Water for the Valley: The Founding of the Coon’s Canyon Irrigating Company, 1887

The Founding of the Coon’s Canyon Irrigating Company — 1887

In the summer of 1887, the small farming settlement of Coonville, Utah—nestled between today’s 4700 South and 3500 South, westward from about 8000 West to the Oquirrh foothills in what is now Magna—took a remarkable step toward ensuring its agricultural survival. The settlers, recognizing the vital need for reliable irrigation, organized the Coon’s Canyon Irrigating Company on August 20, 1887, with the purpose of diverting water from Coon’s Canyon Creek to nourish the fertile but arid farmlands of their community.

The residents of Coonville, through cooperative labor and shared vision, dug a hand-hewn ditch from Coon’s Canyon up the ridge on a lateral, bringing precious water down into the valley. The company was incorporated for 320 shares of stock, each valued at $10.00, representing both investment and commitment to the community’s future.

On September 2, 1887, a defining meeting was held in the home of Bishop Lehi Nephi Hardman, where President John A. Coon personally issued the first shares of stock to the early shareholders—each a pioneer in spirit and service. The issued shares were recorded as follows:

• Stock #2: 40 shares to Isaac Coon

• Stock #3: 40 shares to Oliver Shafer

• Stock #4: 40 shares to Lehi Nephi Hardman

• Stock #5: 40 shares to James David Coon

• Stock #6: 40 shares to Joseph Dearden (who signed with an “X”)

• Stock #7: 40 shares to John Hirst

• Stock #8: 40 shares to John A. Coon (President)

• Stock #9: 20 shares to Stephen R. Marks

• Stock #10: 20 shares to William H. Williams

These men and their families were among the earliest settlers who transformed Coonville’s rugged landscape into thriving farmland. Their vision, unity, and dedication to shared progress exemplified the cooperative pioneer spirit that shaped so many Utah communities in the late 19th century.