Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout24GA1959 Story Ditch Site Form HISTORIC IRRIGATION DITCH INVENTORY _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ HISTORIC NAME: Story Ditch SITE NO. 24GA1959 COMMON NAME: USGS Quad: Bozeman, Montana (Provisional Edition 1987) Township/Range: T2S R6E, Section 7: NWSWSE, SENWSE, SWSENE, NWSENE, SENENE; and Section 8: NWSWNW, SESWNW, SWSENW, NESENW, SENENW UTMS: Zone: 12N Easting:497496.466 Northing:5057703.295 Beginning Easting:498029.361 Northing:5058418.649 End Private: Owner: William L. Davis % Ramon S. White, Water Right only Public: City of Bozeman Address: Date of Construction: c. 1894 Estimated Documented XX Builder: Unknown Original Owner: Unknown Resource Sources: Plat records/maps ______ Tax Records ______ Newspapers ____________ Biographies ______ Montana Water Resources Survey ___X____ Local Histories _______ Where Diverted: The point of diversion is on Bozeman Creek (formerly known as Sourdough Creek) in the SWSWSE of Section 7, T2S R6E. Ditch-related Structures Observed: No _______ Yes ___X____ Describe: The site is a combination of an irrigation ditch and natural drainage identified in the 1953 State Engineer’s Office Water Resources Survey of Gallatin County as the Story Ditch (State Engineers Office 1953). It is also known as the Story Mill Ditch, the Mill Ditch, the Montana Flour Mills Ditch and the McAdow Ditch (Maxwell 2011). The point of diversion is on Bozeman Creek (formerly known as Sourdough Creek) in the SWSWSE of Section 7, T2S R6E. Boards are placed across Bozeman Creek in a concrete diversion structure that allows the water level to rise and to flow into a buried pipe that then conveys the water underground for approximately 200 feet and empty into a natural drainage. According to Maxwell (2011), “from the check dam, a weathered concrete pipe 36 inches in diameter draws available water from Bozeman Creek eastward to South Church Avenue. Once through the initial twenty-foot culvert, the first expose stretch is noteworthy for the concise streambed behind a row of condos and a choked run through cottonwoods south of Galligator Trail. The second and third culverts where the ditch passes under the trail and downstream under Church Avenue are designed for double the carrying capacity of the initial pipe. Once beyond the street, the Story Mill Ditch becomes wide and lazy with plenty of room to fatten up as the ditch ambles along the foot of Pete’s Hill and eventually separates the new public library from the slope of Lindley Park”. The water resource survey of Gallatin County indicates the drainage/ditch empties into the East Fork of the Gallatin River in the SENENW of Section 8, T2S R6E (State Engineer’s Office 1953). The ditch is now surrounded by urban development. Ethnoscience examined a 0.46-mile long segment of the ditch within the project area. From the point of diversion to a point on the east side of the Gallagator Trail, water is conveyed via a buried pipe that is approximately 200 ft in length. The pipe then empties into a natural, unlined drainage that flows in a northeast direction. The drainage is approximately 14 feet wide and 3 to 4 feet deep in the center. The drainage and buried pipe is no longer used and several trees have taken root within the drainage. One feature was examined during the 2016 investigation. Feature 1 is a concrete diversion structure that straddles Bozeman Creek. At this location Bozeman Creek flows northward. The structure consists of two concrete walls between which flows the 27 ft wide channel of Bozeman Creek. Each wall is 24 ft long and 18 inches wide, and oriented north-south. Both walls have 12 ft long concrete wing walls at the north and south ends. A metal frame walkway is attached to the concrete walls on either side of the diversion structure across the creek. The deck of the walk way is 30 ft long and is covered with two 12-inch wide wood planks. Two segments of old railroad track serve as reinforcement braces on the north side of the walkway. When water is diverted from the creek, boards are lowered from the walkway and placed on the upstream (south) side of the metal framing. This forces the flowing water in the channel to rise and flow into a 3-ft diameter pipe opening in the southeast wing wall. Unlined ___X____ Lined ________ Historical Information: The Story Ditch is presumably named after Nelson Story, a prominent Bozeman businessman in the middle to late 1800s; however, the Statement of Claim Records on the Department of Natural Resource Water Rights website indicate the Enforceable Priority Date is September 30, 1865. This predates Nelson Story’s occupation in Bozeman. An examination of the 1868 General Land Office Map shows the water drainage passing immediately next to the McAdow Mill/Gallatin Flour Mill (Figure 6.4), which was the first flourmill in Gallatin County, and one of the first flourmills in the state (Haines 1984:17). Construction of the mill began in 1864 and was completed in 1865. It is speculated that the original headgate was created to increase the volume and reliability of water along the existing drainage, which was used to power the mill. Smith (1996:250) claims Nelson Story bought the mill in the 1860s. While it is possible that Story may have bought a share in the company, the primary ownership remained in the hands of William McAddow until 1883 (Haines 1984:18). It is likely the property was bought by the Bozeman Electric Company, who took over the McAdow Mill and began providing electricity to Bozeman by 1886. In 1892, the Gallatin, Light, Power and Railway Company bought the property. A few years later they moved further to the south but continued to use the Story Ditch for power (Smith 1994: 176). In 1906, the power plant stopped being used after the Madison River Power Plant was established. In 1912 the mill was destroyed to make way for the Milwaukee railroad (Haines 1984:18). At some point in time, part of the ditch was diverted to the south before it curved north to empty into the East Gallatin River (State Engineer’s Office 1953:38), though when and why this occurred is unknown. It is also unknown when the Montana Flour Milling Company bought the ditch; however, in 1958 the Montana Flour Milling Company sold the ditch and the water rights to the city of Bozeman for $500. In 2011, the city looked into the use of the ditch as a means of controlling floodwaters; however, there were concerns associated with the costs of examining its feasibility, and the need for a permit from the Corps of Engineers because it contributes water to the East Gallatin River (Maxwell 2011). Condition/Integrity: The integrity of the site is poor. At the time the ditch was first put into use, it was in a rural agricultural setting that no longer exists. Today it is located in an urban environment. As a result, the site lacks integrity of feeling and association. Most of the ditch within the project area is a natural drainage and because it is not manmade, it lacks integrity of design, materials, and workmanship. NRHP Eligibility Recommendation: Yes [ ] No [ X ] Undetermined [ ] Eligibility Justification: The ditch is recommended not eligible for listing in the NRHP under Criteria A, B, C, and D. While the site would likely have been a contributing element of the first flourmill in Gallatin County, the Gallatin Mill no longer exists. This site is not sufficient on its own to reflect its importance. Although the name of the ditch and a local history suggests it is associated with the Story Mill, the NRHP register nomination of the Northern Pacific/Story Mill Historic District does not recognize the ditch (Strahn 1994). It is not associated with an important event at the national, regional, or local level. The site is therefore recommended not eligible for inclusion in the NRHP under Criterion A. The site may be associated with significant individuals, but is not associated on it own with why the person is important. It is therefore not recommended under Criterion B. The ditch does not have architectural significance and is recommended not eligible for inclusion in the NRHP under Criterion C. The site is very unlikely to yield further information important in the history of the area and is recommended not eligible for inclusion in the NRHP under Criterion D. Bibliography and Informants: Department of Natural Resources and Conservation 2017 Water Rights Query System accessed January 12, 2017: http://wrqs.dnrc.mt.gov/default.aspx Haines, T. 1984 Flouring Mills of Montana Territory. Friends of the University of Montana Library. Maxwell, Blake 2011 A Storied Answer for Bozeman Creek. Bozeman Magpie. Electronic document. www.bozeman-magpie.com/perspective-full-article.php?article_id=263. Accessed January 2017. State Engineer’s Office 1953 Water Resources Survey Gallatin County, Montana. State Engineer’s Office, Helena, Montana. Strahn, B. Derek 1994 National Register of Historic Places, Section #8 of the Northern Pacific Story Mill Historic District. Electronic document. https://www.tpl.org/sites/default/files/6_National%20Register%20Statement%20of%20Si gnificance%20and%20additional%20historical%20reports.pdf. Accessed January 2017. Form Prepared By: Scott J. Wagers Date: January 18, 2017 Project: Bozeman WaterSmart Project Name: Wagers, Scott J. Report: Bozeman WaterSmart Project: A Class III Cultural Resource Inventory in T2S R6E, Sections 7 and 18, Bozeman, Gallatin County, Montana. T2S R5E T2S R6E 24GA1959 Story Ditch Source: Bozeman, Montana (Provisional Edition 1987) & Kelly Creek, Montana (2000) 7.5 Minute Quadrangles 24GA1959 Story Ditch Scale 1:24,000 For Official Use Only: Disclosure of Sites Prohibited (43 CFR 7.18) p00.25 0.50.125 Miles Service Layer Credits: Copyright:© 2013 National Geographic Society, i-cubed Site Boundary Bozeman KellyCreek %21 I-9 0 E E Main St I - 9 0 W Haggerty Ln E Lamme St S C h u r c h A v e H i g hl a n d B lv d A l l e y E Mendenhall St N R o u s e A v e Davis St N C h u r c h A v e N W a l l a c e A v e B u t t o n w o o d A v e E Curtiss St E Story St N B r o a d w a y A v e S W a l l a c e A v e P l u m A v e C y p r e s s A v e L i n d l e y P l P e r k i n s P l V i l l a g e D o w n t o w n B l v d D e l l P l E x i t 3 0 9 O f f R a m p Frontage Rd G o lf W a y E Babcock St Exit 309 On Ramp S R o u s e A v e E Beall St I d a A v e N M o n t a n a A v e Bogert Pl E Olive St E Koch St A y l s w o r t h A v e E Olive St A l l e y A l l e y A l l e y Alley A l l e y A l l e y Alley Alley Alley E Babcock St 0 1,000 2,000500 Feet 24GA1959 Story Ditch For Official Use Only: Disclosure of Sites Prohibited (43 CFR 7.18)pSource: USDA:NRCS Geospatial Data Gateway - NAIP Imagery Date: 2015. Site Boundary - In Survey Area Site Boundary - Outside Survey Area %2 Diversion Structure B o z e m a n C r e e k G allatin R iv er MONTANA CULTURAL RESOURCES INFORMATION SYSTEM FORM Form No. 8 Photograph(s) Site No.: The Story Ditch diversion structure on Bozeman Creek, view to the west Metal frame walkway spanning Bozeman Creek, view to the northeast MONTANA CULTURAL RESOURCES INFORMATION SYSTEM FORM Walkway railroad track bracing on the downstream side, view to the east Diversion pipe opening in the southeast wing wall, view to the southeast MONTANA CULTURAL RESOURCES INFORMATION SYSTEM FORM The natural drainage portion fo the Story Ditch in Burke Park, view to the north. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Feature Recording Form Smithsonian Number: Feature Number: Feature 1 Feature Name: Story Ditch Diversion Structure BOR Irrigation Project Name: Legal Location:  T2S R6E, Section 7: NWSWSE, SENWSE, SWSENE, NWSENE, SENENE; and Section 8: NWSWNW, SESWNW, SWSENW, NESENW, SENENW UTM Zone/ Coordinates: 12N Easting:497496.466 Northing:5057703.295 Beginning Easting:498029.361 Northing:5058418.649 End USGS Quadrangle/Date: Bozeman, Montana (Provisional Edition 1987) Ownership: City of Bozeman Description: The site is a combination of an irrigation ditch and natural drainage identified in the 1953 State Engineer’s Office Water Resources Survey of Gallatin County as the Story Ditch. The point of diversion is on Bozeman Creek (formerly known as Sourdough Creek) in the SWSWSE of Section 7, T2S R6E. Boards are placed across Bozeman Creek in a concrete diversion structure that allows the water level to rise and to flow into a buried pipe that then conveys the water underground for approximately 200 feet and empty into a natural drainage. This drainage is located along the west side of the base of a hill on top of which is the Sunset Hills Cemetery. According to the water resource survey of Gallatin County, the drainage/ditch empties into the East Fork of the Gallatin River in the SENENW of Section 8, T2S R6E. Based upon the1953 State Engineer’s Office Water Resources Survey of Gallatin County the Story ditch has a length of 1.79 miles. The ditch was investigated in 2016. From the point of diversion to a point on the east side of the Gallagator Trail, water is conveyed via a buried pipe that is approximately 200 feet in length. The pipe then empties into a natural, unlined drainage that flows in a northeast direction. That portion of the drainage examined in 2016 does not appear to have been modified in any way. The drainage is approximately 14 feet wide and 3 to 4 feet deep in the center. Several trees have taken root in the drainage. The drainage and buried pipe are no longer used for irrigation. Instead, water is sometimes diverted through the buried pipe and into the drainage from Bozeman Creek for flood control purposes. The ditch is now surrounded by urban development. Only a .46 mile long segment of the ditch within the project area was investigated. It is unknown how much of the remaining 1.79 mile long natural drainage/ditch still exists outside of the project area. A review of aerial photographs did not identify that portion of the Story Ditch that empties into the East Fork of the Gallatin River. It would appear the Story Ditch water is conveyed by a buried pipe located somewhere north of the project area. Feature 1 is a concrete diversion structure that straddles Bozeman Creek. At this location Bozeman Creek flows northward. The structure consists of two concrete walls between which flows the 27 feet wide channel of Bozeman Creek. Each wall is 24 feet long and 18 inches wide, and oriented north-south. Both walls have 12 feet long concrete wing walls at the north and south ends. A metal frame walkway is attached to the concrete walls on either side of the diversion structure across the creek. The deck of the walk way is 30 feet long and is covered with two 12 inch wide wood planks. Two segments of old railroad track serve as reinforcement braces on the north side of the walkway. When water is diverted from the creek, boards are lowered from the walkway and placed on the upstream (south) side of the metal framing. This forces the flowing water in the channel to rise and flow into a 3-feet diameter pipe opening in the southeast wing wall. Integrity Nearly all of the Story Ditch within the project area is a natural drainage that is used to convey water. The ditch is now surrounded by urban development and has lost integrity of setting, feeling, and association. At the time the ditch was first put into use, it was in a rural agricultural setting that no longer exists. Most of the ditch within the project area is a natural drainage and because it is not manmade, it lacks integrity of design, materials, and workmanship. Recommendation The ditch is recommended not eligible for listing in the NRHP under Criteria A, B, C, and D. The ditch irrigates very few acres (2.4), though historically it may have irrigated a larger area. It is not associated with an important event at the national, regional, or local level. The site is therefore recommended not eligible for inclusion in the NRHP under Criterion A. The site appears to be named after the Story family, who are historically significant individuals to the local community as well as statewide. However, there are no historical records directly associating the ditch with the Story family, and for this reason it is recommended not eligible for inclusion in the NRHP under Criterion B. It does not have architectural significance and is recommended not eligible for inclusion in the NRHP under Criterion C. The site is very unlikely to yield further information important in the history of the area and is recommended not eligible for inclusion in the NRHP under Criterion D. The proposed undertaking will either place a pipe within the natural drainage or will line the bottom of the drainage with concrete. No further cultural resource work is recommended. Date of Construction: Unknown Builder: Unknown Source of Information: Department of Natural Resources and Conservation 2017 Water Rights Query System accessed January 12, 2017: http://wrqs.dnrc.mt.gov/default.aspx State Engineer’s Office 1953 Water Resources Survey Gallatin County, Montana. State Engineer’s Office, Helena, Montana. Historical Information: The Statement of Claim (Water Right# 41H 141865-00) is classified as active and has an enforceable priority date of September 26, 1894 (Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Water Rights General Abstract). The Statement of Claim allows for a maximum flow rate of 16 gallons per minute for the purpose of irrigating 2.4 acres of land in Sections 7 and 18, T2S R6E. The Statement of Claim is held by William L. Davis % Ramon S. White. There is no record of this irrigation system being associated with Nelson Story or any other Story family member. No land Patents were ever issued to any member of the Story family in Sections 7 and 18, T2S R6E. It is unknown why the site came to be known as the Story Ditch. The diversion structure does not appear to date to the water right priority date of September 26, 1894. The appearance of the diversion structure would suggest it most likely dates to the late 1940s or early 1950s. The two railroad tracks that provide bracing for the downstream (north) side of the walkway are not marked and more than likely were once used by the Gallatin Valley Electric Railway that was abandoned in 1978. The abandoned grade of the railway is located approximately 200 feet east of the diversion structure. Between 1978 and 1985 the tracks were removed and presumably two of the tracks were incorporated into the diversion structure walkway during this time. Reference: See above Form Prepared by: Scott J. Wagers Date: January 18, 2017 Project Report Name: Wagers, Scott J. Bozeman WaterSmart Project: A Class III Cultural Resource Inventory in T2S R6E, Sections 7 and 18, Bozeman, Gallatin County, Montana.