432 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



Homes in Fountain Valley 



What One Energetic Man, Wm. C. Johnston, Has 

 Accomplished in a Famous Colorado Section. 



WHEN the history of reclamation work in the state 

 of Colorado has been prepared and the promoters 

 of the larger projects are given due recognition, it is safe 

 to say that the name of William C. Johnston, of the Foun- 

 tain Valley Land and Irrigation Company (who is also 

 the father of the Castlewood, now known as the Denver 

 and Suburban Homes Irrigation Company), will stand out 

 especially prominent. 



Mr. Johnston is a man of great force and an active 

 promoter of large institutions. He is a Southerner by 



View of Main Canal of Fountain Valley Land & Irrigation Company's 

 Project 2 Miles from Colorado Springs. 



birth and has made his home permanently in Colorado 

 Springs for some years past. He came into the country 

 as a comparatively young man and has obviously not yet 

 reached the summit of his ambitions. He has been pur- 

 chasing from time to time large ranch properties through- 

 out Fountain Valley south of Colorado Springs, and the 

 work so far carried on on the Fountain Valley project, 

 wherein many obstacles were encountered, demonstrates 

 the dominant will of the man, and assures completion of 

 this splendid project, which will stand as a monument to 

 his activity, foresight and endurance. 



At the present time Mr. Johnston is bending his 

 energies towards the extension of this project by the addi- 

 tional purchase of lands as above stated. 



In our November, 1909, issue there appeared an article 

 on the Fountain Valley and the attractive project known 

 by that name. 



The center o*f activity in Fountain Valley is, at pres- 

 ent, the town of Fountain, which lies thirteen miles south 

 of the city of Colorado Springs. It is delightfully situated, 

 commanding a magnificent view of the Rocky Mountain 

 range, and is in close proximity to Cheyenne mountain, 

 and from all of this property a fine view may be obtained 

 of Pike's Peak, the San de Christo range, the Spanish 

 peaks and the Green mountains on the south, with a sweep 

 northwardly of some 100 miles of the main range of the 

 Rockies. 



It has been clearly demonstrated by ranchmen on this 

 tract during the past two or three years that splendid 

 crops of alfalfa, beans and small grains may be obtained, 

 and Mr. Austin, who is in charge of THE IRRIGATION AGE 

 ranch, near Fountain, has produced results upon his farm a 

 little north of that town, which have given him fame 

 throughout the district and the state. 



The soil is said to be equal to the best in Colorado, 

 and with proper irrigation all settlers in the Fountain 

 Valley district should produce equally as good crops as 



any of the older far-famed districts. In some respects 

 this district combines advantages which are not equaled 

 elsewhere. This is particularly true of the markets. Its 

 main markets are Colorado Springs, Cripple Creek, Pueblo, 

 and many of the mining towns lying on the railway lines 

 westward from these points. It is a well known fact that 

 the mining market is the best cash market in the world 

 for garden truck as well as fruit. Leadville, which is one 

 of the famous old-time camps of the Rocky mountains, is 

 also tributary to this territory. The farmers in the Foun- 

 tain valley can also compete successfully in the Denver 

 market, which is only seventy-five miles away. 



Within the last few months Mr. Johnston, president 

 of the Fountain Valley Land and Irrigation Company, 

 has made arrangements whereby a canning factory is now 

 being established at Fountain, which will use much of the 

 products at good prices, and will insure a home market 

 without a long haul. This was a good stroke on the part 

 of Mr. Johnston, and the people of the town of Fountain 

 and the valley generally are to be congratulated on its suc- 

 cessful outcome. 



Many new homes have been erected on this tract 

 within the past year and a half, and we are showing in this 

 connection various scenes and views of these homes. 



The Fountain tract has been settled largely, so far, 

 by eastern people with means sufficient to erect substan- 

 tial buildings and make all necessary improvements on 

 their places without the delay usually incident in new 

 settlements where the colonist arrives short of funds and 

 frequently without the proper machinery with which to 

 carry on his work. 



There are ranches on the Mprningside Hills, east of 

 Fountain, which are as well equipped as any of the old 

 ranches throughout the state, as will be seen by referring 

 to the illustrations and legends accompanying them. Some 

 of these homes are much better than are found on the 

 ordinary old-time ranches. 



We are showing also in this connection a large half- 

 tone of a cherry orchard, set out by Mr. Johnson some 

 three years ago. Part of this orchard, which will not come 

 into full bearing for perhaps a year or more, sold recently 

 for $700 per acre. Assuming that the land with the water- 

 rights and improvements, including cost of the tree stock, 

 etc., cost Mr. Johnston $150 per acre, it may easily be 

 seen what profits can be made from setting out young 

 orchards on $125 or $150-acre land. 



The water supply for this tract of land is considered 



View of Reservoir No. 3, Fountain Valley Land & Irrigation Com- 

 pany's Project. 



by the best engineers to be fully capable of covering a 

 much larger area. An examination of the reservoirs stored 

 with water and a study of their capacity will readily con- 

 vince anyone who is familiar with the subject of irrigation 

 that there will be no shortage of water after the entire 

 system is in operation. 



(Continued on page 477.) 



