This picture of the Fruitland Irrigation Co. Ditch Camp is from the Washington State digital archives.
The irrigation company was crucial to the survival of the people and livestock in the West. The Spokane Historical Society explained, “The finished ‘irrigation ditch’ was actually a combination of ditches, crossings, and wooden flumes that carried water above ground.” You can read more about this topic in their great article How the West was Watered.
This is a view of the cook tents and crew building at the camp, from Colville River to Daisy.
Washington State Digital Archives, 1907
The picture notes that J. S. Lane was in charge, so I imagine he’s the fellow in the middle of the photograph, with his hands in his pockets.
Detail
If you ever click on the photos in these posts, you’ll see a much larger, more detailed version of each picture. The toughness of these men is impressive! But I know I wouldn’t be cut out for work at the Fruitland Irrigation Co. Ditch Camp!
old spirituals 
As a young man in 1887, one of my Great Grandfathers left Missouri to Homestead in SW Colorado. Part of the Homestead deal was to help with the construction of the irrigation systems. You could either pay money toward the construction, or actually work for so many days on the projects. We have a stack of his letters home and he describes working “in the ditches”. One of his letters describes being in close proximity with so many men working in the ditches and how it was unavoidable to keep from catching an army of lice.
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I bet there were all kinds of unsavory things a man had to face when he had to earn his way in such rough conditions! Lice would be a terrible affliction though. That is so cool you have his letters from 1887 though!
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The Rest Of The Story
The letters were to his girl, who would become our Great Grandmother.
He was out there for 2 years and she was getting tired of waiting around for him to come back and marry her.
She finally gave him an ultimatum to to come back….. or …….. There are other guys around.
He hopped on a train right away, came back to Missouri, and they had a quick wedding.
After two days he took the train back to Colorado, sold his homestead at a big profit, returned to his new wife, and bought a nice farm here with his proceeds.
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Sounds like your great grandfather was a smart guy, who married an even smarter woman 😉💖
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