Sacramento Valley Sugar Company Records
Scope and Contents
The collection covers a period of time from 1905 to 1963, with only a very small amount of material representing the period after 1958. The collection is organized in sections under the various company names, which were adopted in a series of corporate reorganizations. These are: Pacific Sugar Construction Company (1905-1909), Alta California Sugar Company (1905-1909), Hamilton Land Company (1906-1935), Alta California Sugar Company-Sacramento Valley Sugar Company combined (1911-1928), Pacific Sugar Company- Sacramento Valley Sugar Company combined (1905-1930), and Sacramento River Farms, Ltd. (1930-1961).
Large number of records including company by-laws, payroll ledgers, annual reports, minutes, photographs, water rights, leaseholds, maps. Subjects include labor records, railroad competition, eastern and oil money, land speculation, land distribution, agricultural mechanization, crop experiments, irrigation projects, creation and distribution of electric power, ethnic minorities, fossil fuels, alternative fuels, crop disease, water transportation, roads, bridges, levees, sugar tariffs, sugar factory mechanization, and town planning.
The geographic area covered: Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Tehama Counties in California and Klamath County, Oregon, some parts of Sutter, Yolo Counties of California as well.
The company purchased or leased part of Capay Rancho (Mexican Land Grand in California) and leased part of Stanford Vina Ranch (owned by California Governor Leland Stanford).
Information about Southern Pacific Railroad line and spurs is of special interest. Also of interest is information on Pacific Gas & Electric and their early operations.
Additionally, there are embossing stamps used by each of the aforementioned companies.
Dates
- 1905 - 1963
- Majority of material found within 1905 - 1958
Creator
- Sacramento Valley Sugar Company (Organization)
Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research without restriction.
Usage Restrictions
No restrictions.
Biographical / Historical
Pacific Sugar Construction Company and Alta California Beet Sugar Company were established by James Hamilton in 1905 after purchasing part of the Capay Rancho and Wilson Ranch. Both properties were adjacent to each other across the Sacramento River. Hamilton was backed by Thomas Bard and his associates from Union Oil Company for the purpose of developing the sugar beet industry in the central Sacramento Valley. It was the first agribusiness to develop in Northern California. The plant later became part of the Holly Sugar Corporation, which discontinued processing sugar in 1996 and the plant was partially demolished in 2006.
Extent
84 Linear Feet (216 Boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Business records for Sacramento Valley Sugar Company 1905-1958, consisting of correspondence, financial, administrative, legal, and property documents.
Arrangement
Though much of the material has been kept in the order in which it was received, some of the material had to be rearranged. Chronology and the relatedness of subject matter have been the main guides in arranging the collection.
Pacific Sugar Construction Company
Box 1-9, Correspondence
Box 10-17, Financial
Box 18-21, Administrative
Hamilton Land Company
Box 22, Correspondence
Box 23-25, Financial
Box 26-28, Administrative
Alta California Beet Sugar Company – Sacramento Valley Sugar Company combined
Box 31-33, Financial
Box 29-30, Administrative
Pacific Sugar Construction Company – Sacramento Valley Sugar Company combined
Box 34-37, Financial
Box 146, Administrative
Sacramento River Farms- Sacramento Valley Sugar Company combined
Box 38-41, Correspondence
Box 53, Financial
Box 44-48, 51-52 Administrative
Box 42-43, Legal
Box 49-50, PG &E, Utilities
Sacramento Valley Sugar Company
Box 54-104, Correspondence
Box 105-118, 127-129, 136-145, 147, Financial
Box 122-126, 132, 146, Administrative
Box 119-121, 130, Legal
Box 130-131, 133, Property
Sacramento River Farms
Box 148-160, Correspondence
Box 161-193, 198-200, 209-213, Financial
Box 197, Administrative
Box 194, 196, 202, Legal
Box 195, 196, 201, Property
Box 198, 204-208, Utilities
Publication Rights
The library can only claim physical ownership of the collection. Users are responsible for satisfying any claimants of literary property.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Berylwood Investment Company, 1965
Material Cataloged Separately
The following photographs have been cataloged separately and filed with the Historic Photo Collection.
sc1906 sc1918 sc3399 sc1933 sc1943 sc2011 sc2061
sc1907 sc1922 sc3503 sc1934 sc1945 sc2026 sc3379
sc1908 sc1923 sc1926 sc1935 sc1963 sc2028 sc3399
sc1909 sc1924 sc1928 sc1938 sc1969 sc2030 sc3407
sc1910 sc1925 sc1930 sc1939 sc1970 sc2034
sc1915 sc3366 sc1931 sc1940 sc1975 sc2036
Maps
The maps show lands owned, leased, leveled, and cropped at various times. Also depicted are railroad rights-of-way, the layout to lots in Hamilton city, and the location of water and power lines in Hamilton City, the Capay Ranch, and proposed subdivisions. The maps have been cataloged separately and individually. Some still in the cataloging process. To locate the most recent additions to the catalog record search the library catalog under keywords: MSS001 and map.
G4363 G5 J6 1918 P3 (N.E. Cal)
G4363 G5 J6 1919 P3 (N.E. Cal)
G4363 G5 J6 1920 P3 (N.E. Cal)
G4363 G5 J6 1922 P3 (N.E. Cal)
G4363 G5 J6 1923 P3 (N.E. Cal)
G4363 G5 J6 1924 P3 (N.E. Cal)
G4363 G5 J6 1925 P3 (N.E. Cal)
G4363 G5 J6 1926 P3 (N.E. Cal)
G4363 G5 J6 1927 P3 (N.E. Cal)
G4363 G5 J6 1928 P3 (N.E. Cal)
G4363 G5 J6 1929 P3 (N.E. Cal)
G4363 G5 B5 1908 C4 (N.E. Cal)
G4365 G5 G46 1908 L3 (N.E. Cal)
G4363 G5 G46 1914 R9 (N.E. Cal)
G4365 G5 G46 1919 G5 (N.E. Cal)
G4363 G5 G46 1920 R9 (N.E. Calif)
G4363 G5 G46 1920 S2 (N.E. Cal)
G4365 G5 G46 1923 A4 (N.E. Cal)
G4363 G5 G46 1929 H6 (N.E. Cal)
uncataloged maps: 82-148
Card Catalogs available
Pacific Sugar Construction Company
Name index
Subject index
Alta California Sugar Company
Name index
Subject index
Hamilton Land Company
Name index
Subject index
Sacramento Valley Sugar Company
Name index
Subject index
Sacramento River Farms
Subject index
Processing Information
Processed by: Bill Jones
Finding aid updated by: Pamela Nett Kruger
Creator
- Sacramento Valley Sugar Company (Organization)
- Title
- Sacramento Valley Sugar Company Records
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Bill Jones, Updated by Pamela Nett Kruger, Encoded by Leilani Silver
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the California State University, Chico, Special Collections, Meriam Library Repository
California State University Chico
400 West First Street
Chico CA 95929-0295 USA US
SpecialCollections@csuchico.edu