Historical note:

            The Aguadero Corporation was founded by Rhode Island native Rowland Hazard III (1881-1945). While convalescing in New Mexico from an illness in 1928 and 1929, Hazard became interested in the commercial possibilities of local agriculture and clay production, and purchased land in the towns of La Luz and Alamogordo. This was originally called the "New Mexico Project." The Aguadero Corporation was incorporated in 1930, and operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hazard's holding company, Rowland Third Incorporated. It was also known as "Rancho el Aguadero". Hazard served as president and treasurer of the Aguadero Corporation. The other founding officers were Vice President George Shipley and Secretary Clarence Agnew. Much of the company's book-keeping was initially done at the Rowland Third Inc. offices in New York City.

            The Aguadero Corporation operated a ranch in Alamogordo, New Mexico that consisted of three farms, a greenhouse, a orchard and a lodge. The Ganados farm operated as a dairy, and also grew grains and produce. The Bajillos farm raised poultry, and Antojos Corral raised cattle and pigs. The La Luz Lodge served as a boarding house for guests of the ranch and was also used by its managerial and executive staff. Clarence Agnew managed the daily operations of the ranch for the duration of the corporation's existence, reporting to the directors on the east coast.

            Soon after the Aguadero Corporation was founded, two related companies were set off from it. Timonel Farms was incorporated in 1930, and La Luz Clay Products Company in 1931. The Aguadero Corporation was the primary stockholder in both companies, but was not the sole owner.

            In July of 1933, Rowland Hazard withdrew from active involvement in the Aguadero Corporation, and his brother-in-law Wallace Campbell Jr. was appointed as a general agent authorized to take official action. Hazard's younger brother Thomas P. Hazard, then the vice-president, also assumed many of the responsibilities. At this point, the oversight of the corporation moved from New York City to the Hazard family offices in Peace Dale, Rhode Island. Thomas P. Hazard succeeded Rowland as president of the corporation in 1940. The Aguadero Corporation was dissolved in 1947.

"Rowland Hazard Dead in 65th Year", Providence Journal, 12/21/1945.

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Scope and content:

            This collection includes minutes, correspondence, property records, account books and other financial records. It provides an extremely detailed picture of the corporation's daily activities for the 1930-1932 period, when it was under the supervision of Rowland Hazard III. Although fewer records have survived from the corporation's less active later years, there is still a complete run of minutes, financial reports and tax records, and extensive correspondence.

            This collection contains some records kept personally by Rowland Hazard III regarding the "New Mexico Project" before it was officially incorporated as the Aguadero Corporation. Also, as the Aguadero Corporation was the primary stockholder in both La Luz Clay Products and Timonel Farms, records pertaining to all three New Mexico companies will be found throughout the financial series.

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Provenance:

            These papers were donated by the Hazard family as part of the Hazard Family Papers in 1985. They had been deposited in 1975.

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Processing note:

            This collection is part of the Hazard Family Papers, which were processed with support from the Rhode Island Committee for the Humanities, the Beinecke Foundation, and the extended Hazard Family.

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Inventory:

Series 1: Correspondence

Much of the correspondence in this collection was filed by subject. This arrangement has been for the most part maintained.

Series 1, subseries 1: Rowland Hazard III files

Files kept as president and treasurer in the corporation's early years. Includes correspondence of his New York secretary, Mrs. K.R. Young.

Box 1, folder 1. 1929. New Mexico project.

Box 1, folder 2. 1929. New Mexico project.

Box 1, folder 3. 1929. New Mexico project.

Box 1, folder 4. 1929. New Mexico project.

Box 1, folder 5. 1930. New Mexico project.

Box 1, folder 6. 1930. General.

Box 1, folder 7. 1930-1933. Corporate papers. Annual meeting notices, etc.

Box 1, folder 8. 1930-1931. Bills payable.

Box 1, folder 9. 1931. General.

Box 1, folder 10. 1931. General.

Box 1, folder 11. 1931. General.

Box 1, folder 12. 1931. General.

Box 1, folder 13. 1931. Commissary construction.

Box 1, folder 14. 1931. Gas lines.

Box 1, folder 15. 1931. Remittances for operations.

Box 1, folder 16. 1931. Re financial statements.

Box 1, folder 17. 1931. Colas (pavement).

Box 1, folder 18. 1931. Accountant W.H. Payne.

Box 1, folder 19. 1931-1932. Properties offered.

Box 1, folder 20. 1931-1933. Automobiles.

Box 1, folder 21. 1931-1933. Personal.

Box 1, folder 22. 1932. General.

Box 1, folder 23. 1932. General.

Box 1. folder 24. 1932. General.

Box 1, folder 25. 1932. Financial statements.

Box 1, folder 26. 1932. Insurance.

Box 1, folder 27. 1932-1933. Taxes.

Box 1, folder 28. 1933. General.

Box 1, folder 29. 1933. General.

Box 1, folder 30. 1933. Insurance.

Series 1, subseries 2: Wallace Campbell Jr. files

            Kept as a general agent of the corporation.

Box 1, folder 31. 1933

Box 1, folder 32. 1934-1935

Box 1, folder 33. 1934-1935

Box 1, folder 34. 1934-1935

Box 1, folder 35. 1934-1935

Box 1, folder 36. 1941-1942. Sale of Canon water rights.

Box 1, folder 37. 1942.

Box 1, folder 38. 1942-1944. Bonnell dispute.

Box 1, folder 39. 1943-1945. Sale of Canon water rights.

Box 1, folder 40. 1944. Bonnell dispute.

Box 1, folder 41. 1944

Box 1, folder 42. 1945

Box 1, folder 43. 1946-1948

Series 1, subseries 3: General Peace Dale files

Correspondence kept mostly by Earl W.G. Howard and Thomas P. Hazard in Peace Dale, R.I., with interspersed letters addressed to Rowland Hazard III and Wallace Campbell Jr.

Box 1, folder 44. 1933-1935, Payne suit re accounting bills

Box 1, folder 45. 1933

Box 1, folder 46. 1934

Box 1, folder 47. 1935

Box 1, folder 48. 1935

Box 1, folder 49. 1936

Box 1, folder 50. 1936

Box 1, folder 51. 1937

Box 1, folder 52. 1937

Box 1, folder 53. 1938

Box 2, folder 1. 1939

Box 2, folder 2. 1939

Box 2, folder 3. 1940

Box 2, folder 4. 1940

Box 2, folder 5. 1941

Box 2, folder 6. 1942

Box 2, folder 7. 1943

Box 2, folder 8. 1944-1948

Series 2: Financial

Checking.

Copies of checks issued, with attached checkbook entries giving voucher numbers and detailed descriptions of each expense. The series is complete from 1930 to early 1932. The payments from each voucher are also summarized in the company ledgers.

Box 3, folder 1. 1930, 2/1 - 5/15    (canceled checks drawn by Rowland Hazard on his personal account before the establishment of voucher system).

Box 3, folder 2. 1930, 5/16 - 6/5

Box 3, folder 3. 1930, 6/5 - 6/30

Box 3, folder 4. 1930, 6/30 - 7/22

Box 3, folder 5. 1930, 7/22 - 8/15

Box 3, folder 6. 1930, 8/15 - 9/5

Box 3, folder 7. 1930, 9/5 - 9/26

Box 3, folder 8. 1930, 9/26 - 10/9

Box 3, folder 9. 1930, 10/9 - 10/25

Box 3, folder 10. 1930, 10/25 - 11/8

Box 3, folder 11. 1930, 11/8 - 11/30

Box 3, folder 12. 1930, 12/1 - 12/31

Box 3, folder 13. 1931, 1/1/ - 1/31

Box 3, folder 14. 1931, 2/1 - 2/28

Box 3, folder 15. 1931, 3/1 - 3/31

Box 3, folder 16. 1931, 4/1 - 5/31

Box 3, folder 17. 1931, 6/1 - 7/30

Box 4, folder 1. 1931, 8/1 - 10/31

Box 4, folder 2. 1931, 11/1 - 1932, 3/31

Account books.

Box 4, folder 3. Journal, 1933-1943

Box 4, folder 4. Ledger, 1/1930 - 11/1930

Box 4, folder 5. Ledger, 11/1930 - 3/1932 (disbound)

Box 4, folder 6. Ledger, 12/1933 - 12/1942 (disbound)

Box 4, folder 7. List of ledger accounts, 1/1/1931

Oversized volume 1. Payroll book, 6/1930 - 9/1930

Oversized volume 2. Payroll book, 10/1930 - 3/1932

Oversized volume 3. Voucher and check register, 10/1929 - 12/1930

Oversized volume 4. Voucher and check register, 1/1931 - 12/1931

Oversized volume 5. Voucher and check register, 1/1932 - 3/1932

Audit and trial balance statements

Box 4, folder 8. Trail balance, 8/1930

Box 4, folder 9. Bound reports, 12/1930 - 8/1931

Box 4, folder 10. Draft trial balances. 9/1931 - 4/1932, 12/1934

Box 4, folder 11. Balance sheets, 1934-1937, 1941-1944

Financial statements.

Mostly weekly statements, listing account balances, checks paid, payroll, etc. Accompanying correspondence removed to Series 2, under "Correspondence, Financial statements, 1931."

Box 4, folder 12. 1931

Box 4, folder 13. 1932-1934

Box 4, folder 14. 1935-1937

Box 4, folder 15. 1938-1940

Box 4, folder 16. 1941-1943

Box 4, folder 17. Budget summary, 8/1930

Oversized Box 3, folder 10. Budget, 1931

Paid bills

Box 4, folder 18. 1929-1948. 10 items.

Taxes.

Box 4, folder 19. Capital stock tax returns, 1933-1945

Box 4, folder 20. New Mexico corporation income tax reports, 1933-1947

Oversized box 3, folder 11. United States corporation tax returns, 1935-1947

Oversized box 3, folder 12. New Mexico franchise tax reports, 1934-1944

Series 3: Property

Box 4, folder 21. Deeds and mortgages - Background, 1901-1929

Box 4, folder 22. Deeds and mortgages - To Rowland Hazard, 1929-1930

Box 4, folder 23. Deeds, leases and mortgages, 1935-1945

Box 4, folder 24. Nichols mortgage, 1929-1941

Box 4, folder 25. Map of Aguadero lands, circa 1936

Box 4, folder 26. Commissary and gasoline inventories, 1931

Box 4, folder 27. Insurance descriptions and inventories, 1932-1939

Box 4, folder 28. Insurance inventory of "Mr. Hazard's belongings stored at La Luz", c.1933

Series 4: Miscellaneous

Box 5, folder 1. Minutes, 1930

Box 5, folder 2. Minutes, 1931-1937

Box 5, folder 3. Minutes, 1938-1947

Box 5, folder 4. Certificates of Wallace Campbell as agent, 1942, 1945

Box 5, folder 5. New Mexico corporation reports, 1936-1947

Box 5, folder 6. Telegraph code books, undated

Box 5, folder 7. Dissolution of Aguadero Corporation to Rowland Third, Inc., 1947-1948

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Subjects:

Agnew, Clarence

Campbell, Wallace Jr. (1878-1950)

Hazard, Rowland III (1881-1945)

Hazard, Thomas P. (1892-1968)

La Luz Clay Products Company

New Mexico - Commerce

Ranches - New Mexico - Alamogordo

Rowland Third, Inc.

Timonel Farms

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RIHS1822