After building the tunnel, Griffin's wooden flume traveled four miles to the northwest corner of Park Hill, and from that point a dirt ditch was to be dug to convey the water from the flume west through the mesa country of Fruitvale then to the hills to the west of Fruitvale. At this point, one ditch, which eventually became three, ran southwesterly, skirting the hills to and below the town of Winchester and then splitting off into north and south canals with the south canal going as far as Olive Green, a distance of more than twelve miles. The other or third ditch would leave the Fruitvale line on the eastern boundary of Fruitvale and run south along the west boundary of what was then the beginnings of Hemet to and through Diamond Valley. In May 1890, Griffin's ditch just happen to be dug on the lands owned by the Directors of the Lake Hemet Water Company. So he received a letter with instructions, "stop digging your ditch on our lands." By September he had secured a right of way agreement with the Lake Hemet Water Company Directors, although he should have realized that it just might be rough to deal with these particular men in the future. He also realized that he did not have the finances to complete the horrendous task he had started and decided to seek financial help.
On December, 3 1890, another water company was formed, called the San Jacinto Water Company, and it just so happened that one of the Directors of this company was P L Griffin, along with G D Compton and M G Stone of the town of Florida and William Casterline and Fred Swope from San Jacinto. One month later, The Winchester Recorder and the San Jacinto Valley Register reported that the San Jacinto Land, Flume and Irrigation Company had been sold on January 3, 1891 to the San Jacinto Valley Water Company with the former company taking stock in the latter company as payment.
Next month will feature the formation of the "San Jacinto and Pleasant Valley Irrigation District.
Historical Tidbits From Our Past
02/23/1893 R. H. Miller has just finished planting forty acres of prunes. Mr. Miller's orchard is substantially fenced with woven wire fencing, and will certainly prove a profitable investment.
02/23/1893 Died --February 14th, the infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. J. Haslam.
02/23/1893 The ladies Of Winchester welcome the dressmaking parlors under the management of Miss. Mattie Foster in the Miller building.
02/23/1893 Work on the irrigation ditches is progressing rapidly. More contracts are being let by the Board of Directors.
03/02/1893 R. S. Thomas received a bill of trees Monday which he will soon plant on his ranch south of town.
03/02/1893 E. H. Remsburg has been improving his town property in the way of fencing and planting fruit and ornamental trees.
03/02/1893 H. B. Helfinsitine has lately been engaged in setting out to trees several acres on his ranch southwest of town.
03/02/1893 C. H. Briggs is putting out more fruit trees.
03/02/1893 More of the fertile land on Jas. Brown's ranch is being planted to trees.
03/02/1893 Public spirit is being displayed by many of our citizens by planting and cultivating trees on the main streets of town.
03/02/1893 The news of the passage of the Riverside bill (formation of Riverside County) was received Saturday noon. With a few exceptions Winchesterites are pleased at the result.
03/02/1893 The Pleasant Valley Brass Band was organized with a membership of twelve instead of ten as stated last week. Jno. Norton was elected president and leader; Robt. Kirkpatrick, vice-president, M. Z. Remsburg, secretary-treasurer. Two new members have lately come, making a band of fourteen.
