William Mulholland

About

Oversaw the building of water routes that turned Los Angeles from a small town to a world-class metropolis.

Before Fame

He ran away from home and joined the British Merchant Navy at age 15.

Trivia

He supervised the construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct.

Family Life

His brother, Hugh Mulholland Jr., was a harness maker and nurseryman.

Associated With

Roman Polanski created a fictionalized version of him in his movie Chinatown.