The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1921-02-17
IRRIGATION HISTORY
APPEARS IN BRIEF

Al L EAnN LIN DnIEF
An interesting history of early irri-
cation development in the valley is
contained in the brief filed by Geo. r.
Wilbur in the hearing that has Just
been in progress before Judge Wilson
on exceptions to the findings of the
State Water Board as to claims for
water on Hood river. Mr. Wilbur, who
has been connected with the East Fork
Irrigation District as attorney. since
the concern was organized, has made a
close study of the history. The fol-
lowing is quoted from his brief:
When the East Fork Irrigating Com
pany was formed, posted it's notice
and was ready to commence work, it
found headgate and about fifty yards
of ditch and some disconnected stretches
of ditch. which had been constructed
by previous company, and lines had
been run for the proposed main ditch.
Work commenced Immediately and
within the first six months after the
posting of the notice, this work being
entirely done by the farmers who re-
ceived credit on the purchase of stock.
A new headgate was installed where
the old one had been and a surveyor
named DetwiIler made a new survey
along the lines which had been run bv
one of the old companies, which new
lines followed the same course as the
original survey but the grade was
changed from one-eighth of an inch to
rod. This new survey ran clear to the
the rod to one-tenth of an inch to the
Columbia river. Some work was done
in 1895, some in 1896. Contracts were
let to themselves as stockholders for
station work by 1897, the headgate
had be n built and water diverted for
a short distance work proceeded con-
tinuously up to 1897 except the inter
ruption for probably six months during
winter seasons but there were no inter-
ruptions after 1897.
In the spring of 1897, C. r. Bone
came down from eastern Oregon and
settled in the valley. Shortly after
ward he became and remained heavy
owner of land. He became interested
in the irrigation scheme because of his
ownersh p of land, and as he had some
little capital he bought into the com
pany by purchasing some of the sub
scribed stock, and took contracts to
construct the distributing system, for
which he was to be paid by the issu-
ance of stock to him. He tells of the
work in his own language:
"Well, we commenced work immed- |
lately after | became interested and |
as best we could with our
ability to work. We didn't have very
much money. The country was new, |
aud you could pretty near travel from |
Hood River to the headgate in a for
est :; and we saw that it was a beauti- |
ful, rich country here that eventually |
would have TO have about the amount |
Of water that was filed on, and we dill |
lgently kept building ditch as fast as |
we could, and at no time letting up |
absolutely worked some winters some |
it was impossible, very deep snow
worked each and every summer, per- |
haps not as strongly as a rich corpora
ton would do it but used every avail |
able means that we could get together |
to complete the works and we made |
the ditch practically full size where it |
was easy work and while we were at |
it could do it with so little additional |
expense that we made the ditch larger |
in places than we did in others. If we
came to good rocky hard place, why |
we did less work, knowing that we
could not use great amount of water |
for a while anyhow. Ard we succeeded |
ia getting water through the first six !
miles and on beyond in what we call |
the middle lateral, and little water |
was delivered in Willow Flat in the |
summer in 1901. In the fall of 1901, |
we commenced on the East Side later |
al, and in 1902 we completed the ditch |
to the Robinson plac which is near |
The Dalles road on the East Side, and !
i'm 1903, we went back over the main |
ditch and enlarged it and enlarged all /
our work that we made the years be- /
fore. wherever it was required. Some 1
places in the ditch where we made 4
them good, large size, we didn't have 1
to touch We took care of our weak ]
ones. In 1904, We made what is known |
as the pipe extension to the Dethman !
country. Dethman ridge we used to
rall it; and served them from that 1
time on. And the following spring 4
we laid a pipe extension from Mr.. 4
Hans Lagos place over past the town 4
now known as Van Horn and on west I
10 the next road and down the road. I
UluGI HOlucs VIC iDuhtu NdNtI
TO pretty near all Of the East Side up
10 what is now known as the Reed f
place, three miles from the City Of .
Hood River) wherever it was required. .
Then each year the capacity of the .
ditch was made greater than the year
before by taking out these narrow
places. Some years we made a little I
greater effort than others, but each
year during the entire time from 1901
10 the present time the capacity Of the
fitch was gradually increased"
The main East Side ditch was ex-
tended from the Reed place on north
in 1914, and the Odell lateral was con-
structed in 1904 and the early spring Of
1905. In 1904, Mcdonald increased the
main ditch, which had been from to
feet wide at the bottom, to from to
} feet wide; snd in 1908. he again en-
srged it to feet wide on the bottom:
and Winchell believes this last enlarge
neut doubled the capacity Of the ditch.
Errr- 1GfO 20 1unH shara