American Falls Canal and Power Company papers, 1894-1923

Overview of the Collection

Creator
American Falls Canal and Power Company (Idaho)
Title
American Falls Canal and Power Company papers
Dates
1894-1923 (inclusive)
Quantity
4 boxes, (3.5 linear ft.)
Collection Number
UUS_COLL MSS 109
Summary
Correspondence, legal documents, and reports relating to the American Falls Canal and Power Co. and six affiliated canal and land companies, including the Aberdeen Townsite Investment Company; Aberdeen-Springfield Co.; American Falls Canal Securities Co.; Evans, Curtis, and Sweet Co.; Idaho Irrigated Lands Co.; and the Utah Mortgage and Loan Co.
Repository
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives Division
Special Collections & Archives
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
Logan, UT
84322-3000
Telephone: 4357978248
Fax: 4357972880
scweb@usu.edu
Access Restrictions
Restrictions

Open to public research.

Languages
English.
Sponsor
Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant, 2007-2008

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The American Falls Canal & Power Company was formed in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1896, to take advantage of government land made available by the passage of the Carey Land Act in 1892 and by the subsequent passage of the Idaho Irrigation District Law in 1895. These laws allowed individuals to purchase land at 15 cents per acre with the stipulation that they had irrigation water available. The American Falls Canal & Power Company contracted with the state of Idaho to provide irrigation water at the rate of $15 dollars per share in the Blackfoot, Idaho area. To build this canal it was originally estimated that the cost would run about $325,000 dollars. The funding for this project came from the Utah Mortgage & Loan Company, of Logan, Utah.

With the development of irrigation canals in the Blackfoot area it became profitable to establish other canal and land companies to work hand-in-hand with the American Falls Canal & Power Company (six of these companies were from Utah). The American Falls Canal & Power Company operated for 18 years until February 27, 1914, when the company filed for bankruptcy.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The papers of American Falls Canal & Power Company provides information about the development of large-scale irrigation projects on the Snake River in southeastern Idaho. This four box collection consists of legal documentation, stock receipts, correspondence, and financial records pertaining to various irrigation projects in southern Idaho. In addition, boxes 3 and 4 contain the papers from numerous organizations affiliated with the American Falls Canal & Power Company.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Copyright

It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Utah State University Libraries, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.

Permission to publish material from the American Falls Canal and Power Company papers must be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator and/or the Special Collections Department Head.

Preferred Citation

American Falls Canal and Power Company papers, 1894-1923. (COLL MSS 109) Utah State University. Special Collections and Archives Department.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

The papers of the American Falls Canal & Power Company were donated in 1991 in conjunction with the Utah Mortgage & Loan Corporation Records (Mss Collection 131), by George Herbert Champ and his two siblings, Mary Knox Champ Nielsen, and Frederick Winton Champ.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

American Falls Canal & Power Company origination documents, deeds, and contracts, correspondence, and other documentationReturn to Top

Folders 8-15 contains engineering reports about the canal's construction. Folders 16-32 contains financial information about the company-trust deeds, agreements, and financial disclosures.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 1
Contract with the state of Idaho
1901
1 2
Contract with the state of Idaho
1904
1 3
Contract with the state of Idaho
1905
1 4
Opinion on legal right of ways, by Richards and Haga
undated
1 5
1908 agreement
undated
1 6
Agreement with the Reclamation Service
1908
1 7
Annual report
1908
1 8
Chief engineer's report
1900
1 9
Engineer's report
1905
1 10
Location of canal passage
1894
1 11
Water location documents
1894
1 12
Agreement with Lyman Skeen about contractor work
1903
1 13
Contract with Lyman Skeen about contractor work
1905
1 14
List of papers on file with the Idaho State Engineer's office
undated
1 15
Notes about changes made in the canal
undated
1 16
Trust deed with Utah Savings and Trust Company
1903
1 17
Contract with the Utah Mortgage and Loan Company
1905
1 18
Resolution authorizing a $31,000 dollar loan from the National Bank of the Republic, 1908, and a resolution of the directors of the Evans, Curtis, and Sweet Company authorizing the guarantee of the above note
1908
1 19
Trust deed with People Bank & Trust Company of Illinois, and power of attorney document
undated
1 20
Trust deed with People Bank & Trust Company
1907
1 21
Trust deed with People Bank & Trust Company
1908
1 22
Agreement with People Bank & Trust Company
1908
1 23
Agreement with Salt Lake Commercial Bank
1908
1 24
Trial balance of assets of the American Falls Canal & Power Company
1905
1 25
Trial balance of assets of the American Falls Canal & Power Company
1907
1 26
Statement of differed payments of contracts with the UMLC
undated
1 27
Statement of money received since
1907 September
1 28
Funds advanced to the canal company by various stockholders
1911
1 29
Correspondence concerning a second issuance of bonds for the canal company
1911
1 30-32
Copies of bond orders
undated

Documents from the board of directors and stockholders meeting and correspondence, undatedReturn to Top

Folders 6-29 are correspondence.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
2 1
Report of meeting
1908
2 2
Meeting minutes and resignations
undated
2 3
Stockholder list as of
1913 January 17
2 4
Notices for stockholder meetings
undated
2 5
Board of directors information
undated
2 6
Andrews, Ella G
undated
2 7
Brown, Joseph
1909-1911
2 8
Champ, George
1907
2 9
Church, E. O
1909-1911
2 10
Enns, F. D
1909-1911
2 11
Foulks, Nellie B
1911
2 12
Howell, Benjamin
undated
2 13-16
Lee, William
1910-1911
2 17-18
Lowe, Nora Jones
undated
2 19
McClure, Homer
undated
2 20
Oregon Short Line Railroad Company
1910-1912
2 21
Tibke, Jacob
1912
2 22
Tracy, David
1912
2 23-24
Utah Mortgage & Loan Company
1912
2 25-27
Vance, H. S
1915-1923
2 28-29
Wright, Hughy J
1912-1914

American Falls Canal Company papers and papers from affiliated companies, undatedReturn to Top

Box 3: Folders 7-11 relate to the Aberdeen Townsite & Investment Company; Folders 12-13 relate to the Aberdeen-Springfield Company, 1910; Folders 14-17 relate to the American Falls Canal Securities Company; Folders 18-33 relate to the Evans, Curtis, and Sweet Company.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
3 1
Claims against the canal company
1909
3 2-3
Notes due to the canal company
1909
3 4
Irrigation deed releases
1907
3 5
Samples of gold bonds and warranty deeds of the canal company
undated
3 6
Company advertising brochures
undated
3 7
Aberdeen Townsite & Investment Company reports, correspondence, and townsite map
1907-1918
3 8-11
Documents concerning the investment company
1909-1911
3 12
Document creating the company
1910
3 13
Stockholders information
undated
3 14
Bond issued, trust deed and appointment of UMLC as trustee
1918
3 15
Correspondence
1917
3 16-17
American Falls Canal Securities Company papers
1918-1919
3 18
Articles of incorporation and other company documents
1903
3 19
Board of directors information
1905-1906
3 20
Report from Albert D. Early, lawyer
undated
3 21
Document regarding a $20,000 dollar loan from the UMLC
undated
3 22
Bill from the UMLC
undated
3 23
Correspondence concerning the bankruptcy of the American Falls Canal & Power Company
undated
3 24
Licenses from Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming.
undated
3 25
Certificates of stock owned by EC & SC.
undated
3 26
Stockholder meeting notices for
1907-1912
3 27
Correspondence and contracts - Dawes, Frank and Hugh
undated
3 28-29
Correspondence and contracts - Forsell, Peter
undated
3 30
Correspondence and contracts - Madsen, Peter
undated
3 31
Correspondence and contracts - Moore, P. R.
undated
3 32-33
Correspondence and contracts - Snow, E. M
undated
4 1
Idaho Irrigated Lands Company
1900-1910
4 2-3
Peoples Bank & Trust Company
1917
4 4-5
Correspondence concerning the Evans Curtis & Sweet Company, Aberdeen Investment Company, and the American Falls Canal & Power Company
undated
4 6-10
Correspondence regarding the Utah Mortgage & Loan Company
undated
4 11
Document from the Interior Department about the Jackson Lake Reservoir Project
undated
4 12
Bill from Martineau & Evans Law Firm.
undated
4 13
Contracts with the American Falls Canal & Power Company due in
1908

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Irrigation canals and flumes--Idaho.

Corporate Names

  • Aberdeen Townsite Investment Company (Idaho)
  • Aberdeen Townsite Investment Company (Idaho) (contributor)
  • Aberdeen-Springfield Canal Company (Idaho) (contributor)
  • Aberdeen-Springfield Canal Company (Idaho)
  • American Falls Canal Securities Company (Idaho)
  • American Falls Canal and Power Company (Idaho)
  • American Falls Canal Securities Company (Idaho) (contributor)
  • American Falls Canal and Power Company (Idaho) (contributor)
  • Evans, Curtis and Sweet Company (Idaho)
  • Evans, Curtis and Sweet Company (Idaho) (contributor)
  • Idaho Irrigated Lands Company.
  • Idaho Irrigated Lands Company. (contributor)
  • Utah Mortgage and Loan Company (Logan, Utah) (contributor)
  • Utah Mortgage and Loan Company (Logan, Utah)

Geographical Names

  • American Falls Dam (Idaho)--History.
  • Blackfoot (Idaho)--History.