- 432 pages
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF
William Mulholland and the Rise of Los Angeles
About this book
William Mulholland presided over the creation of a water system that forever changed the course of southern California's history. Mulholland, a self-taught engineer, was the chief architect of the Owens Valley Aqueduct—a project ranking in magnitude and daring with the Panama Canal—that brought water to semi-arid Los Angeles from the lush Owens Valley. The story of Los Angeles's quest for water is both famous and notorious: it has been the subject of the classic yet historically distorted movie Chinatown, as well as many other accounts. This first full-length biography of Mulholland challenges many of the prevailing versions of his life story and sheds new light on the history of Los Angeles and its relationship with its most prized resource: water.
Catherine Mulholland, the engineer's granddaughter, provides insights into this story that family familiarity affords, and adds to our historical understanding with extensive primary research in sources such as Mulholland's recently uncovered office files, newspapers, and Department of Water and Power archives. She scrutinizes Mulholland's life—from his childhood in Ireland to his triumphant completion of the Owens Valley Aqueduct to the tragedy that ended his career. This vivid portrait of a rich chapter in the history of Los Angeles is enhanced with a generous selection of previously unpublished photographs.
Los Angeles Times Best Nonfiction Book of 2000
Catherine Mulholland, the engineer's granddaughter, provides insights into this story that family familiarity affords, and adds to our historical understanding with extensive primary research in sources such as Mulholland's recently uncovered office files, newspapers, and Department of Water and Power archives. She scrutinizes Mulholland's life—from his childhood in Ireland to his triumphant completion of the Owens Valley Aqueduct to the tragedy that ended his career. This vivid portrait of a rich chapter in the history of Los Angeles is enhanced with a generous selection of previously unpublished photographs.
Los Angeles Times Best Nonfiction Book of 2000
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Yes, you can access William Mulholland and the Rise of Los Angeles by Catherine Mulholland in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & North American History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title
- Copyright
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- 1. The Long Journey from Dublin to Los Angeles, 1855–1876
- 2. The City of Angels, 1877
- 3. The Private Water Company and Its Owners, 1878–1879
- 4. Advancing in the Water Business, 1880–1886
- 5. The New Superintendent, 1887–1892
- 6. Water Plots and Politics, 1893–1895
- 7. The Years of Mayor Eaton, 1898–1900
- 8. The City’s Victory over the “Grand Monopoly,” 1901–1902
- 9. New Regime for a Booming Town, 1903–1904
- 10. Desperate Remedies in a Dry Season, 1904
- 11. A Plan Revealed, 1905
- 12. Preparations for an Aqueduct and a Trip to Washington, D.C., 1906
- 13. The Big Job Begins, 1907
- 14. The Chief and the General, 1908
- 15. Building the Aqueduct: The Best Year, 1909
- 16. Troubles and Interruptions, 1910
- 17. Aqueduct Progress and Political Fireworks, 1911
- 18. The Investigation, 1912
- 19. The Completion of the Aqueduct, 1913
- 20. After the Aqueduct, 1914–1919
- 21. A Stormy Decade Begins, 1920–1923
- 22. Boulder Dam and Dynamite, 1924
- 23. More Dynamite, 1925–1927
- 24. The Saint Francis Dam Disaster and After, 1928–1935
- Afterword
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index