Irrigation Grows with Population

The Farmer's Cooperative ditch, better known as the Sebree Canal, was built in 1874 by Peter Johnson. For 13 years Johnson made improvements on the ditch. For that period of time it was known as the Johnson ditch. Beginning with a diversion of 1,000 inches he enlarged the ditch to carry 10,000 inches in 1878.

In 1880 the users of the Stapleton Canal formed in Franklin Ditch Company with the following original shareholders: J.H. Carter, Robert White, Thomas Wheately, A.J. Regan, John Thomas, Hamilton Davis, G.W. Wooten, A. Cook, J.M. Jobe, and R.N. Potts.

The Franklin Ditch with nearly 2,000 acres under cultivation enlarged the canal to 10 feet on the bottom and 3 feet in depth.