William Mulholland

William Mulholland
Photograph of William Mulholland in 1924
Mulholland in 1924
Born
William Mulholland

(1855-09-11)September 11, 1855
Belfast, Ireland
DiedJuly 22, 1935(1935-07-22) (aged 79)
Los Angeles, California, US
Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Glendale, California
CitizenshipBritish/Irish,[1][2] American
EducationO'Connell school
OccupationCivil engineer
Years active1878–1929
EmployerBureau of Water Works and Supply
Known forBuilding the water system of Los Angeles
SuccessorHarvey Van Norman
Spouse
Lillie Ferguson
(m. 1890)

William Mulholland (September 11, 1855 – July 22, 1935) was an Irish American self-taught civil engineer who was responsible for building the infrastructure to provide a water supply that allowed Los Angeles to grow into the largest city in California. As the head of a predecessor to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Mulholland designed and supervised the building of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, a 233-mile-long (375 km) system to move water from Owens Valley to the San Fernando Valley. The creation and operation of the aqueduct led to the disputes known as the California Water Wars. In March 1928, Mulholland's career came to an end when the St. Francis Dam failed just over 12 hours after he and his assistant gave it a safety inspection.

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