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Upland Public Library Local History Collection For more information on the copyright or about this image, please contact the Upland Public Library at (909) 931-4205 or ci.upland.ca.us/#Local_History
Description
These recordings are of an interview with Robert L. Hickcox, which took place in 1980. Hickcox was born in 1911 and Hickcox’s family moved to Etiwanda in 1891 where is grandfather became zanjero for the Etiwanda Water Company. Hickcox gave an overview of what life was like growing up in Etiwanda at that time. He also discussed how the water system prior to 1927 consisted of a concrete reservoir on each grove that held five to six thousand gallons of water each. These reservoirs were filled from gravity flow water from the Day Canyon in the Etiwanda Canyons. Just after that, the Mutual Water Company was founded. Hickcox discussed how electricity came to Etiwanda and how more people began to use electric heaters. He discussed how Kaiser Steel Company came to the region and many people gained employment there, including himself. He recalled that the Chaffey family organized a mutual water company in 1882. Then in 1927, the Etiwanda Domestic Water Association was created. During the time of the interview, the Etiwanda Water Company was split between three other companies. In 1957, the Etiwanda Domestic Water Association sold to Southwest Water Company. Hickcox discussed the growth of the area. He also mentioned that he managed two water companies, the Etiwanda Water Company and the Cucamonga County Water District. The interview discussed the changing rainfall over time, and how there was a shortage of water from 1882 to 1927. Hickcox discussed water and its relationship to fault lines. Hickcox went into great detail about life in Etiwanda discussing religious organizations, liquor stores, and many other things that composed the everyday life of people who lived there. Hickcox returned to his story about the water company, where he described what his responsibilities were. He discussed what he thought the future of Etiwanda would be. At the end of the interview he reflected on the incorporation of the city of Rancho Cucamonga. The audio recording of tape 1, side 2 continues beyond the length of the oral history transcription that ends on page 29 and includes text to approximately the 00:11:58 mark of tape 1, side 2. The portion that is not included in the transcript covers Hickcox's wife's career, his children's education, Hickcox's schooling, and agriculture.
Audio cassette tape, 2 cassette tapes, Oral History #141 and #142: San Antonio Water Company Oral History Collection, Upland Public Library Local History Collection.
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