Paul McClure

A Dam Tragedy Starring William Mulholland Paul McClure

Irish immigrant William Mulholland (1855-1935) rose from ditch tender for the Los Angeles City Water Company to Chief Engineer & General Manger Los Angeles City Water Department (now the City of Los Angeles Department of Water & Power). He oversaw construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct that in 1913 brought water 233 miles from the Eastern Sierras to Los Angeles. Thanks to this reliable supply of water, Los Angeles could grow and prosper. He became a heroic figure. Mulholland supervised the design and construction of several other dams and reservoirs that provided water to Los Angeles, including the St. Francis Dam north of Los Angeles. In 1928, the St. Francis Dam collapsed causing immense damage and taking more the 400 lives. Mulholland took full responsibility for the dam disaster and endured a fall from grace of Shakespearean magnitude.