Description
The Valley Land and Sugar Company Papers consist chiefly of board of director's minutes, correspondence, receipts, property
records and maps of the Tracy Garden Farms Corporation (1916-1921) and Valley Land and Sugar Company (1921-1926).
Background
Following the creation of the Naglee-Burk Irrigation Association (1912) and the West Side Irrigation District (1915), land
north of Tracy became a valuable commodity for those interested in growing sugarbeets. In 1917, the Pacific Sugar Company
opened the first mill in Tracy, but the firm quickly ran into difficulties because government price supports on sugarbeets
ended with World War I and whitefly began to consume the crop. From 1919, sugar refiners experienced difficulties getting
farmers to plant beets. After a few years the company leased the plant to Amalgamated Sugar Company of Ogden, Utah (1920)
and eventually sold it to Holly Sugar Company of Colorado Springs (1925). The Garden Farms Company and its successor, Valley
Land and Sugar, were in the business of leasing and selling land for sugarbeet cultivation along Old River north of Tracy.
These companies flourished between 1919 and 1926.
Restrictions
The library can only claim physical ownership of the collection. Users are responsible
for satisfying any claimants of literary property.
Availability
Collection is open for research by appointment only.