William Mulholland, Chief Engineer, and arguably "Los Angeles' Greatest Engineer" was responsible for the planning and development of the city of Los Angeles' water system at the turn of the century (the other one). Without his vision, boundless enterprise, and uncanny ingenuity, the city would never have become the thriving metropolis it is today. Essentially, every citrus tree, bubble bath, and blade of grass here in the southland can be traced back to his genius.
From humble beginnings in Ireland, Mulholland made his way to the City of the Angels, arriving in 1877 and finding a city of 9,000 souls. Starting as an anonymous well-digger and ditch tender, our intrepid zanjero (water steward) steadily improved himself and the city around him, his career culminating as the chief architect of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, a project ranking in magnitude and daring with the Panama Canal. Semi-arid Los Angeles blossomed and the Mulholland touch brought life, hope, and that most precious resource-water.