Series Descriptions
Inventory
Collection Summary |
||
| Creator: | Water Supply and Storage Company | |
| Title: | Water Supply and Storage Company Collection | |
| Dates: | 1907-1991 | |
| Bulk Dates: | 1973-1991 | |
| Quantity: | 1+ linear foot | |
| Identification: | WWSS | |
| Abstract: | The Water Supply and Storage Company (WSSC) was incorporated in 1891 to serve irrigators in the Cache la Poudre valley. In 1986, the city of Thornton purchased substantial stock in the company, which has subsequently provided water for both municipal and agricultural purposes. The bulk of the collection was produced during a records management project conducted on the company's behalf between 1981 and 2000, and includes oral history audiotapes, transcripts, company histories and timelines, system maps, and one photograph. | |
| Contact Information: | Water Resources Archive Archives and Special Collections Morgan Library Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1019 USA Phone: 970-491-1844 Fax: 970-491-1195 Email: specialcollections@library.colostate.edu URL: http://lib.colostate.edu/archives/water/ |
|
Return to the Table of Contents
There are no access restrictions on this collection. However, some items are stored off-site, so advanced notice is recommended.
Not all of the material in the collection is in the public domain. Researchers are responsible for addressing copyright issues.
Return to the Table of Contents
Index Terms |
||
| This collection is indexed under the following headings in the Colorado State University Libraries online catalog. Researchers seeking materials about related subjects, persons, organizations or places should search the catalog using these headings. | ||
| Subjects: | ||
| Water resources development--Colorado. | ||
| Water-supply--Colorado. | ||
| Water use--Colorado. | ||
| Irrigation--Colorado. | ||
| Organizations: | ||
| Water Supply and Storage Company. | ||
| Special Document Types: | ||
| Oral history. | ||
| Audio cassettes. | ||
| Maps. | ||
Return to the Table of Contents
The Water Supply and Storage Company was one of many cooperative organizations that contributed to northern Colorado's agricultural development by providing water for irrigation. Incorporated in 1891 to serve farmers in the Cache la Poudre valley, the company expanded in 1892 by acquiring properties from the defunct Larimer County Ditch Company and Larimer County Reservoir Company. Today, its network of ditches, laterals, reservoirs, and tunnels spans more than 100 miles and includes the Grand River Ditch, recognized as a historic landmark under the U.S. Historic Sites Act of 1935.
Early in its history, the company pioneered innovative water management strategies such as trans-mountain diversion of water from adjacent basins and the borrowing and lending of water rights through contracts with other supply companies. The organization's more recent history is representative of the transfer of water from agricultural to municipal uses. By 1986, the city of Thornton had acquired nearly half the company's stock; subsequently, the company's water supply served both urban and agricultural needs. The history of the Water Supply and Storage Company, spanning more than 100 years, significantly illustrates water-use developments and trends in Colorado and the semi-arid West.
Return to the Table of Contents
The Water Supply and Storage Company Collection consists of documents dated 1907 to 1991, with the bulk falling from 1973 to 1991. The collection consists primarily of materials produced and compiled during a records management project conducted on the company's behalf by CSU History professor James E. Hansen II. Although all company records were returned to the WSSC upon completion of the project in 2000, some material developed for the project is retained in this collection, including oral history audiotapes and transcripts, general company histories and timelines, maps of company holdings, a land survey from 1907, and one photograph.
Not all recorded oral histories have corresponding transcripts, and some interview transcripts do not have corresponding audiotapes. Of special interest are oral-history interviews with Harvey Johnson, former mayor of Fort Collins and company president for forty years.
Return to the Table of Contents
The collection consists of two series in two boxes and one flat file:
| Series I: Company history, 1907-1991 and undated | ||
| Series II: Oral histories, 1973-1991 | ||
Return to the Table of Contents
Water Supply and Storage Company Collection, Water Resources Archive, Colorado State University.
The Water Supply and Storage Company Collection was transferred from the Colorado Agricultural Archive to the Water Resources Archive in February 2004.
Processing was completed in February 2007. Materials were removed from existing folders, inserted in acid-free folders, and reboxed. Metal fasteners were removed and replaced with plastic clips as needed. Audiotapes were transferred to archival storage cases. Discarded from the collection were indexes and inventories representing various stages of the records management project, contracts for temporary research use of materials and microfilm reproduction, records-system operating manuals, project notes, and drafts of oral history transcripts. Approximately twenty-five floppy disks containing records management data were returned to the company.
Some oral history audiotapes have been digitized and will be linked to the Water Resources Archive website. Digitized materials include interviews with Harvey Johnson, Vivienne Woodward, and Ward Fischer. In the electronic version of this document, they will soon appear as links in context.
Return to the Table of Contents
Return to the Table of Contents
Return to the Table of Contents
Note: Estimated pagination is preceded by an "e."
Return to the Table of Contents
Return to the Table of Contents