Photo of the Auburn Fire Dept. No. 1, (taken in 1929). The building was moved to the corner of Lincoln Way & El Dorado Street and can still be seen there. The original location can be established by the large Eucalyptus tree still standing near the Placer Sierra Bank Administrative Offices. The long alley way on the left side of the photo led back to the Auburn Lumber Co. yard.
The early development of the irrigation and domestic water supply of Placer County was recalled by J. L. Elder, who was employed by the original water companies of this area in the 1880's.
These companies, the Bear River Canal Company and the South Yuba Water Company, laid the foundation for the present water system of the Pacific Gas & Electric Company.
When he first came to Auburn as a boy in 1875, Elder recalls that the town depended mainly on wells and springs for its water. William Crutcher (Crutcher Court) operated a local water company, which carried water from springs at Bowman and other near-by points in lead and wooden pipes.
There were two canals running through this area at that time, the Bear River canal, which ran from a point north of Colfax down as far as Rocklin; and the Gold Hill ditch, which ran from Bear River through the Mt. Vernon and Gold Hill areas. These were miner's ditches, begun as early as 1854 and used solely for mining purposes. They were built by the land owners over whose property they passed, the owners in turn receiving script which they could trade for water when the canal was completed. The mining ditches continued to be used as long as gold mining continued on a major scale, after which they were abandoned.
When Elder returned to this area the second time in 1886, the agricultural industry had developed to the point where there was a demand for irrigation water, and the canals were being repaired for that purpose.
The family settled in the Lone Star District, and Elder and his father, Robert Elder, went to work for the Bear River Canal Company in 1888.
Elder served as gate tender and ditch tender on the Gold Hill ditch, which was restored to use in 1889.
He recalls that a water system was installed in Auburn in 1887 by the Bear River Canal Company, which was operated at that time by Fred Birdsall, whose offices were located on the second floor of the old Auburn firehouse opposite the Freeman Hotel. (See photo)
In 1892, the water system was purchased by the South Yuba Water Company, which also operated ditches in the Nevada County area. John Spaulding was Superintendent of the Company, which continued to maintain its offices here. The South Yuba began the construction of the large dams in Bear Valley from which the water supply of this area is still obtained.
Elder continued to work for the company until 1902. He had charge of rebuilding the Camp Far West ditch, which supplied water to the area around Sheridan. Shortly after the turn of the century, the South Yuba Company was purchased by the PG&E with H. M. Cooper and W. R. Arthur taking charge of the local offices. Elder returned to work for the PG&E in 1908, holding a number of jobs, including foreman of construction crews and collector.
During the 30 years that he was connected with water companies in this area, he saw their growth from the reopening of the miners ditches to the era of electricity and the establishment of the large power and water industry now in operation. A slate left on the front door of the fire house was his office force, "uptown", it was used by patrons to write their orders.