Buckeye Irrigation Co. Celebrates

Paying Off Indebtedness.

Saturday, January 14th, 1950, was a big day with the farmers of the Buckeye Irrigation Company. The day they had been looking for, for the last 43 years, celebrating the fact that they were free of debt, something few canal companies of comparable size can say.

It was decided by the board of directors some months ago, to put on some sort of celebration as befitting the occasion. A bag barbeque was the final decision, with all stockholders past and present and their families to participate.

Jack and Pete Narramore were selected to cook the meat. And we will say here and now they did a mighty good job of it. A beef and a half, 600 pounds were prepared for the feast. Johnny Dew, Carroll Parkman and Olin Webb cooked the beans, 100 pounds of them, with the women of the Buckeye Grammar School Cafeteria, where the big event was help, preparing the coleslaw and supervising the serving of the meal.

It was estimated that about 350 people were fed. This was considerably lower than was anticipated by the committee as they had made preparations to feed about 600.

After dinner, Thornton Jones took over and put on a short program over a loud speaker system installed by the Auctioneer Herman Moore of Phoenix. Mr. Jones introduced some of the men who helped organize the present Buckeye Irrigation Company and had aleading part in the conduct of its affairs. Among those introduced were Henry Hamels, the first president, 1907; W.A. Evans, vice-president, 1908; Judge Stanford, who was judge in the water suit known as the Benson-Allison decree, 1917; Attorney Floyd Stahl who handled the legal side of the recently concluded water suit begun in 1929, against the Roosevelt Irrigation District, Salt River Water Users Association and other canal companies. Also, John L. Gust, Jr. son of the late John L. Gust, who was the company’s attorney for 40 years or more and L.G. Galland, who helped many farmers over a rough place with a timely loan, was present and also introduced.

Mr. Jones gave a brief review of the organization and first location of the Buckeye Canal down to the organization of the present company in March, 1907. He read the names and gave the years of service of every man that had served on the board from the organization in 1907 down to the present time, introducing any of the old members that were present. He also gave a list of all the former presidents and the number of years each one served. He then reviewed the growth and work of the present company down to date, emphasizing the fact that the company wwas out of debt and now had a clear slate to start writing on. One of the present directors expressed himself as “now being out of debt we want to so manage the affairs of the company that from no on out, we pay our way as we go and not go in debt again.”

The Buckeye High School Band furnished music for the occasion under the direction and leadership of their band master, John McConnell.

The committee of canal board members responsible for the big day and its complete success were Bob Long, Othel Narramore and Lloyd Hazen.