2009 - The Year of Valley History
Hydraulic mining for the Los Angeles Aqueduct 1910 - Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley by David High: July 2009 (refer to photo HC-20
Hydraulic mining for the Los Angeles Aqueduct 1910 - Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley by David High: July 2009 (refer to photo HC-21
When I first examined these two photographs from The Museum’s exciting new High Collection, I assumed they featured an hydraulic mining venture somewhere near the San Fernando Valley. After all, early placer mining occurred in the late 1850s under the auspices of the Missions San Fernando Rey de Espagña and Buenaventura, in the Newhall and Castaic areas north of the San Fernando Valley.
But a search of the wonderful photography collection of the Los Angeles Public Library revealed an exciting alternative. Looking under “hydraulic mining”, I found a photograph (number S-002-182.2 4x5) that showed almost identical features to the two photos in our collection. And, to my surprise, the hydraulic pressure hoses were being used to construct the Los Angeles Aqueduct around 1910.
The horizon reveals a possible square building in both the High Collection photos and the Water and Power photograph in the Library’s collection.
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The San Fernando Valley, in the heart of the Creative Center of the World, deserves a great Museum of history and culture.
