L.A. Snapshots: The William Mulholland Fountain

William Mulholland's career ended in disgrace in 1928 after the St. Francis Dam collapse. But Mulholland remains one of, if not *the*, most important players in Los Angeles history. He oversaw the construction of Los Angeles Aqueduct, which brought Owens Valley water to the Valley, which, of course, helped turn Los Angeles into the metropolis it is today.

Mulholland is memorialized with this fountain, located across from Griffith Park at Los Feliz and Riverside. It's one of the most popular places in L.A. to take wedding photos (indeed, a wedding party was snapping pics when we rode our bikes there on Saturday) and was recently renovated in time for the 100th anniversay of the aqueduct. More pics:



DWP promises "pure, clean tap water."








Mulholland's famous words, opening the aqueduct: "There it is. Take it."

100 Years of the Los Angeles Aqueduct: There It Was. We Took It. (VIDEO)

It's been 100 years since that day on Nov. 5, 1913 when the Los Angeles aqueduct officially opened, siphoning water from the Owens Valley and opening the door to L.A.'s rapid growth. William Mulholland uttered those famous words -- "There it is, take it" -- and L.A. did. Here's a three-part silent black-and-white film recounting it.





Check out KCRW's extensive roundup of stories about the aqueduct, water and L.A.'s ugly history with the stuff here. And listen to KCRW's special, "Power and Water: The Los Angeles Aqueduct at 100," hosted by Madeleine Brand, below:

There It Is, Take It: A Portrait of the Mulholland Fountain

"There it is. Take it." William Mulholland's role in the evolution of Los Angeles is forever solid -- as head of the Bureau of Water Works and Supply, he built a 238-mile aquaduct to redirect water from the Owens Valley to here. But Mulholland's career, of course, ended in disaster and tragedy -- the 1928 St. Francis Dam disaster. Mulholland died in 1935, but is memorialized not only by the famed Mulholland Drive but also by the 1940 Mulholland Fountain, located at the corner of Los Feliz and Riverside (across the street from the entrance to Griffith Park).

Some history on the fountain:

On Aug. 1, 1940, a warm Thursday evening, the water wars of the 1920s seemed safely in the past. Mulholland, who died in 1935, had outlived most of the controversy his career had generated. And the city had a grand new fountain to dedicate in his honor.

Approximately 3,000 people spilled across Los Feliz Boulevard, some standing on the adjacent hill in Griffith Park. The Los Angeles Police Band played. The Civic Chorus sang. The Aquaduct Post Color Guard presented the flag. Mayor Fletcher Bowron accepted the fountain on behalf of the city, predicting that "as the crystal pureness of the water . . . radiates brilliantly in the sun . . . or shimmers in the colors of myriad electric lights," the fountain would help to develop "a greater civic pride, a more developed civic consciousness."

The site was chosen for several reasons. It was located at one of the city's busiest and prettiest intersections. Furthermore, Mulholland had once lived there in a one-room wooden shack. The man who would build one of the world's great water projects was first employed by the water department as a ditch tender. His job was to keep the "zanja madre"--the city's main water ditch--clear of weeds and debris.

The fountain remains a popular photo spot for wedding pics (not a weekend goes by without a full wedding party stopping by to take a few shots). We rode by the fountain the other weekend and took these pics.

The St. Francis Dam Tragedy, 80 Years Later

Mulholland inspects the dam's ruins

Will at Metblogs L.A. reminds us that Wednesday marked the 80th anniversary of one of the deadliest engineering disasters in this country's history -- and the second biggest loss of life (behind the 1906 San Francisco earthquake) in California history: The St. Francis Dam collapse.

It was just after midnight on March 12, 1928, when the dam (located five miles northeast of what's now Santa Clarita) gave way -- spilling more than 12 billion gallons of water in its path. There's still not an accurate count of how many people were killed -- but it's believed to be as high as 600.

The dam was built in 1926 by William Mulholland, the man who helped birth modern Los Angeles by bringing water to the growing metropolis via the Los Angeles Aqueduct. Will notes:

In the first year after its completion in 1926, the dam hinted at its potential flaws in the form of cracks and leaks that Mulholland would inspect and dismiss as normal for a dam of that size. It was filled to capacity for the first time on March 7 and new cracks and leaks almost immediately appeared, again disregarded by Mulholland. On the morning of March 12 still more fresh cracks and leaks presented and for the last time Mulholland pronounced them normal and the dam entirely safe.

Mulholland's career pretty much ended after that, and he disappeared from public view; he died at age 79 in 1935.