Imperial (204 page)

“California’s ‘Little Yellowstone’ ”—State of California. Department of Transportation. Transportation Library, Sacramento. Imperial folder. National [illegible], Robert Johansen, “The Mogul of Mullet Island,” November 1932.

Description of Mullet Island—ICHSPM, photo #P91.19.

Mullet Island as a peninsula in 1932—State of California, Department of Transportation, op. cit.

“We have since been accused of gross negligence . . .”—Rockwood, quoted in Farr, p. 138.

The tale of Clarence Dougherty’s pump—Stamps, pp. 36-37.

Remarks of the professor in Claremont—
California Cultivator
, vol. XXIII, no. 6 (August 5, 1904), p. 124 (“The Water Supply”).

Rockwood’s reassurance, etc.—
Los Angeles Times
, June 20, 1915, p. 112 (“The Truth About the Imperial Valley”). In fact, all our plutocrats actually did was graciously give Rockwood the right-of-way. And the
Los Angeles Times
with a sad and forbearing air continues its article “Completely Puncturing a Tissue of Vicious Falsehoods.” The
Times
means so well; it has gone to such a great expense to help the world “exploit this inland empire” called Imperial; it has no property interests in the valley whatsoever, “though some individual owners have large individual investments there.” So let the water flow! (Waterlessness will not go away all at once. I’ve seen a photograph from 1921 depicting an Imperial encampment of white tents pentagonal in cross-section, with laundry and children around them in that wide flatness of silt; even in 1921 the desert has not quite disappeared; maybe that will happen in 1922.—ICHSPM photograph, cat. #P94.18.1 [Hetzel image]).

“. . . practically twice the present area can be irrigated . . .”—Packard, p. 8.

Depth and yield of Coachella’s wells—Ibid., p. 7.

Imperial County’s good wells limited to Holtville—Ibid., p. 9.

Other information on Coachella Valley’s artesian wells and water table, 1894-1922—Senate Committee on the Colorado River Basin (1925), p. 53 (statement of Dr. Jennings, physician, rancher and landowner in the Coachella Valley and member of the Board of Directors of the Coachella Valley Water District).

Lowering of the groundwater level in Southern California, 1922-25—California State Archives. Margaret C. Felts papers. Box 12: Folder: “1927 POLLUTION.” State of California. Department of Public Works. Division of Engineering and Irrigation. Paul Bailey, State Engineer,
Bulletin No. 12: Summary Report on the Water Resources of California and a Coordinated Plan for Their Development: A Report to the Legislature of 1927
(Sacramento: California State Printing Office, 1927), p. 43.

John I. Bacon: “. . . we have, to-day, about four years’ supply of water . . .”—Senate Committee on the Colorado River Basin (1925), p. 6 (statement of Bacon).

William Mulholland: “. . . in the last two years we have been close to the edge . . .” and exchange with the Chairman—Senate Committee on the Colorado River Basin (1925), pp. 109-10 (statement of Mulholland).

“We have about 30,000,000 acres in farms . . .”—
California Cultivator
, vol. LXIV, no. 14, April 4, 1925, p. 415 (John Lathrop, “Can We Have a Balanced Farm Program?”).

The falling wells in Ventura County, 1925—Ibid., p. 416 (“Agricultural News Notes of the Pacific Coast”: “Southern California”).

“SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HAS MUCH WATER.”—
Imperial Valley Press
, Monday, May 3, 1926, p. 1.

79 . The Mexican User Is a Customer, Not an Owner (1904 -1918)

Epigraph: “Anything can be removed from water except salt and politics.”—California State Archives. Margaret C. Felts papers. Box 1. A. H. Koebig, Charles Kirby Fox, Arthur W. Cory, November 15, 1930, letter to the President and Directors of the Southwest Water League, p. 4 (Leon B. Reynolds, Professor of Sanitary Engineering).

Dimensions of Laguna Dam and “Now that modern irrigation methods . . .”—James,
Reclaiming the Arid West
, pp. 86, 97-98.

“The construction of a series of huge reservoirs . . .”—Farr, pp. 79-80.

Footnote: Catarino Mesina’s stage line (from Mexicali to the mouth of the Colorado and another from Mexicali to Ensenada)—N.A.R.A.L. Record Group 36. Records of the U.S. Customs Service. Calexico Customs Office. Incoming Correspondence Regarding Smuggling (9L-61). July 25, 1914-May 23, 1922. Box 2 of 2: From May 1914 to May 1922. Letter (not in folder) from J. P. Conway [?], Deputy Collector and Inspector, Tia Juana, Cal., to Deputy Collector in Charge, Tia Juana, Cal., July 19, 1919.

“I believe that if the river is controlled and conserved . . .”—Senate Committee on the Colorado River Basin (1925), Part 2, p. 253 (C.W. Brockman, Calexico director of IID).

“The Mexican user is a customer . . .”—Ibid., p. 241 (J.C. Allison, civil engineer, representing Colorado River Control Club).

80 . Market Prices (1925)

Epigraph: “My country is abundant in wheat . . .”—Bowman and Heizer, p. 154 (letter of 26 November 1776). Produce and cattle prices—
California Cultivator
, vol. LXIV, no. 14, April 4, 1925, p. 410 (Los Angeles market price listings, quoted 31 March 1925).

81. San Diego (1925)

Epigraph: “. . . and then I shall return to the solitary church in that enchanted world . . .”—Ballard,
The Crystal World
, p. 154.

County rankings for produce, 1910—California Board of Agriculture (1918).

Escondido’s 250 tons of tomatoes—
California Cultivator
, vol. LXIV, no. 14, April 4, 1925, p. 416 (“Agricultural News Notes of the Pacific Coast”: “Southern California”).

Escondido’s new citrus packing house—Ibid., vol. LXV, no. 7, August 15, 1925, p. 140 (“Agricultural News Notes of the Pacific Coast”: “Southern California”).

The 20-acre apricot orchard for sale in Oceanside—Ibid., vol. LXIV, no. 14, April 4, 1925, p. 438 (“Classified Liners”).

“San Diego supports extensive ranches and groves of oranges . . .”—Carolan, p. 48.

82 . The Long Death of Alber t Henry Larson (1903 -1926)

Epigraph: “This is the spirit of the Imperial Valley . . .”—Howe and Hall, p. 132.

Larson’s death certificate—County of Imperial. No SI number. LR #10.

Albert Henry Larson’s absence from, and Gus/Gustav Larson’s transactions in, the Imperial County Recorder’s index—California State Archives. Microfilmed Imperial County records, 1851-1919. Roll #1433101. Index to Grantors, 1851-1907. Index to Grantees, 1851-1907. Gustav Larson was the grantee on August 13, 1904, in a transaction involving Charles W. Fernald as grantor (Book 8, p. 122). Gus Larson was the grantee on April 15, 1907, in a transaction involving Nathan D. Nichols (Book 24[?], p. 149).

The Larson of 1917-18—Zollinger-Peterson reports.

Olaf Larson’s occupation—Imperial Valley Directory (1912), p. 174.

Howe and Hall on John Larson—Op. cit., 171-72. His name is spelled “Larsen” in the Imperial Valley Directory (1912), p. 174.

Bearded men admiring their own sugar beets—ICHSPM photograph, cat. #P85.241 (credit: Putnam and Valentine). The man in boots and waders and the satisfied pioneer are also Pioneer Museum photographs.

Directory entries on Larson—Imperial Valley Directory (1912), p. 174; I.V. Directory (1920), p. 97; I.V. Directory (1926), p. 198.

Default on mortgage, 1924—County of Imperial, County Recorder’s book, pp. 45-47, 11 June 1924.

Larson’s 1924 land purchase—Document #936662, serial #CAEC 0005863, SB meridian, township 016S, range 0131, section 31.

Names of the Larsons in the Colorado River Control Club—Senate Committee on the Colorado River Basin (1925), Part 2, p. 217.

Connection between opposition to the All-American Canal and land ownership in Mexico—Nordland, p. 6.

USDA remarks on private land-development agencies—USDA Yearbook (1920), pp. 24-25.

Jack Armstrong’s ad—
Imperial Valley Press
, Wednesday, March 31, 1926, p. 7.

Armand Jessup’s ad—Loc. cit.

H. L. Boone’s ad—
Imperial Valley Press
, Friday, April 30, 1926, p. 7.

Larsons and Larsens in the 1870 California census—
California 1870 Census Index
, Volume II, L-Z, ed. Raeone Christensen Steuart (Bountiful, Utah: Heritage Quest, 2000), California census index (1870), p. 17.

Description of the old plank road—ICHSPM photograph, cat. #P92.54.

A French economist: “The industrial wealth of the United States must not deceive us . . .”—
The Annals of America
, vol. 14 (Henri Hauser, “Observations on American Farming,” from
L’Amérique vivante
, 1924).

“MRS. LEROY HOLT HOSTESS AT TWO PRETTY AFFAIRS.”—
Imperial Valley Press
, Thursday, May 6, 1926, p. 2. Mr. Than’s employment was reported in the Thursday, May 6, issue, p. 1; the first trainload of cantaloupes rolled out on May 6; regarding the biggest cantaloupe season in history, I repeat the following citation for “Then and Now”: the cantaloupe season of 1926 and its accompanying refrigerator cars—
Imperial Valley Press
, Monday, May 3, p. 1.

Photo of Jack Brothers and McBurney Co.’s five girls—ICHSPM photograph, cat. #P91.201.160 (credit: Southern Pacific Photo Service, 1927).

Otherwise uncited property transactions of the Larsons until Albert’s suicide—County Recorder’s Book (vol. unknown), p. 15A, 26 November 1923, Superior Court case no. 9156 (re: lots 21 and 22, block 96, Imperial townsite). County Recorder’s Book 2, pp. 409-10, 27 September 1923 (my researcher did not obtain part of the record of this transaction). County Recorder’s Book 2, page 409 (ten o’clock in the morning on 14 September 1922; NE qtr of SE qtr and N half of SE qtr of Section 35, Township 15 S, Range 16 E, SBM). County of Imperial, County Recorder’s book, pp. 45-47, 11 June 1924 (the chattel mortgage). County Recorder’s Book, vol. unknown, pp. 484-87; various July 1925 (conveyance from the Consolidated Title Insurance Company of a Deed of Trust to lots 3 and 5, sec. 4, Township 15 south, Range 13 E, SBM, and part of lot 6 in sec. 4). Recorder’s Book 190, pp. 287-88, 16 January 1926; El Centro 06863, 4-1023-R (re: lot 30 sec. 31 Township 16 S of Range 13 E of SBM). County Recorder’s Book, vol. unknown, p. 289 (on or after 20 March 1926, Albert Larson’s declaration of homestead, lots 3 and 5 and some of lot 6, all in sec. 4; unfortunately I do not have the next page).

Disposition of Albert and Elizabeth Larson’s acres after the suicide—although Elizabeth herself sells one piece of the estate to P. C. Johnson for $10, Mr. Veazzie A. Wheelock, the administrator of his will, sells the core of the Larson Ranch to P. C. Johnson for $3,715, retaining only the oil rights. To P. C. Johnson and his wife Hattie, Wheelock sells Elizabeth’s holdings in section 35 for $1,840. After 26 March 1928, Elizabeth Larson conveys real estate to William L. Pollard for $50 gold coin. In August 1929, Elizabeth Larson sells Lot 7 of the Larson Ranch to P. C. Johnson, widower, for what must have been even then the small sum of $10, all tenements and appurtenances of the property included—and also all taxes. For at least some of this time the new owners might also have been struggling; for on 12 May 1927, a certain P. C. Johnson, dairyman, mortgages to the National Trust and Savings Association forty-three cows, heifers and calves, all branded with Albert Larson’s mark on the left hip. They are collateral for the $325 at 8% interest. [Sources of foregoing: County Recorder’s Book, unknown vol., p. 132, 2 June 1926 (NE qtr of SE qtr and N ½ of NW qtr of SE qtr of Sec. 35, Township 15 S, Range 16E, SBM). County Recorder’s Book 149, pp. 151-52 (Deed of Trust, 28 September 1926, re: lots 3 and 5 and part of lot 6, sec. 4, township 15 S, range 13 E, $1840). County Recorder’s Book, vol. unknown, 4 October 1926, pp. 3-4 (re: lots 3, 5 and 6, section 4, Township 15 south, range 13 east, SBM). County Recorder’s Book, vol. unknown, p. 358. County Recorder’s Book, vol. unknown, p. 33, no. 20748, 15 August 1929; lefthand edge of page near staples numbered AAA968. County Recorder’s Book 149, pp. 237-28 (12 May 1927).]

84 . Imperial Reprise (1901 -1929)

Epigraph: “The sword created the shape of empire . . .”—Torre and Wiegers, p. 601 (Veronica Volkow, “Arcana IV: The Emperor,” trans. Margaret Sayers Peden).

PART SIX

SUBPLOTS

85 . Almost as Efficiently as Washing Machines (1891 -1936)

Epigraph: “So, then, to every man his chance . . .”—Wolfe, p. 484 (“The Promise of America”).

Judge J. S. Emory: “Four weeks ago I rode across a farm in Texas . . .”—Bancroft Library. Paul S. Taylor papers. Carton 4. Folder 4:34: “Irrigation Crusade, 1969,” p. 7.

The tale of Ed J. Callon—
California Cultivator
, vol. XXIII, no. 1 (July 1, 1904), p. 18 (A. R. Colson, “The Call of the Hen: A Visit to the World’s Largest Poultry Farms”).

Advertisement on chickens-as-machines—
California Cultivator
, vol. XXVII, no. 1 (July 5, 1906), p. 2.

“The great ranches of South America . . .”—
California Cultivator
, vol. LXV, no. 20, November 14, 1925, p. 485 (C. A. Nidever, “Where Are We Going?”).

“The history of agriculture . . .” and “The individual spinners . . .”—Ibid., pp. 504, 505.

Remarks of Mr. Charles Anderson—
California Cultivator
, vol. LXXXIII, no. 15, July 18, 1936, p. 539.

Poultry statistics 1950-73—
California Farmer
, January 4, 1975, p. 25 (“The laying hen—‘She’s come a long way’ ”).

“Petitioner’s operation is more akin to a light industry . . .”—California State Archives. ALRB restricted files. Accession no. 1999-07-08, loc. B7949-7955, Box 2 of 27. Specific location number not indicated on this box. On box: EBR. Since the following is already a public record, I can cite it properly: Bound typescript with orange covers. 4 Civ. 16995. In the Supreme Court of the State of California. Prohoroff Poultry Farms, Petitioner, vs. Agricultural Labor Relations Board, Respondent. Petition for hearing. Following dismissal by the Court of Appeal for the Fourth Appellate District, Division One, of a petition for review of a final order of the Agricultural Labor Relations Board. James K. Smith, Esq., John M. Phelps, Esq., San Diego. Attorneys for petitioner. Dated: May 23, 1979. Stamped: Received, May 29, 1979, p. 3.