Episode 231: WWRD | St. Francis Dam Collapse and William Mulholland

Hillary and Tina cover the St. Francis Dam Collapse and William Mulholland.

Irish immigrant William Mulholland worked his way up in the water works industry as a self-taught civil engineer. BUT despite his years of experience, crucial mistakes led to one of the biggest dam disasters in U.S. history.

Sources
Hillary's Story
William Mulholland | American city official | Britannica

St. Francis Dam Disaster | Fillmore Historical

The St. Francis Dam’s Death Toll - Museum of Ventura County

When California’s Water Wars Turned Violent | American Experience | Official Site | PBS

The Mulholland Memorial Fountain: A Grand Monument to a Man and Water | History & Society | PBS SoCal

Forgotten L.A. history: The deadly St. Francis dam disaster | UCLA Library

St. Francis Dam - Wikipedia
William Mulholland - Wikipedia

Photos
William Mulholland---via the Water Education Foundation
St. Francis Dam-February 1927--by HT Stearns via Wikipedia (public domain)
St. Francis Dam-March 1928 after collapse--by Vodkamike3 via Wikpedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
LA Times Front Page St. Francis Dam collapse--by LA Times via Smithsonian Magazine
St. Francis Dam-Debris after Collapse--via Water and Power Associates