LaBonge, DWP Mourn Passing of Catherine Mulholland

The granddaughter of William Mulholland, the man who brought Owens Valley water to Los Angeles, died Wednesday at her home in Camarillo, a spokeswoman for the Department of Water and Power said.

Catherine Mulholland, born in 1923, was best known as a historian and the author of William Mulholland and the Rise of Los Angeles.

"She was a dear friend, a joy to communicate and correspond with over the years," said Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge in a press release.  "It’s a great honor to serve the people of Los Angeles, but it’s a thrill to meet the true legends of the City of Los Angeles. Catherine Mulholland was certainly one of those people."

The LADWP also expresssed sadness at her passing.

"We are very saddened to learn of Catherine Mulholland's passing,'' DWP General Manager Ron Nichols said. "Ms. Mulholland was well known to the LADWP family through her gracious participation in events that celebrated her legendary grandfather, William Mulholland, a revered figure here at the department. We are all going to miss her and the link she provided to our historic past."

She donated a collection of books and family memorabilia to Cal State Northridge in 2008. She also wrote the books Calabasas Girls and Owensmouth Baby: The Making of a San Fernando Valley Town, and participated in many civic events sponsored by LaBonge, according to his press release, including at the William Mulholland Memorial Fountain adjacent to Griffith Park.

"I once introduced Catherine Mulholland to Peter Fonda at a Saint Patrick’s Day parade, and it was a thrill to see the mutual admiration shared by these two members of two great families," said LaBonge. "I also had the honor of introducing Catherine to Hugh Hefner at the Hollywood Historical Society, when he was honored for his million dollar gift to help save Cahuenga Peak. She was an Angel in the City of Angels; and now she’s with the angels."

William Mulholland, a self-educated Irishman and merchant marine, arrived in Los Angeles in 1877 when the population was around 9,000.

He took a job digging a well, then went to Arizona to prospect for gold along the Colorado River. It was there that he got a job with the newly formed Los Angeles Water Co.

He would eventually rise to become the head of the department and, in 1913, saw the completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, which brought snowmelt from the eastern Sierra Nevada in the Owens Valley 233 miles south to Los Angeles.

When the water reached the San Fernando Valley on Nov. 5, he uttered the famous words: "There it is. Take it."

His achievements also include Mulholland Dam at Lake Hollywood and the scenic Mulholland Drive.

The City News Service contributed to this report.