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American Falls Canal and Power Company papers

 Collection
Identifier: UUS_COLL MSS 109

Scope and Contents

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.

Dates

  • 1894-1923

Language of Materials

Collection materials are in English.

Restrictions

Open to public research.

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.

Historical Note

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.

Extent

4 boxes (3.5 linear ft.)

Abstract

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.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

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.

Title
Guide to the American Falls Canal and Power Company papers 1894-1923
Author
Finding aid created by the Special Collections Department at Utah State University
Date
©2008
Description rules
Finding Aid Based On Dacs (Describing Archives: A Content Standard, 2nd Edition)
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding guide is in English in Latin script.
Sponsor
Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant, 2007-2008

Revision Statements

  • July 25, 2008.: Template information was updated to reflect Utah Manuscript Association best practices.
  • 2009: Template information was updated to reflect Archives West best practice guidelines.

Repository Details

Part of the Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives Repository

Contact:
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
3000 Old Main Hill
Logan Utah 84322-3000 United States
435 797-8248
435 797-2880 (Fax)