The Man Who Made Los Angeles
by Brian Witt
On my recent trip to Los Angeles, I was staying off of Mulholland
Road. Traveling up and down this thoroughfare, which wends its way west
from the Hollywood Hills to the Santa Monica Mountains, and then to the
ocean north of Malibu, I remembered that the person whom it was named after
was an Irish American, and one that helped transform Los Angeles from a
desert to the thriving metropolis it is today.
Everywhere you go in the greater Los Angeles area, there are reminders
of the man who changed this city and state, for better or for worse. Flowering
growths alongside the freeways, trees, and fountains, including one dedicated
to William Mulholland, abound.
William Mulholland was born in Belfast in 1855. At the age of fifteen,
he moved to Dublin to make his fortune. After a brief stay there, he decided
to try his luck in the New World. After working in New York in the early
1870's, Mulholland worked in the Michigan lumber camps, as a store owner
in Pittsburgh, as an Indian fighter in Arizona, and later moved to San
Francisco, and then on down to the small town of Los Angeles.
Mulholland's first job was that of a ditch cleaner for the private
water company in Los Angeles. He learned the art of engineering, and in
eight years he had become the acting supervisor. After the City of Los
Angeles took over the company, Mulholland became the new head of the Department
of Water and Power, a job he held until 1928.
Los Angeles was about to embark on a period of growth, and Mulholland
realized that the city was too arid and without adequate water supplies
to support a large population. Mulholland and the former mayor of Los Angeles,
Fred Eaton, saw the Owens Valley two hundred miles to the north as a water
source that could answer all their needs. Owens Valley was an extremely
fertile area, with a number of crops being grown there. The Owens River
was to be a part of a new irrigation system that would give the valley
unlimited amounts of water. This, however, would end the scheme to use
this water to supply Los Angeles.
A member of the Reclamation Board was a friend of Eaton's who allowed
Eaton to examine critical papers on the Owens River diversion. In return,
Eaton hired his friend at a very rich salary, to develop plans to divert
the water to the Los Angeles area. By 1905, the city had acquired the rights
to the land and water in its path, and at the same time, blocked the Owens
Valley residents in their attempts to use the water.
But, Mulholland had a separate agenda. Some of the water was to be
diverted to the San Fernando Valley, where friends and cronies of his were
paying top prices to acquire land, speculating that the price would rise.
This group then gave financial support to the bond issue that was written
to pay for the irrigation plan. The movie Chinatown touched on the somewhat
slimy dealings that occurred
Mulholland was an engineering genius. The task of building the Los
Angeles Aqueduct required blowing holes into mountains to build tunnels,
laying power lines, and employing thousands of men in the process. When
it was completed in 1913, it ranked alongside the trans- continental railroads
as a feat of human design and endeavor.
However, water drawn from the Owens Valley was used to supply the
farmers of the San Fernando Valley, which was proving to be a sponge. This
hastened the decline of the Owens Valley region. As the water left the
area, farming began to decline, and a number of the northern farmers went
broke as a result. The Owens Valley farmers blew up a section of the Aqueduct
on May 21, 1924 in an attempt to stop the diversion. Mulholland was said
to have responded that he was sorry there were so few trees left in the
Owens Valley, "because now there were no longer enough trees to hang
all the troublemakers there."
The result was the so-called "Owens Valley War", one in
which the farmers were seen as the put-upon, and the defenseless. The governor
refused to send out the state militia to help the Los Angelenos, and the
local sheriff said that he was a friend and sympathizer to the local farmers.
The last attack against the Aqueduct occurred in 1927, when a section of
the Aqueduct was destroyed. Mulholland issued shoot to kill instructions
at that point. The collapse of the Owens Valley Bank in 1928 wiped out
the last of the resistance against Mulholland, as well as the farmers themselves.
But 1928 was to prove to be a year in which William Mulholland would find his own downfall. Mulholland and Eaton had a separation of ways, over a parcel of land which Eaton wanted to sell to the city for $1 million. Mulholland, who had enriched a number
of others over the years, but, for all intents not himself, found this
reprehensible conduct. (Mulholland considered himself a builder on a grand
scale.) He then directed the building of a dam at St. Francis, up river
from where he had wanted to build. The dam was built quickly, but not well.
On March 12, 1928, the dam collapsed, sending a rush of water down the
valley, and filling much of Ventura County with a thick layer of mud. About
500 people died as a result of the collapse. Mulholland was forced to resign
in disgrace as a result.
William Mulholland left a legacy of a city able to sustain itself
with water, at least in a tenuous state. He is looked upon as a master
engineer, who created an oasis out of a desert. However, in the Owens Valley,
he created a desert out of an oasis. The Owens Valley is a veritable dust
bowl, the lake itself reduced to a salty parody of its former life. Mulholland
is vilified in the north as much as he is praised in the south. But one
thing is certain. This son of Belfast, starting out as a twenty-three year
old ditch digger, became one of the greatest engineering pioneers in the
United States by the time of his death. For better or worse, he helped
transform this country.
Greater LaCrosse Area
Sorry all you Shamrock Club people from the LaCrosse area, but we
did send in an article for the May Reflections and it apparently got lost
in the mail; with a return address on it yet! For sure that has never happened
before.
So here we go again. Pictured are a gang of Irish folks standing
outside the bus that toured the City on March 17. We visited schools, nursing
homes, offices of the mayors of Onalaska and LaCrosse and the "Blarney
Party" radio show on WLFM at Quillan's supermarket hosted by Ed and
Sally Sullivan. We would name them all but several faces are hidden and
so we will leave everybody out except our Irish Rose, Dorina Lukins, standing
front and center with the bodhran.
We elected our 1999-2000 officers on May 13 and promise to have all
of their names and maybe a picture in the July Relfections. We may even
have a schedule of events to publish by that time.
Enjoy your spring because the flowers are certainly blooming around
LaCrosse.
Do you suppose we put one of those 32 cent stamps on the May article?
South Central
The South Central Shamrock Club's General Membership meeting was
held at the Wintergreen in Lake Delton on May 5. All present enjoyed a
lovely dinner, followed by a short meeting. We had a critique of our St.
Patrick's Dinner and Party.
It was also announced that Daniel O'Donnell will be performing at
Branson twice this year, once in May from the 3rd until the 15th and again
November 8 until the 27th, excluding November 25, Thanksgiving Day.
Irish fiddler, Liz Carroll will perform at Folklore Village Farm
near Dodgeville Friday, May 14, and on May 15 at Frank Lloyd Wright's Hillside
Theater on Taliesin Estate, both beginning at 8 p.m. Celtic Women International
Conference will be held October 7-9 in Milwaukee at the Irish Culture and
Heritage Center in downtown Milwaukee.
Two guests were introduced.
Russell and Betty Hasenbalg became new members of South Central Shamrock
Club.
The nomination committee presented a slate of officers. President
Mike Hickey; Vice President William Wilde; Secretary Mary Stieve; Treasurer
Geri Kranz. A motion was made and seconded to accept this slate of officers.
The winners of the St. Patrick's party door prizes were Rita Thalmann,
Bob Gavin, and Dorothy Coon.
Our meeting adjourned after some humorous Irish stories given by
William Wilde.
Lafayette County
The Shamrock Club of Lafayette County would like to welcome three
new members to our club. They are Bea Tooley, Isabel Doyle and Doris Hessling.
Our St. Patrick's Day raffle was very successful with ticket sales
at $1146. This money will be used for community scholarship funds and events.
Election of officers was held at our May meeting with all current
officers being reelected for a 1-year term. They are:
- President: Donna Douglas (Monroe)
- Vice President: Patti Leahy (Shullsburg)
- Secretary: Margie Keys (Darlington)
- Treasurer: Rachel Suthers (Darlington)
- Trustee: Colleen Leinberger (Darlington)
- Membership: Bev Mulcahey (Darlington)
- Sunshine: Eileen Wilhemson (Darlington)
- Historian: Liz Barth (Darlington)
- Sgt-at-Arms: Jerry Leahy (Shullsburg)
Canoe Fest at Darlington, June 11-13, will kick off the many parades
and events that the Shamrock Club will participate in this year. Other
parades that we are scheduled to be in are July 3 at Wiota, July 4 at Shullsburg,
July 18 at Twin-O-Rama in Cassville, Sept. 6 Labor Day Parade in Gratiot
and Benton, Sept. 25 Pumpkin Fest at Warren, Illinois, and December Christmas
Parade in Darlington.
Our young "Irish Dancers" are always a crowd pleaser in
the parades. We really appreciate how they take time from their busy schedules
to take lessons, practice and perform. Hope you have a fun filled summer.
See you at Irish Fest in August.
– Donna Douglas, President
Dane County
There will be NO Regular Meeting in June, see below for details.
As our deadline for Emerald Reflections is May 10 and our regular
May meeting is May 11, I am unable to give you the final results... the
following are the Nominees which will be voted on at the regular meeting
tomorrow night.
- President: Barbara Gallenberg
- Vice President: Bernard Gallenberg
- Secretary: Sheila O'Brien
- Treasurer: Eileen Heinricks
- Membership Chair: Eamon O'Brien
- Parliamentarian: Mary Hearn
- Sgt. at Arms: Don Stolen
- Trustees: Tom Darcey, Michael Brunet, Lee Tvedten
Our Raffle Drawing will also have been held at our May meeting, so
at this time next month we will be able to tell you who the lucky person
was who won a trip to Ireland!
Barbara Gallenberg and Mary Hearn are busy with plans for a June
bus trip to Holy Hill and the surrounding Erin Township in Washington County.
Erin Township is where the Irish immigrants settled in the 1800s because
of the similarity of the area to their homeland. It is a beautiful and
interesting area and I am sure it will be a delightful trip. As soon as
the plans are finalized a post card will be sent to the members giving
all the details for participation in this tour.
Correction:
The May issue listed the Milwaukee meeting entertainment as everything
but Dave Rowe. Sorry, Dave. The article on Billy the Kid said that Agnes
De Mille choreographed a ballet about him. It should have stated that Aaron
Copeland wrote an orchestral piece with Billy as the title character.
Milwaukee President's Message
Results of the Board of Director's Election from voting at our May
6 meeting:
- President: Cate Harris
- Vice-President: Sue Dundon
- Secretary: Lisa Blake
- Treasurer: Sharon Murphy
- Membership Chair: Tom Smith
- Trustee: Bob Voss
- Sgt-at-Arms: Jean Cardwell
- Parliamentarian: Tom Blaha
Together with the continuing Trustees – Bob Hamill and Joe Hughes
– and, myself as Past President, this is your Board of Directors for the
term of July 1999 through June 2000.
You'll notice my intentional emphasis above, we are here to serve
you, and we encourage and await your input and participation. Please, work
hard with us as we guide this, our club, into its 40th year, into the new
decade, into the new century, into the new millennium.
This year, we were blessed with a number of individuals who selflessly
agreed to allow themselves to be nominated for various positions on the
Board of Directors. We had a number of contested elections on the ballot
as a result of these exceptional people. Personally, and on behalf of the
Board and the entire Club, we sincerely give you our heartfelt gratitude
for your dedication. It is truly people like you that keep us vibrant and
energized and bring healthy, new perspectives to volunteer service.
You'll note also that two positions on this new Board are filled
by honorees. Sue Dundon, our 1999 Irish Rose, moves from Parliamentarian
to Vice President and Tom Blaha, our 1999 Irishman of the Year, joins the
Board as the new Parliamentarian. These, obviously, are very special examples
of tireless devotion. Once again proving that the basic reasoning and criteria
utilized when they were nominated and selected as honorees was, not only
well placed, but, also, exemplary.
Please plan to join us on Thursday evening, July 1 when we install
your new Board of Directors and express our appreciation to the individuals
completing their recent terms of service on the Board. Continuing a new
tradition we began with last year's installation "dinner," the
Board has decided to, again, have a more informal, comfortable, and pleasur-
able social gathering. The barbecue format was well received last year
and we hope and expect that even more of you will join us this year. Look
for details elsewhere in this issue and be sure to give us timely notification
that you will be present.
As per the requirements of the by-laws, I will be finishing my second
full one-year term of office as your president on July 1. I will remain
on the Board as your Past President. I have requested of your new President,
Ms. Cate Harris, that she allow me to write to you one more time. She has
graciously agreed. Therefore, my final column will be in next month's issue,
(July 1999 Emerald Reflections). That column, as in my column of July 1998,
will be dedicated to publishing my required "Annual Report of the
President, 1998-99." That report is due to, and delivered to, the
Board of Directors at their end-of-the-month, regular meeting every May
– this year, it is on Thursday, May 27, 1999. It is a "State-of-the-Club"
type of report which, I believe, should be provided to the entire membership.
That is the reasoning behind publishing same in our monthly publication.
Color Guard News
The Shamrock Club, Color Guard Pipe & Drum will participate in
the National Flag Day Foundation's 53rd annual observance of Flag Day.
The event takes place at Waubeka, Wisconsin on Sunday, June 13, 1999 at
noon. Festivities include: (a) a patriotic parade of more than 100 units
[military bands, specialty bands, floats] (b) Americana Musical - a pageant
honoring Wisconsin past, present, and future; (c) a family day consisting
of fun events for the children [carriage rides, games and play areas],
music by Rumor, food and drinks; (d) Americanism Center Museum - a display
of patriotic memorabilia, local historic artifacts, Avenue of Flags, gift
shop; free admission; and (e) Bartolotta fireworks display at dusk.
Other scheduled Color Guard appearances include:
June 27 — Kenosha, 2 p.m.
July 3-4 – Presentation Parade, Menomonee Falls, 7 p.m.
July 4 — Glendale, 10:30 a.m.
July 4 — Brown Deer, 1:30 p.m.
July 4 — Whitefish Bay, 2:30 p.m.
Oct. 16 — Sister Bay, Door County
Nov. 22 — Waukesha Christmas Parade
July 1, 1999 – ICHC
Dinner 7 p.m. Installation 8:30 p.m.
This year's dinner will be a casual BBQ event
Join in a fun evening to say thank you to the
Milwaukee officers who served during 1998
and to welcome the new Board for 1999
Relax, Mingle, Eat and be Merry
BBQ: $9 per person, age 12 and under: $4
Call: Jean Cardwell 544-9391
Reservation Deadline: June 24, 1999
INSTALLATION DINNER RESERVATION
Name___________________________________________
Address_________________________________________
City/State/Zip_____________________________________
Day Phone_______________________________________
Evening Phone___________________________________
No. of Reservations $9 @:___________
No. of Reservations $4 @:___________
Please make checks payable to the
Shamrock Club of Wisconsin
Mail to: Jean Cardwell, 21445 W. Oakcrest Dr.,
New Berlin, WI 53146 by June 24, 1999
Shamrock Club
Fosters Irish Language
Recipients of the Shamrock Club's four $100 scholarships which
enabled them to attend the Gaelic League's Irish language immersion weekend
were among those pictured at the event (left to right): Teacher Ray Mc
Mánais (Ireland); Teacher Dineen Grow (Madison); Teacher Jim Flanagan
(Mississippi and Ireland); Student Catie Dineen-Natkin; Teacher Eoin Mac
Con Uladh (Illinois); Student Jack Mason; Student John Shanahan; Teacher
Barry O'Donovan (New York); Student Toby Hensel; President of the Gaelic
League Seámus Kearney; Founder of Crabh Curtain of Conradh na Gaeilge
John Gleeson.
By all accounts, Conradh Na Gaeilge's 5th Annual Gaeltacht Deireadh
Seachtaine was a smashing success! The Irish language immersion weekend
was held on May 7-9 at the beautiful Redemptorist Retreat Center near Oconomowoc
Wisconsin. Irish culture and language enthusiasts traveled from across
the nation and overseas to join in the merriment.
Thanks to the Shamrock Club, four students of the Irish language
were awarded $100 scholarships, affording them the opportunity to study
with and learn from these acclaimed scholars. The grateful students were
Jack Mason, Toby Hensel, Kathleen Dineen-Natkin, and John Shanahan. Without
the Shamrock Club's generous contribution of $400 these students may have
missed a truly enriching experience. Other sponsors who made the event
possible included Miller Brewing, The Irish Fest Foundation, Nash's Irish
Castle and The Irish Trader.
State Events Calendar
The Shamrock Club has a new state-wide events calendar for Irish
and Celtic events located at the club web site. It is: https://www.angelfire.com/wi/shamrockclubwisc/
page65.html To submit an event for consideration for this new calendar,
mail to Shamrock Club Events Calendar, 2133 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee,
WI 53233, fax it to (414) 345-8805 or send e-mail to Shamrockclub @
hotmail.com.
Win a Trip to Ireland!
The Irish Tourist Board is promoting a competition for recreational
writers. Entrants have to submit a story, experience or impression of Ireland,
the Irish or what it means to be Irish. Open to all nationalities, ages,
religions and origins, entrants may never have been to Ireland but have
an experience or impression through friends, art, literature or the media.
Three prize winners are chosen each month with the overall winner at the
end of the year winning a Millennium trip to Ireland. The winning stories
will be published on the Irish Tourist Board site, one of the busiest in
Ireland:
http://www.ireland.travel.ie/soapbox/index.asp
We Need Your Thoughts
Do you have a talent for writing, photography, poetry? Emerald Reflections
would like to consider your work (dealing with Irish subjects, of course)
for publication. Each month we feature a front page story, a back page
Irish photo, and when material is available poems for Donn's Poetry Corner.
Editor, Bob Higgins, asks only that prose be factual, not fictional. Please
send your articles and photos to: Robert Higgins, Editor; 517 S. Worthington
Street, Apt. 11; Oconomowoc, WI 53066.
Irish Fest Scholarships Available
Milwaukee Irish Fest is proud to announce that there are two scholarships
available for worthy participants. They are the Edward J Ward Music Scholarship
and the Irish Cultural and Educational Grant. Applicants may be of any
age or ethnic background, and need not be residents of the Milwaukee area.
Information and applications can be obtained by writing to Milwaukee Irish
Fest, 1532 Wauwatosa Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53213, or by calling the Irish
Fest office at (414) 476-3378 during business hours
The Irish Cultural and Educational Grant shall be awarded twice a
year, with $1000 available, with dispersal into smaller grant amounts.
Money can be used for a variety of Irish cultural and educational projects.
Applications are due at the end of November for the December grant. The
Edward J Ward Music Scholarship is a $1000 yearly scholarship that is to
be used for the study of Irish instrumental music or song. Applications
are due at the end of July.
Mount Mary College
Offers Study in Dublin
Mount Mary College, 2900 N. Menomonee River Parkway, has entered
into an articulation agreement with American College Dublin, Ireland. Applications
are now being accepted for the fall 1999 semester, Aug. 13 - Dec. 17.
Students applying to the program should be in the second semester
of their freshman year or in their sophomore, junior or senior year of
college. They may apply for the fall, spring or summer semester and may
earn up to 15 credit hours. A wide variety of course offerings is available.
American College Dublin is particularly strong in the areas of psychology
and international business.
Tuition and housing costs for the Mount Mary College at American
College Dublin program are roughly comparable to tuition and housing costs
at Mount Mary College. Two optional 10-day study tours are also available
as part of the program, for an additional cost.
For information, please contact Toni Wulff in the International Center
at Mount Mary College, 258-4810, ext. 368.
Concert to Remember
Irish Tenor John McCormack
A special concert paying tribute to the late, great Irish tenor John
McCormack will be held at The Irish Fest Center on Sunday, June 13 at 3
p.m. Sponsored by the John J. Ward Jr. Irish Music Archives it will be
held at the Irish Fest Center, 1532 Wauwatosa Ave., Wauwatosa. Tickets
are $5 and can be purchased at the center, call 476-3378.
Well-known tenor Angelo Castronovo will sing a special program to
honor McCormack, a singer of extraordinary gifts whose career brought him
worldwide success in the 1920-40s. Castronovo studied in New York and performed
extensively there before returning to Milwaukee. An Italian, he is a great
admirer of McCormack, oft called the Irish Caruso.
The Ward Music Archive was set up to preserve and promote Irish music.
It houses a collection of over 20,000 recordings, pieces of sheet music,
song books, resource books and other music memorabilia ranging from the
late 1890s to present. Donations of ten or more items entitle the donor
to two free Irish Fest tickets for this year's festival, August 19-22
Sunday, August 29, 1999
Lakeside Country Club, Pewaukee
(Hwy. 16 West to Co. Trunk KE, South to Golf Course)
Group Awards – for Low Net and Low Gross team scores
Individual Awards – for longest Drive, Longest Putt, Closest
to the Pin – for MEN AND WOMEN!
(One Group or Individual winner per award)
Door Prizes and "Money Hole"
Golf will begin at 12 noon.
Carts available at $7 per person at Lakeside Golf Shop.
Club rentals available at $5 per person
at Lakeside Golf Shop.
Pull Carts available for $1 at Lakeside Golf Shop.
Cocktail Hour: 4:30-5:30 -- Buffet Dinner: 5:30-6:30 AWARDS
to be presented during dinner.
Dancing to music of the 50s through 90s: 6:30-8:30
PLEASE FILL IN QUESTIONNAIRE AT BOTTOM
FAMILY GOLF AND DINNER
OUTTING REGISTRATION
Please list the names in your party who will play golf; who will
play golf and have dinner; and who want dinner only.
GOLF AND DINNER PACKAGE:
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
Please list preferred Tee Times. We will do the best we can to accommodate
your requests.
(1)_______ (2)_______ (3)_______ (4)______
No.______ @ $30 each=_______
Tel.#________________________
GOLF ONLY:
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
Please list preferred Tee Times. We will do the best we can to accommodate
your requests.
(1)_______ (2)_______ (3)_______ (4)______
No.______ @ $15 each=_______
Tel.#_________________________
DINNER ONLY:
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
No.______ @ $15 each=_______
Tel.#________________
(No "AT DOOR" payments / registration on day of event can
be permitted, except for "Dinner Only" – Cost $20.)
TEE TIMES WILL BE BASED ON DATE
OF RECEIPT OF PAYMENT.
Make all checks payable to the
Shamrock Club of Wisconsin.
TOTAL ENCLOSED:
$________________________________
REGISTRATION ENDS AUGUST 15, 1999
Send your completed registration to
Richard Stover, 5326 W. Bluemound Rd.,
Milwaukee, WI 53208.
Please call (414) 774-9123 if you have any questions.
**Please include daytime ______________________ and
nighttime_______________________telephone numbers.
(You will be notified of your Tee Time August 19-22)
QUESTIONNAIRE
For FUTURE "Family/Members Golf,
Dinner Dance" Outings
1. Please suggest possible "Golf Courses"
(A)__________________________________
(B)__________________________________
(C)__________________________________
2. Please suggest possible Restaurants for the Dinner/Dance (after
Golfing), or if you want the Dinner at the Course, "if available."
(A)__________________________________
(B)__________________________________
(C)__________________________________
3. Please circle the "Golf Format" you prefer:
(A) Family..... (B) Individual... (C) Best Ball... (D) Shot-Gun
4. Please circle "ALL" of the following you would be interested
in having included in "Future" Outings:
(A) Golf "ONLY"......... (B) Dinner "Only"...
(C) Golf and Dinner Package
(D) Golf, Dinner and Cart Package
(E) Pull Cart............. (F) Motorized Cart
(G) Dancing (after Dinner)
5. Any additional thoughts, suggestions, ideas – would be most welcomed!!
I want this to be "YOUR OUTING!!" If you need additional space
to write please feel free to include a separate sheet of paper.
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
This is YOUR Family / Members Golf, Dinner / Dance Outing! COME –
ENJOY – HAVE FUN!!
THANK YOU!! Richard Stover
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