WHISKEYTOWN Historic Resource Study

Record Book E, pp. 655-56:

Be it known to all Men that These present Certify That we John D. Smith of Shasta in the County of Shasta, Cornelius S. Whitney late of Shasta aforesaid and now of the City and County of San Francisco, and Washington P. McCseary of the City and County of Sacramento all in the State of California have this Twenty third day of May A.D. 1857 associated ourselves under and pursuant to the Act of the Legislature of the State of California Entitled an "Act to provide for the formation of Corporations passed April the 15th A.D. 1853," And under & pursuant to the provisions of an Act of the Said Legislature passed in the Eight Session thereof and approved March 27th A.D. 1857 Supplementary to the first above Mentioned Act for the purpose of forming an Incorporated Company for the following objects to wit,

To enlarge the dimensions & to extend the line and the Branches of a Canal or Ditch Called and known by the Name of the Clear Creek "Canal," Now owned by us and Jesse Rhodes of Shasta which Canal or Ditch commences at a point on Clear Creek called "Tower House" at the junction of the Weaverville & Yreka Roads and runs a distance of about forty five miles to within about three miles of the town of Shasta in the County of Shasta & State aforesaid and from which main Canal Seven principal Branches have been formed & Completed and which are called respectively Gravel Hill, Horse Town, Jackass Flat, Texas Springs, Squaw Town, Oregon Gulch, & Centre Ville and from which principal Branches Smaller Branches issue, and upon the line of which Canal there are Six Reservoirs Situated respectively at Horse Town, Briggsville, Hill, Middle Town Upper Texas Springs, and Oregon Gulch which are supplied with Water from said Canal & from some of the Branches thereof are made & Constructed by us between the 25th day of December 1853 and the 21st day December 1855 and of which Canal & all its appurtenances we have now and have had the possession & ownership Since the said 25th of December 1853 and of the revenue of which we are now in the enjoyment. Also to continue to Convey the Water of Clear Creek aforesaid in said Canal and its several branches and all water flowing into the same and along the south [?] there off [sic] for the purpose of supplying the mining Districts in the County of Shasta aforesaid along the line of said Canal and in the neighborhood thereof and all Mining Districts between the source of said Canal & Shasta aforesaid and particularly for the supplying the various places herein already Mentioned and the County Surrounding them with water for Mining and all other purposes And to Sell and dispose of said Water and of any other water which may be made tributary to said Canal for Mining & other Uses; and to apply the same to all the purposes of the Company:

That the name and Style of the said Corporation shall be the Shasta County Canal Company That the Capital Stock of the said Company Shall be three Hundred Thousand shares of One Hundred dollars a Share

That the time of the existance of said Company shall be fifty Years from the date of these presents that the number of Trustees who shall Manage the Concerns of the Company for the first three months and untill their Successors are qualified shall be three and that such three Trustees shall be the said John D Smith Cornelius S. Whitney Washington P. McCseary all of whom are native-born-American Citizens and that the principal place of Business of the Company Shall be in Shasta aforesaid.

[May 23, 1857]