Collection M 001, Record Group 11:
History of Fort Lewis College:
records in the Archives

RG 11    Fort Lewis history
(This record group includes records from before Fort Lewis was a four-year college, and historical records of the baccalaureate college.)

• Historical note: visit the "Old" Fort Lewis College Web site at http://oldfort.fortlewis.edu
   
• History of the development of Fort Lewis College, including its property rights and much more, compiled from official documents by Joe Perino, Director of Facilities Planning, 2005


• Old Fort Lewis Task Force records are in Series 20.D.10. The Old Fort Lewis Task Force was assembled in 2008 to determine management strategies for the Old Fort Lewis Hesperus campus.
   
• Three Fort Lewis histories by Southwest faculty of Fort Lewis College:
  & A Time for Peace: Fort Lewis, Colorado, 1878-1891 / book by Duane A. Smith.  Niwot, Colo.: University Press of Colorado, 2006.  Call number F784.F566S45 2006.
  & Sacred trust : the birth and development of Fort Lewis College  / by Duane A. Smith ; foreword by Joel M. Jones.  Niwot, Colo.: University Press of Colorado, 1991.  Call number: LD1816 .S67 1991
  & Blue coats, red skins & black gowns : 100 years of Fort Lewis / by R. W. Delaney.  Durango, Colo.: Durango Herald, 1977.  Call number: LD1833 .D4

11.A    Military post records, 1878-1891: these are in a separate collection M 118, in 1 document case.

•  Click here for a brief biographical sketch of Fort Lewis's namesake Lieutenant Colonel William H. Lewis.

11.B    Indian school records, 1891-1910

• See also M 211: Fort Lewis Indian School federal records -- three document cases of archival photocopies at the Center of Southwest Studies.
• And also see the Colorado State Archives' online list of names from the Fort Lewis and Grand Junction Indian Industrial Schools in the 1900 Federal Census

11.B.1    Outgoing correspondence to U.S. Commissioner of Indian Affairs, 1894-1896, 1902-1906,  in 1 document case; arrangement is chronological, with subjects contents indexes.

11.B.2    Outgoing correspondence to other than the U.S. Commissioner of Indian Affairs, 1904-1906, 1891-1911, in 2 document cases; arrangement is chronological, with some subject indexes of the contents.

11.B.3    Reports, 1892-1911, in 1 document case.
 

(arrangement of Series 11.C.1 through 11.C.3 is chronological; within each year the folders are arranged alphabetically by the name of the Fort Lewis High School dean's correspondent)

• Historical note: On April 4, 1910 by an Act of the Colorado Legislature (Senate Bill #1 introduced by Senator West), the Fort Lewis School was established as a School of Agricultural and Mechanical Arts and Household Arts, with funding for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1911 and ending June 30, 1912. The initial appropriation was "for the biennial period of 1911 and 1912, the sum of $60,000."  (We have a copy of this Act document in this collection M 001, Series 11.C.11.)
• For a list of graduates, 1914-1926, compiled by Beth Lashell, go to http://oldfort.fortlewis.edu/newpage11.htm

• Access note: a calendar of the dean's correspondence contents is located in front of most every folder of correspondence.

11.C.1    Gifford, William I., correspondence, 1914-1936 (bulk years 1924-1932), in 1 document case.

• Historical note: W. I. Gifford was a member of the State Board of Agriculture from Hesperus.

11.C.2    Snyder, George F., correspondence, 1915-1934, in 9 document cases.

Historical note: G. F. Snyder was Dean of Fort Lewis High School.

Includes personnel records, circa 1915-1916, and water rights records compiled by Dean Snyder circa 1930-1948.  See also Series 11.C.7

11.C.3    Dean E. H. Bader, records and correspondence, circa 1920-1933, in 6 document cases.

11.C.4    Financial records, in 4 document cases and 4 flat boxes (includes 18 cash book ledgers, 1911-1946, and similar records useful for identifying Fort Lewis students) (see also Series 11.D.4 for later accounts receivable records listing student payments)

11.C.5    Inventories, 1920-1931, in 1 document case.

11.C.6    Student transcripts, in 2 document cases (includes a ledger, ca. 1915-192-, of  "records of final standing", in which entry pages are filed alphabetically by student's surname) (see also Series 18.J.12 for transcripts of Fort Lewis College students)

11.C.7    Personnel correspondence, 1911-1948, in 2 document cases (arrangement is alphabetical by name of employee, then chronological within each folder).   Click here to view list of folder titles.

11.C.8    Class books, 1888 and 1915-1929, in 1/2 document case.

11.C.9    Class schedules, 1918-1920 and 1931-1932, in 1/2 document case.

11.C.10    Student enrollment records, 1919-1933, in 3 document cases.

11.C.11    Historical data, 1910-1930s, in 1/2  document case.

11.C.12    Instructors' reports, 1924-1933, in 1/2 document case.  These are class lists; the form contains students' names and grades; this series is continued by College students' records in Series 18.J.3.

11.C.13    Water use / water rights records (Hesperus campus) 1902-1957, 1964, and 1974, in 3 document cases (arrangement of folders is chronological).  The following table contains the folder list:

• Contents note: includes water rights litigation records and correspondence, and La Plata River irrigation records affecting Fort Lewis, such as records of the Hay Gulch Ditch Company, 1916-, the H.H. Ditch Company of La Plata County, 1926, and the San Juan Water Users Association, 1929-; also includes records of the Lory Spring pumping station and chlorination plant, 1951-1952.

Box	Folder	Folder title (in Series 11.C.13)	Year span/ dates
1	1	Hay Gulch Ditch Co., records and correspondence	1902-1936
1	2	Fort Lewis College (Hesperus, Colo.) water litigation: Hay Gulch Ditch water rights legal documents and correspondence	1910-1919
1	3	Hesperus Campus, water rights 1914 decree	1914
1	4	Water rights records and correspondence of Deans G. F. Snyder and E. H Bader	1915-1926
1	5	La Plata River Water Users Assn. records and correspondence of Dean E. H. Bader	1915-1930
1	6	Hesperus Campus, Hay Gulch ditch water rights	1916/09
1	7	Hay Gulch Ditch Company (Hesperus, Colo.), records and correspondence	[1916]-1945
1	8	Hesperus Campus, Hay Gulch Ditch water rights,	1917/03
1	9	Hesperus Campus, Parrot Ditch water rights	1918/06/13
1	10	Parrott Ditch water rights purchase from James W. Jarvis by State Board of Agriculture, escrow deposit receipt, and correspondence, [4 pgs]	1918/12/12
1	11	Hesperus Campus, abstract of title No. 6733B Parrot Ditch	1919-1955
1	12	H.H. Ditch Company of La Plata County (Colo.), records and correspondence	1920-1937
1	13	Fort Lewis School (Hesperus, Colo.) water litigation: Alfalfa Ditch to Ammons Ditch diversion point change decree [6pgs]	1922/04/08
1	14	Water rights, court decree of division 4 water rights	1922/11/27
1	15	Department of the Interior, geological survey maps and printed materials	[1927-1928]
1	16	Water rights records and correspondence of Dean G.F. Snyder and E. H Bader	1927-1930
1	17	Water Rights, court decree of division 4 water rights	1928/07/16
1	18	San Juan Basin Water Users Association (Durango, Colo.), records and correspondence	1929-1933
1	19	Water Rights, records and correspondence, undated	[1930s?]
1	20	Fort Lewis College (Hesperus, Colo.) domestic water use rights correspondence, by George F. Snyder	1930
1	21	Ben Arriza versus John Drew Smith, legal documents (Breen, Colo.)	1931
1	22	Irrigation System Proposal, report by R. L. Parshall	1931
1	23	Water rights records and correspondence of Dean G. F. Snyder and E. H. Bader	1931-1933
1	24	Water rights records and correspondence of Dean E. H Bader	1935-1938
1	25	Irrigation stabilization and agricultural rehabilitation in the La Plata River Basin of Colorado and New Mexico, report by Witt. Sawhill, Colo. State College Agricultural Extension Service [1 vol.; 42 pages and inserts]	1935/03
1	26	Economic report on the possibility and necessity of irrigation stabilization in the Pine River Area of Colorado, report by W. H. Sawhill, Colo. State College Agricultural Extension Service, produced at the request of the pine River Water Users’ Association and the Durango Chamber of Commerce	1935/03-08
1	27	Water rights Hesperus campus, reservoir meeting minutes	1936/02/07
1	28	Chlorination Plant, records and correspondence	1938
1	29	Fort Lewis College (Hesperus, Colo.) domestic water use rights correspondence by E. H. Bader	1939
1	30	National irrigation policy: its development and significance¸ handbook, San Juan and Delores Rivers Water Users Association,	1939/02/27
1	31	[Public – No. 260 – 76th Congress] [Chapter 418 – 1st Session] [H.R. 698]: An Act to provide a feasible and comprehensive plan for the variable payment of construction charges on United States reclamation projects, to protect the investment of the United States in such projects, and for other purposes,  booklet, San Juan and Dolores Rivers Water Users Association	1939/08/04
1	32	San Juan and Dolores Rivers Water Users Association, records and correspondences	1939
1	33	National Reclamation Association, newsletters, San Juan and Dolores Rivers Water Users Association,	1939/07/14-1940/02/27
1	34	San Juan and Dolores Rivers Water users Association, records and correspondence	1940
1	35	Water rights Hesperus campus, records and correspondence	1940/06 – 1941/02
2	1	Water Rights Hesperus Campus, notice of civil action #4952, (Hesperus, Colo.)	1941/9
2	2	Civil action #4952, (Hesperus, Colo.), Ben Arriza, Frank Chéole, Reide Coppinger, and William I. Gifford … vs. J. R. Williams, … Fort Lewis Branch … et al., legal papers	1941-1942
2	3	Water rights Hesperus campus, Fort Lewis College, records and correspondence	1941/12-1942/06
2	4	Water rights Hesperus campus, Fort Lewis College, records and correspondence	1942/07-12
2	5	Water rights records and correspondence of Dean E. H. Bader	1942
2	6	Fort Lewis College (Hesperus, Colo.) water litigation: Edwards Spring: Ben Arriza vs. J. R. Williams, et al., records and correspondence of E. H. Bader	1942
2	7	Fort Lewis College (Hesperus, Colo.) water litigation: Reid Coppinger, petitions, action, findings and decrees	[1942-1947]
2	8	Water rights, Hesperus campus, Fort Lewis College, records and correspondence	1943
2	9	Fort Lewis College (Hesperus, Colo.) water litigation: Edwards Spring, records and correspondence of E. H. Bader	1943
2	10	Abstract of Title no. 6733A the Hay Gulch Irrigating Ditch, compiled by The La Plata County Abstract of Title Co. (Durango, Colo.)	1943/06
2	11	Abstract of Title no. 6733B the Parrott Ditch, compiled by The La Plata County Abstract of Title Co. (Durango, Colo.)	1943/06
2	12	Abstract of Title no. 6733C the Alfalfa Ditch, Lory Spring Ditch, Taylor Spring Ditch, and the Ammons Ditch, compiled by The La Plata County Abstract of Title Co. (Durango, Colo.)	1943/06
2	13	Abstract of Title no. 6733A the Hay Gulch Irrigating Ditch, compiled by The La Plata County Abstract of Title Co. (Durango, Colo.), copy, and Fort Lewis A&M College: summary of water rights	1943-1955
2	14	Abstract of Title no. 6733C the Alfalfa Ditch, Lory Spring Ditch, Taylor Spring Ditch, and the Ammons Ditch, compiled by The La Plata County Abstract of Title Co. (Durango, Colo.) [copy], and Ditch-water-reservoir rights SBA	1943-1955
2	15	Water rights records and correspondence of Dean E. H. Bader	1944
2	16	Water Rights, Hesperus Campus, Fort Lewis College, records and correspondence,	1944
2	17	La Plata Water Conservancy District, records and correspondence	1944
2	18	La Plata Water Conservancy District records and correspondence of Dean E. H. Bader	1944-1945
2	19	Southwestern Water Conservation District records and correspondence of Dean E. H. Bader	1944/1945
2	20	A study of proposed irrigation in the Ten Plains States, report by U.S. Department of Agriculture [1 vol.; 66pgs] and cover memo	1944/08-1944/10/13
2	21	La Plata Water Conservancy District, records and correspondence	1945
2	22	Water rights, Hesperus campus, Fort Lewis College, records and correspondence	1945
2	23	Water rights records and correspondence of Dean E. H. Bader	1945-1946
2	24	Reclamation meeting records and certificate	1945
2	25	Water sample test results, correspondence	1945-1946
2	26	Fort Lewis College (Hesperus, Colo.) water litigation: Reid Coppinger, petitions, correspondence, compiled by E.H. Bader, et al.	1945-1947
2	27	Foreword, Colorado Water Conservation Board,	[1946]
2	28	Fort Lewis College (Hesperus, Colo.) water litigation: Edwards Spring: Ben Arriza vs. J. R. Williams, et al., records and correspondence of E. H. Bader	1946-1948
2	29	La Plata Water Conservancy District, records and correspondence	1946
2	30	Water Rights Coppinger Transfer of Diversion Point, records and correspondence	1946
3	1	Colorado River Water Users Association, records and correspondence	1947
3	2	Southwester Water Conservation District, meeting minutes	1947/08/19
3	3	Report on domestic water supply system, by Phillips-Carter-Osborn, Inc. Engineers, (Durango Colo.)	1949/12
3	4	Lory Spring pumping station and chlorination plant, development records and correspondence	1949-1951
3	5	Water Rights, records and correspondence	1949
3	6	Water samples laboratory examination reports by San Juan Basin Health Department (Durango, Colo.)	1949
3	7	Water sample tests, results and correspondence	1950
3	8	Water Development, report of inspection of Fort Lewis A&M water supply for domestic and irrigation use [1 vol. 7 pgs], [7 copies]	1950/11/17
3	9	Water Development, machinery and equipment bids, records, and correspondence	1950-1952
3	10	Water Development, machine equipment bids and correspondence	1951
3	11	Lory Springs pumping station and chlorination plant plans and specifications, by Allison L. Kroeger, (Durango, Colo.) [1 vol.; 38 pgs.] [2X], and cover letter to James R. Miller by Charles D. Rea	1951/09/26
3	12	Water Development, contract and related correspondence	1951
3	13	Water Development, project specifications signed of by Sanitation Division of Colorado State Department of Public Health	1951
3	14	Water sample tests, results and correspondence	1951
3	15	Fort Lewis College (Hesperus, Colo.) water improvement and chlorination plant project records and correspondence, Allison L. Kroeger, consulting engineer, et al.	1951-1952
3	16	Lory Spring pumping station and chlorination plant (Hesperus, Colo.) work contract stipulations	1951/05
3	17	Fort Lewis College (Hesperus, Colo.) water improvement and chlorination plant project expenses records and correspondence, by McKelvey  (Durango, Colo.)	1952
3	18	Hesperus campus, summary of water rights	1955/03/31
3	19	San Juan and Dolores Rivers Water Users Association, area map of water projects [1 original, 1 copy]	1955/09
3	20	Some main points of the water supply act of 1958, water rights	1958
3	21	Fort Lewis College (Hesperus Campus) water supply reservoir work re-bidding, correspondence with Western Engineers (Grand Junction, Colo.)	1962.01
3	22	Reclamation Era,  magazine,	1964/08
3	23	Hesperus campus, water rights miscellaneous records	1965-2002
3	24	San Juan ecology project, forest ecosystems quarterly report no. 14,	1974/01/01-1974/04/10
3	25	Fort Lewis A&M College, ditch water rights, undated	Undated

11.C.14    Publicity materials,1912-1915, 1920s-1932, and 1950-1974, in 1 document case (includes newspaper clippings).  The following table contains the folder list:

Box	Folder	Folder title (in Series 11.C.14)	Year span/ dates
1	1	High school records, 1911-1933, Fort Lewis College publicity materials, newspaper clippings	1911-1933
1	2	Fort Lewis College summer school printed materials	1912
1	3	Fort Lewis College school admission fees	1912-1913
1	4	Fort Lewis College brochure (copy)	1913
1	5	Fort Lewis College brochures and courses of study	1914
1	6	Fort Lewis College publicity	1914
1	7	Fort Lewis College, The Denver Times newspaper clippings	1915/08/23
1	8	Working draft of brochure for Fort Lewis School, printed material	1917
1	9	Fort Lewis College publicity materials	[1912] – [1920s]
1	10	Fort Lewis High School, promotional brochure	[ca. 1920s]
1	11	Sample letter for Members of the Twenty-sixth General Assembly, requesting ample provision to open a college at Fort Lewis	1926-1927
1	12	Women’s Christian Temperance Union of Colorado, meeting program for annual convention, held at Fort Lewis	1928/06/06
1	13	Fort Lewis College commencement exercises, invitation and program	1929/05/26-28
1	14	Fort Lewis College publicity releases, printed materials	1930-1932
1	15	Dean Snyder’s death, newspaper clipping	1934/11/20

11.C.15    Final exams, 1914. Includes exams administered in physics, chemistry, english, farm motors, and types and breeds of farm animals.