William Mulholland

William Mulholland. Saint Francis Dam Disaster National Memorial and National Monument. , Early Life , William Mulholland joined the British Merchant Navy at the age of 15 and sailed as an apprentice for several years. After landing in the United States, he worked on the Great Lakes and in the lumber camps of Michigan before moving to the West Coast. , , Arrival to Los Angeles , After his arrival in Los Angeles, Mulholland became a ditch tender for the Los Angeles City Water Company. In his free time, he became self-educated in mathematics, civil engineering, and hydraulics. , , Mulholland's Water Meter , Angelenos used roughly 300 gallons of water per capita per day around the year 1900. Mulholland introduced water meters to reduce consumption and increase operating profits, which cut the rate of Angelenos' water usage to 101 gallons of water per capita per day. , , LA Aqueduct and Reservoirs , Mulholland designed and supervised the construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, a 233-mile-long system to move water from Owens Valley to the San Fernando Valley. He also oversaw the design and construction of the St. Francis Dam. Prior to this, Mulholland had overseen the completion of numerous embankment dams. However, his experience in concrete dam design was lacking. He had only participated in the design of one other concrete gravity dam before the St. Francis Dam. , , September 11, 1855 · William Mulholland was born in Belfast, Ireland. , 1872 · Came to the United States. , 1877 · Settled in Los Angeles. , 1886 · Became a naturalized US Citizen and promoted to the superintendent of LA City Water Company. , 1902 · The Los Angeles Water Department was established with Mulholland as the superintendent. , 1924 · The city honors Mulholland by creating Mulholland Drive. , 1929 · Mulholland took full responsibility for the St. Francis Dam Disaster and retires later that year. , July 22, 1935 · William Mulholland dies at 79.