado, and Verde projects in Arizona; and many others. Of note in the collection are diaries of La Rue's Colorado River trips from 1921, 1922, and 1924, and maps of western areas.

Arrangement

Arranged in the following 5 series:

Correspondence
Reports, etc., relating to various hydraulic engineering projects
Biographical information, trips, and personal and business papers
Maps
Addendum - Reports

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Aqueducts -- California

Aqueducts -- West (U.S.)

Hydraulic engineers -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archives

Hydraulic engineers -- Colorado River Watershed (Colo.-Mexico) -- Archives

Hydraulic engineers -- West (U.S.) -- Archives

Irrigation -- California, Southern

Irrigation -- Colorado River Watershed (Colo.-Mexico)

Irrigation -- West (U.S.)

Irrigation engineering -- California, Southern

Irrigation engineering -- Colorado River Watershed (Colo.-Mexico)

Irrigation engineering -- West (U.S.)

Irrigation engineers -- California -- Archives

Irrigation engineers -- West (U.S.)

Water resources development -- California, Southern

Water resources development -- Colorado River Watershed (Colo.-Mexico)

Water resources development -- West (U.S.)

Arizona -- Maps

California -- Maps

Colorado -- Maps

Colorado River (Colo.-Mexico) -- Maps

Colorado River Watershed (Colo.-Mexico) -- Maps

Idaho -- Maps

Los Angeles (Calif.) -- Maps

Los Angeles County (Calif.) -- Maps

Montana -- Maps

New Mexico -- Maps

Oregon -- Maps

Utah -- Maps

Washington (State) -- Maps

Letters (correspondence) -- West (U.S.) -- 20th century

Maps -- West (U.S.) -- 20th century

Correspondence

Box 1

Correspondence, 1909-1922

Box 2

Correspondence, 1923-1928

Box 3

Correspondence, 1929-1949

Reports, etc., relating to various hydraulic engineering projects

Box 4

Colorado River Projects (general)

Colorado River Basin (general material). 1921-1927

Physical Description: 27 pieces

Colorado River Compact & Commission. 1921-1928

Physical Description: 8 pieces

Colorado River-Los Angeles Gravity Flow Aqueduct. 1928-1941

Physical Description: 33 pieces

Box 5

Colorado River Projects

Boulder Canyon. 1921-1928

Physical Description: 3 pieces

Glen Canyon. 1922

Physical Description: 28 pieces

Lower Colorado River Development. 1921-1924

Physical Description: 11 pieces

Lee's Ferry (Diamond core drilling). 1923-1938

Physical Description: 15 pieces

Marble Gorge. 1927

Physical Description: 3 pieces

Other projects (listed geographically)

Box 6

Arizona

Report for Arizona Engineering Commission on Reconnaissance Investigation of Arizona Land Irrigable from the Colorado River. 1922-1923

Physical Description: 12 pieces

Buttes Reservoir and Irrigation Project. 1928

Physical Description: 3 pieces

Date Creek. 1932

Physical Description: 3 pieces

Hassayampa River. 1938

Physical Description: 1 piece

San Juan River. 1915-1926

Physical Description: 18 pieces

Box 7

Arizona (continued)

Little Colorado and Verde River Project for United Verde Copper Co. 1917-1929

Physical Description: 24 pieces

Salt River Project. 1929

Physical Description: 7 pieces

Santa Cruz and Sonoita Rivers. 1937

Physical Description: 1 piece

Virgin River Project

Physical Description: 1 piece

Box 8

California

Los Angeles County, miscellaneous reports, etc. 1927-1936

Physical Description: 5 pieces

Merced Irrigation District. 1920-1921

Physical Description: 15 pieces

Owens Valley. 1930

Physical Description: 6 pieces

Pit River and Fall River Projects. 1912 & 1920

Physical Description: 2 pieces

Santa Maria River. 1937

Physical Description: 2 pieces

Ventura River. 1938

Physical Description: 1 piece

Box 9

Colorado-Utah, Monticello Wheat Lands, Mexico

Colorado - Arkansas River Valley Project. 1913

Physical Description: 1 piece

Idaho - Minidoka Power Plant. 1908-1911

Physical Description: 7 pieces

Oregon - Klamath Lake Projects. 1906-1920

Physical Description: 30 pieces

Utah - Power Resources for Salt Lake City, etc. 1914

Physical Description: 1 piece

Monticello Wheat Lands. 1917

Physical Description: 1 piece

Mexico - Nogales (Sonora) Project. 1931

Physical Description: 1 piece

Biographical information, trips, and personal and business papers

Box 10

Biographical information and trips

Biographical information including lists of trips.

Physical Description: 8 pieces

trip - Sellew's reports. 1914

Physical Description: 2 pieces

Trip - Cataract Canyon diary and related material. 1921

Physical Description: 5 pieces

Trip - Accounts and bills, correspondence [2 volumes and 3 letters]. 1922

Physical Description: 50 pieces

Trip - Grand Canyon diary (typewritten copy) & maps. 1923

Physical Description: 6 pieces

Trip - Lower Grand Canyon to Needles, diary of Colorado River Dam Site Investigation (typewritten copy); report by H. W. Dennis; accounts. 1924

Physical Description: 10 pieces

Trip - Bray-Pathe trip, notes of Valentine Woodbury, list of pictures, account book, etc. 1927

Physical Description: 7 pieces

Trip - Diamond Creek to Boulder Dam, accounts. 1935

Physical Description: 4 pieces

Box 11

Personal and business papers; Account books; Notebooks

Personal and business papers. 1907-1935

Physical Description: 17 pieces

Account books.

Physical Description: 2 pieces

Notebooks.

Physical Description: 6 pieces

Box 35

Scrapbooks and profiles 1907-1935

Box 36

Scrapbooks and profiles 1907-1935

Maps

Scope and Contents

Collection of maps belonging to E. C. La Rue, presented to the Huntington Library, December 1950.

Box 12

Arizona

1. Arizona (state): topographic map by U.S. Geological survey. 1923.

Physical Description: 1 piece

2. Cataract Canyon and vicinty.

Physical Description: 1 piece

3. Central Arizona.

Physical Description: 1 piece

4. Coconina National Forest

Physical Description: 2 pieces

5. Colorado River Indian Reservation.

Physical Description: 1 piece

6. Live Stock Reports

Physical Description: 51 pieces

7. Mohave Desert dam site

Physical Description: 7 pieces

8. Pecos National Forest

Physical Description: 1 piece

9. Salt River

Physical Description: 3 pieces

10. Township maps: West Gila, Salt River Meridian.

Physical Description: 130 pieces

11. Verde

Physical Description: 1 piece

12. White Mountain Indian Reservation

Physical Description: 2 pieces

13. Yuma: Bird's Eye View

Box 13, Box 14, Box 15, Box 16, Box 17, Box 18, Box 19

California

1. Chimehueui Valley Indian Reservation

Physical Description: 1 piece

2. Colorado - Arizona Indian Reservation

Physical Description: 10 pieces

3. Kern River Profile

Physical Description: 3 pieces

4. Los Angeles (City)

a. Angel Flight Incline Railroad

Physical Description: 6 pieces

b. Beverly Hills and Vicinity

Physical Description: 7 pieces

c. Beverly Mont: Lay-out plans of Beverly Terrace

Physical Description: 1 piece

d. El Monte Blvd Tract

Physical Description: 1 piece

e. Elysian Garden Tract

Physical Description: 1 piece

f. Fox, William - Studio site

Physical Description: 1 piece

g. Garvanza addition

Physical Description: 1 piece

h. Griffith Park

Physical Description: 1 piece

i. Hacienda Park

Physical Description: 1 piece

j. Hancock Survey

Physical Description: 1 piece

k. Highland Park

Physical Description: 12 pieces

L. Investment Securities Co. property and Delta Investment Co. in San Rafael Rancho

Physical Description: 1 piece

m. Los Angeles Country Club

Physical Description: 3 pieces

n. Los Angeles and Colorado River gravity aqueduct

Physical Description: 14 pieces

o. Los Angeles Land and Water subdivisions

Physical Description: 4 pieces

p. Los Angeles Pressed Brick Co. gauge sheets

Physical Description: 5 pieces

q. Los Angeles real estate

Physical Description: 70 pieces

r. Los Angeles survey of city. 1919

Physical Description: 1 piece

s. Mateo Street

Physical Description: 1 piece

t. Pacific Terminal Tract

Physical Description: 1 piece

u. Roseland Acres

Physical Description: 1 piece

v. Rosedale Cemetery

Physical Description: 5 pieces

w. Sweetzer Ave. and Sunset Blvd.

Physical Description: 4 pieces

x. Wanda Park: Benedict Canyon

Physical Description: 1 piece

y. Western Wilshire Heights

Physical Description: 1 piece

z. Westlake Park

Physical Description: 1 piece

5. Los Angeles County

a. Alondra Park

Physical Description: 1 piece

b. Arnaz Rancho

Physical Description: 1 piece

c. Artesia

Physical Description: 1 piece

d. Colorado River bridge

Physical Description: 4 pieces

e. Compton

Physical Description: 1 piece

f. Garvonza lots

Physical Description: 3 pieces

g. Hutten locher estate, being portion of Rancho San Rafael

Physical Description: 1 piece

h. Inglewood: Redondo

Physical Description: 1 piece

i. Los Angeles and a part of Orange counties

Physical Description: 1 piece

j. Los Angeles and San Diego counties

Physical Description: 17 pieces

k. McCloud River power projects

Physical Description: 1 piece

L. McKinley Tract. 1930

Physical Description: 1 piece

m. Malibu

Physical Description: 2 pieces

n. Pacific Petroleum Co. and West Coast Oil Co.: Well location of leases

Physical Description: 1 piece

o. Picto Rancho. 1918.

Physical Description: 1 piece

p. Rancho Cienga O'Paso de la Tijera

Physical Description: 2 pieces

q. Rancho La Brea being portion of Rancho La Ciengas. 1908.

Physical Description: 1 piece

r. Rancho Los Coyotes

Physical Description: 4 pieces

s. Rancho Rodeo de los Agnas

Physical Description: 9 pieces

t. Rancho San Antonio

Physical Description: 3 pieces

u. Rancho San Pedro

Physical Description: 1 piece

v. Rancho San Jose de Buenos Ayres

Physical Description: 1 piece

w. Rancho Santa Anita: A.B. Chapman property. 1912

Physical Description: 1 piece

x. Reservoir site

Physical Description: 2 pieces

y. Rolling Hills: Palos Verdes

Physical Description: 2 pieces

z. San Gabriel Reservoir dam site

Physical Description: 3 pieces

aa. San Gabriel tract

Physical Description: 6 pieces

bb. Santa Monica highway: Mulholland Drive. 1927

Physical Description: 1 piece

cc. Stough Rancho

Physical Description: 6 pieces

dd. Sunnyslope Estate. 1911

Physical Description: 1 piece

ee. Tract 429

Physical Description: 3 pieces

ff. Tract 701

Physical Description: 3 pieces

gg. Victor Beaudnys Mtns.

Physical Description: 2 pieces

6. Merced District

Physical Description: 1 piece

7. Mono County

a. Mono Basin

Physical Description: 1 piece

b. Eaton Land and Cattle Co.: Long Valley Lands

Physical Description: 1 piece

c. Mono National Forest

Physical Description: 1 piece

8. Orange County

a. Fullerton

Physical Description: 2 pieces

9. Riverside County

a. Desert Queen Copper Mines

Physical Description: 1 piece

b. Mayflower Consolidated Mines

10. Salt Lake Oil Fields

Physical Description: 1 piece

11. Salton Sea: Capacity curves.

Physical Description: 3 pieces

12. San Bernardino County

a. Gold Park Consolidated Mine

Physical Description: 9 pieces

b. Lytle Creek Canyon

Physical Description: 1 piece

c. Muscovy Water Co. property. 1904

Physical Description: 1 piece

d. San Bernardino County

Physical Description: 11 pieces

13. Santa Barbara County

a. San Lucas Rancho

Physical Description: 1 piece

14. Sierra Nevada Mts.: proposed flood water and storage

Physical Description: 1 piece

Box 25

South Dakota

1. Pine River Indian Reservation

Lower California (Mexico)

1. Ensenada

Physical Description: 1 piece

2. Rancho del Rosano Baja

Physical Description: 3 pieces

Box 20, Box 21, Box 22

Colorado

1. Arkansas River

Physical Description: 2 pieces

2. Arkansas Valley

Physical Description: 4 pieces

3. Bear Creek dam site: Animas River

Physical Description: 1 piece

4. Bear River: canal and reservoit system, Rio Blanco and Routt counties

Physical Description: 1 piece

5. Colorado River

a. Basin: flood control

Physical Description: 7 pieces

b. Boulder Canyon Dam sites

Physical Description: 4 pieces

c. Colorado bridge dam sites

Physical Description: 1 piece

d. Colorado River at Lee's Ferry

Physical Description: 6 pieces

e. Colorado River at Hardysville, Ariz. Mass curves. 1902-14.

Physical Description: 1 piece

f. Colorado River at Yuma: hydrograph

Physical Description: 3 pieces

g. Colorado River delta

h. Colorado, Green and Grande rivers: profile

Physical Description: 5 pieces

i. Colorado River showing diversion to Great Basin, Utah.

Physical Description: 1 piece

j. Grand Canyon

Physical Description: 6 pieces

k. Grande County reservoir

Physical Description: 1 piece

L. Little Colorado River: profile

Physical Description: 4 pieces

m. Lower Colorado River

Physical Description: 1 piece

n. Riverside Irrigation District: Weld and Morgan counties

Physical Description: 2 pieces

o. San Juan River Basin

Physical Description: 61 pieces

p. San Miguel canal system, San Miguel and Montrose counties

Physical Description: 1 piece

q. Townships

Physical Description: 11 pieces

Box 23, Box 24

Idaho

1. Boise project: U.S. Reclamation service

Physical Description: 7 pieces

2. Coachello Valley, Salton Sea, Imperial Valley and Colorado River profile

Physical Description: 1 piece

3. Fort Hall Indian Reservation

Physical Description: 13 pieces

4. Minidoka project

Physical Description: 1 piece

5. Port Neuf Valley project

Physical Description: 3 pieces

6. Salmon River

Physical Description: 11 pieces

7. Salmon River profile

Physical Description: 8 pieces

8. Snake River

Physical Description: 15 pieces

9. Snake River:

10. Irrigation Co. project

Physical Description: 7 pieces

11. Snake River: proposed section power dam

Physical Description: 1 piece

12. Snake River: Lake Walcott

Physical Description: 5 pieces

13. Snake River Valley Reservoir system

Physical Description: 3 pieces

14. Twin Falls county. 1929.

Physical Description: 1 piece

Box 25

Montana

1. Flat Head Lake

Physical Description: 5 pieces

2. Flat Head River and tributaries

Physical Description: 16 pieces

3. U.S. Missouri River Power company transmission lines

Physical Description: 10 pieces

Box 26

New Mexico

1. Headquarters Ranch: Wylie Farm and Live Stock Chavez co.

Physical Description: 1 piece

2. Jones project: Preston-Beck grant, upper Pecos

Physical Description: 6 pieces

3. Pecos River Basin

Physical Description: 2 pieces

4. Townships 32 and 34

Physical Description: 6 pieces

5. Township no. 37

Physical Description: 37 pieces

6. Urton Lake project.

Physical Description: 2 pieces

7. U.S. Weather Bureau: annual precipitation

Physical Description: 1 piece

Box 27, Box 28

Oregon

1. Brewster Valley Reservoir site

Physical Description: 2 pieces

2. Canby canal reservoir site

Physical Description: 4 pieces

3. Columbia River: Portland

Physical Description: 11 pieces

4. Coquilla River: profile. 1919

Physical Description: 1 piece

5. Crater Lake National Park

Physical Description: 1 piece

6. Fairview and Brewster Valley: Coquilla River

Physical Description: 1 piece

7. Grande Ronde River

Physical Description: 2 pieces

8. Grant lands of the Oregon and California Railroad Company, Douglas County

Physical Description: 1 piece

9. Klamath County

Physical Description: 10 pieces

10. Klamath River Basin

Physical Description: 2 pieces

11. Kickitat Power Project. 1909.

Physical Description: 4 pieces

12. McKenzie River. 1903

Physical Description: 1 piece

13. Medford Crater Lake Highway

Physical Description: 1 piece

14. Rogue River basin

Physical Description: 1 piece

15. Rogue River: Howard profile

Physical Description: 3 pieces

16. Rogue River traverse

Physical Description: 3 pieces

17. Salmon River: profile

Physical Description: 1 piece

18. Umpqua River power project

Physical Description: 1 piece

19. Weather Bureau Station Records

Physical Description: 2 pieces

20. Willamette River basin

Physical Description: 1 piece

Box 29

Utah

1. Ashley Creek: profile

Physical Description: 1 piece

2. Great Salt Lake

Physical Description: 16 pieces

3. Hatch town irrigation project, Garfield county

Physical Description: 1 piece

4. New Castle Reclamation Company

Physical Description: 1 piece

5. Ouray Reservoir site on Green River

Physical Description: 1 piece

6. Resource map of southern Utah

Physical Description: 1 piece

7. Sevier River

Physical Description: 1 piece

8. Wasatch and Uinta counties

Physical Description: 1 piece

9. Weber and Provo Rivers.(very bad condition) 1915

Physical Description: 1 piece

Box 28

Washington

1. Washington and Oregon

Physical Description: 1 piece

2. Washington, Oregon and Idaho

Physical Description: 5 pieces

3. Kickitat River drainage basins

Physical Description: 5 pieces

Wyoming

1. Green River canals

Physical Description: 1 piece

Miscellaneous

1. Big Lost River

Physical Description: 1 piece

2. Eldorado Consolidated mines: profile of pipe line surveys. 1905

Physical Description: 1 piece

3. Oro Mining and Milling Co.: profile.

Physical Description: 1 piece

4. Triangle Lake

Physical Description: 1 piece

Addenda - reports 1907-1935

Box 30

Reports

Box 31

Reports

Box 32

Reports

Box 33

Reports

Box 34

Reports