Papers of Charles C. Fisk
Scope and Contents
The Papers of Charles C. Fisk consists of documents dated 1880 to 2007, with the bulk falling from 1971 to 2004. Note that the dates relate to the original creation date of the materials, which are mostly photocopies made in the 1990s or later. The materials in the collection mostly relate to the book Fisk was completing at the end of his life, The Metro Denver Water Story: A Memoir. Subjects relate to the history of Denver, its suburbs, and its water, including focus on the South Platte River and the Two Forks project. Broader topics of sprawl, drought, water rights and policy, and the Colorado River are also covered. The published book and Fisk's drafts are also included, along with annotated books and some miscellaneous materials related to other parts of Fisk's career.
Dates
- Creation: 1880-2007
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1971-2004
Creator
- Fisk, Charles C., 1918-2005 (Person)
Restrictions on Access
There are no access restrictions on this collection. However, the collection is stored off-site, so advance notice is required.
Restrictions on Use
Not all of the material in the collection is in the public domain. Researchers are responsible for addressing copyright issues.
Biography
Inspired by a college professor, love for the outdoors, the Dust Bowl, and experiences in the Civilian Conservation Corps, Charles Fisk had a life-long fascination with water. After retiring as an engineer, he researched and wrote a book about Denver's water.
Charles Carroll Fisk was born in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, on January 7, 1918. In 1935-1936, he served in the Civilian Conservation Corps in Wisconsin. He earned a B.S. in agriculture from the University of Wisconsin in 1941 and in 1942 received a B.S. in civil engineering. The same year, he became a hydraulic engineer for the Tennessee Valley Authority in Knoxville. He then earned a professional certificate in meteorology in 1943 from the University of Chicago.
During World War II, Fisk was commissioned as the First Lieutenant Weather Officer for the U.S. Air Corps stationed in the United States and the Philippines. He was decorated with a Battle Star medal for his service.
After the war, Fisk became a hydraulic engineer for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in Denver. In 1950, he changed positions to become the assistant chief of river operations for the Bureau in Loveland, Colorado. He later worked as a water supply engineer for the Denver Water Board from 1955-1961. From 1961 to his retirement in 1984, Fisk ran his own consulting firm, Fisk Engineering, which focused on water rights and supply in Wyoming and Colorado.
Fisk wrote on various subjects throughout his career. He published several articles on climatology and statistics in various publications of organizations such as the American Statistical Association and the American Meteorological Society of which he was a member. He was also a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He was the editor, publisher and owner of the Western Water Newsletter which was published from 1961-1962 as well as the editor of the Colorado Water Congress Newsletter from 1957-1963. He authored three books: a family history, From Whence They Came, 1996; an autobiography, The Road From St. Croix Falls, 1997; and The Metro Denver Water Story, 2007.
Charles Fisk married Elsie Louise "Micki" Rennie in 1942, and they had four children: Terry, Cherie, Cindy, and Carolee. Mr. Fisk died on June 16, 2005.
Extent
10 linear feet (20 document boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
After retiring as an engineer, Charles Fisk researched and wrote a book about Denver's water. The materials in the collection mostly relate to the book Fisk was completing at the end of his life, The Metro Denver Water Story: A Memoir. Subjects primarily relate to the history of Denver and its water, including focus on the South Platte River and the Two Forks project. Predominant material types are photocopies, clippings, drafts, and books as well as two field books of ditch measurements. A portion of the collection is digitized and online.
Arrangement
Fisk organized his research materials for writing his book on Denver's water into binders by subject. That arrangement was retained along with his binder and section titles, with drafts at the end, followed by annotated books.
The collection consists of 2 series in 20 boxes:
Series 1: The Metro Denver Water Story, 1880-2007
Series 2: Miscellany, 1947-1982
Acquisition
The Papers of Charles C. Fisk was acquired by the Water Resources Archive in April 2005 from Mr. Fisk. Additional materials were donated by Carolee Fisk Bessie in June 2006 and in August 2007.
Online Materials
Some materials have been scanned and are available through the Colorado State University Libraries website. In the electronic version of this document, direct links appear in context for some materials.
Processing
Processing was completed in July 2006. Materials were removed from binders and rehoused in acid-free folders and boxes. Metal fasteners were removed. Self-stick notes were photocopied as necessary and discarded. Newspaper clippings were either photocopied or interleaved with acid-free paper. Books with few or no annotations were removed from the collection. Mr. Fisk's autobiography was removed to add to Special Collections, as were his issues of the Colorado Water Congress Newsletter. Materials received in 2007 were added in February 2008.
Inventory Note
Note: Information supplied by the archivist is bracketed. Estimated pagination is preceded by an "e."
Subject
- Denver (Colo.). Board of Water Commissioners (Organization)
Genre / Form
Geographic
Topical
Uniform Title
- Title
- Guide to the Papers of Charles C. Fisk
- Status
- Edited Full Draft
- Author
- Prepared by Ruth Williamson and Patricia J. Rettig; Revised by Patricia J. Rettig
- Date
- Copyright 2008
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Repository Details
Part of the CSU Libraries Archives & Special Collections Repository
Fort Collins Colorado 80523-1019 USA
970-491-1844
library_dl_specialcollections@mail.colostate.edu