Frederick Eaton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Frederick Eaton
24th Mayor of Los Angeles
In office 1898–1900
Preceded by	Meredith P. Snyder
Succeeded by	Meredith P. Snyder
Personal details
Born	1856
Died	March 11, 1934 (aged 77–78)
Political party	Republican
Children	Helen,Harold, (possibly more)
Parent	Benjamin Eaton
Residences	Los Angeles, California

Frederick Eaton (1856 – March 11, 1934), also known as Fred Eaton, was an important person in the growth of Los Angeles in the late 1800s and early 1900s. He was a key thinker behind the Los Angeles Aqueduct project. This huge water system was designed by William Mulholland.

Early Life and Career

Frederick Eaton was born in Los Angeles in 1856. His family was well-known and helped found the city of Pasadena. As an adult, Eaton was a Republican politician. He supported new railroads and finding water for Southern California. He later became the Mayor of Los Angeles.

Fred Eaton taught himself engineering. By the age of 19 in 1875, he was the superintendent of the Los Angeles City Water Company. In 1878, Eaton hired William Mulholland. Mulholland's first job was digging ditches for canals. These canals helped bring water from the Los Angeles River to the city.

In 1886, Eaton helped redesign Los Angeles Park. Today, this park is known as Pershing Square. He created an official plan for the park, and it was renamed 6th Street Park.

Bringing Water to Los Angeles

Serving as Mayor of Los Angeles

Eaton was the mayor of Los Angeles from 1898 to 1900. He ran for mayor promising to create a new city-owned water system. In 1899, city voters approved a bond measure. This allowed the city to buy the private Los Angeles City Water Company. This company had been leasing the city's waterworks.

A few years later, Los Angeles faced a big challenge. The city's population was growing very fast. This growth threatened the city's water supply. Eaton remembered a camping trip in the Sierras. He had seen the Owens Lake and thought about all the fresh water flowing into it. He realized that Los Angeles was about 200 miles away. But, it was mostly downhill from the Owens Valley. He thought water could be moved to the city using canals and pipes, letting gravity do the work. Eaton saw a way to help Los Angeles keep growing.

Building the Los Angeles Aqueduct

In 1906, the city created the Bureau of Los Angeles Aqueduct. They chose William Mulholland as the chief engineer. Mulholland planned and built the Los Angeles Aqueduct. The aqueduct was finished in 1913. It brought a lot of water to Los Angeles. This water helped the city's population grow quickly.

However, the aqueduct also changed the Owens River. It took water away from the Owens Valley. This eventually made it hard for farms and communities there to survive.

The St. Francis Dam Project

Fred Eaton owned land in Round Valley. This land was located on the Owens River. It was a good spot for a water storage reservoir. William Mulholland and the city of Los Angeles had considered using this land for the aqueduct system.

Eaton wanted a lot of money to sell his land. This disagreement caused problems between Eaton and Mulholland. Mulholland decided not to buy Eaton's land. Instead, he looked for other places to build a reservoir. He chose a spot in San Francisquito Canyon. This is north of the present-day Santa Clarita Valley. There, he built the St. Francis Dam.

In March 1928, the St. Francis Dam broke. This caused a huge flood downstream along the Santa Clara River. The flood caused a lot of damage and many deaths.

Around the same time, Fred Eaton's financial situation became difficult. In 1928, his ranch was bought by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. This land was then used to create Crowley Lake. This new lake became part of the aqueduct system's water storage.

Fred Eaton passed away in Los Angeles in 1934.