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DESIGNED AND BUILT THE GENEVA WHICH WAS RECOGNIZED FOR ITS SPEED AND SHALLOW DRAFT
WITH AN ARTICLE AND PICTURE ON THE COVER IN THE OCTOBER 1876 EDITION OF SCIENTIFIC
AMERICAN. EVEN IN THESE EARLY DAYS FINANCIAL TROUBLES STARTED TO FOLLOW HIM AS HE
WAS MUCH MORE INTERESTED IN THE ENGINEERING CHALLENGES AND LESS IN THE BUSINESS SIDE
OF WHAT HE WAS TRYING TO DO. GEORGE WORKED FOR HIS UNCLE, ELSWOOD CHAFFEY, IN THE
INSURANCE BUSINESS, WENT WEST AND WORKED AS AN ENGINEER ON THE FRASER RIVER BOATS IN
THE NORTHWEST AND EVENTUALLY CAME TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TO JOIN HIS FAMILY WHO HAD
EMIGRATED THERE. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT HE BECAME INVOLVED IN HIS LIFELONG CAREER AS
A WATER DEVELOPER IN ARID LANDS.
WITH HIS BROTHERS, WILLIAM BENJAMIN AND CHARLES, HE DEVELOPED THE CONCEPT OF A
MUTUAL WATER COMPANY, A NEW SYSTEM OF ALLOCATING WATER TO AGRICULTURAL LANDS. HE
ENGINEERED THE STORAGE AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE MEAGRE WATER RESOURCES IN THIS
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DESERT. THIS LED TO THE FOUNDING THE TOWN’S OF ETIWANDA AND
ONTARIO IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITRUS INDUSTRY THERE. THE
MOVE TO AUSTRALIA, THE FOUNDING OF THE COMMUNITIES OF MILDURA AND RENMARK AND THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE DRIED FRUIT AND WINE INDUSTRIES FOLLOWED. AFTER HIS RETURN TO
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA IN 1898, CAME THE INTRODUCTION OF WATER INTO THE IMPERIAL VALLEY
AND THE FOUNDING OF THE TOWNS OF CALEXICO, IMPERIAL AND EL CENTRO AND THE MASSIVE
AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT THERE. BY THIS TIME, GEORGE WAS WORKING WITH HIS SON
ANDREW, A BANKER WHO OVERSAW THEIR FINANCIAL DEALINGS. GEORGE SPENT MUCH OF THE
REST OF HIS LIFE IN THE BANKING BUSINESS AND WATER DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTHEREN
CALIFORNIA. ONE NOTABLE EXCEPTION WAS TO THE NORTH AT MANZANAR WHERE HE ATTEMPTED
THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY IN CALIFORNIA’S OWENS VALLEY. THAT
AREA WAS SUBSEQUENTLY TAKEN OVER BY THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES FOR THE WATER RIGHTS AND
LATER BECAME THE SITE OF THE JAPANESE INTERNMENT CAMP IN WW11.
AFTER THE DEATH OF HIS WIFE ANNETTE IN 1917 GEORGE RETIRED FROM ACTIVE AFFAIRS AND
SPENT THE REST OF HIS LIFE CLOSE TO HIS FAMILY IN WHITTIER, BALBOA BEACH AND IN SAN
DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.
AN INTERESTING NOTE IS THAT HIS HOUSE IN ETIWANDA HAD THE SIMILAR EXPERIENCE OF BEING
CUT IN HALF AND MOVED TO A NEW LOCATION LIKE THAT OF HIS UNCLE JOHN’S(1820-1878). IT IS
PRESENTLY AN ACTIVE CHAFFEY MUSEUM, KNOWN AS THE CHAFFEY GARCIA HOUSE.
HE IS BURIED IN BELLEVUE CEMETERY IN ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA.
On 31 May 1869 when GEORGE was 21, he married ANNETTE AUGUSTA TAYLOR McCORD 29,
daughter of ANDREW TAYLOR McCORD (12 Jul 1808-1881) & CHARLOTTE TAYLOR (17 Mar 1814-),
in TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA. Born on 9 Mar 1846 in TORONTO, CANADA. ANNETTE AUGUSTA
TAYLOR died in WHITTIER, CALIFORNIA, on 1 Mar 1918; she was 71.
SHE WAS A MEMBER OF A PROMINENT POINEER FAMILY IN TORONTO, CANADA. HER FATHER,
ANDREW TAYLOR MCCORD, WAS THE CITY CHAMBERLAIN (TREASURER) FOR FORTY-FOUR YEARS.
SHE HAD A PIONEER SPIRIT, FOLLOWING HER HUSBAND, GEORGE, TO REMOTE DESERT AREAS THAT
HE WAS DEVELOPING BOTH IN THE U.S. AND IN AUSTRALIA. SHE IS DESCRIBED AS HAVING A CELTIC
TEMPERMENT, A SENSE OF HUMOR AND A JOYOUS BRIGHTNESS OF SPIRIT. MANY A LONELY MAN
AND HOMESICK WOMAN HAS BEEN CHEERED AND HEARTENED BY HER KINDLY HOSPITALITY. 38
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