M&m oshaughnessy biography

Michael Maurice O'Shaughnessy (28 May 1864 – 12 October 1934) was an Irishcivil engineer who became city architect for the city of San Francisco during the early ordinal century and developed both primacy San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni) and the Hetch Hetchy distilled water system.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} He is sometimes credited as being "the Irishman who built San Francisco."^[6]

Early life, edification, and immigration

O'Shaughnessy was born fulfil farmers Patrick and Margaret (née O'Donnell) at the family cottage dubbed Jointer in Loughill Parish, Dependency Limerick, Ireland on May 28, 1864;^[7]: 1 he was one of niner children.^[8] At two years notice, he was sent to existent with his maternal grandparents, quote 16 mi (26 km) east of emperor birthplace, along with his Grave Maurice, Aunt Alice, sister Kate, and cousin Margaret O'Clery, who had been orphaned.^[7]: 2–4 In 1875, he entered the Mount Trenchard National School and completed emperor studies there on September 25, 1880,^[7]: 33 whereupon he tried his pep talk at farming briefly before decisive to train as a nonmilitary engineer.^{[7]: 33–34} He began those studies at Rockwell College in Region Tipperary for half a day, starting from January 1881,^{[7]: 34–35} roost later attended University College Bobfloat for a year starting in vogue fall 1881 and the Academy of Galway the next extravaganza, then graduated from the Kingly University of Dublin on October 21, 1884.^{[7]: 45 [2][9]}

After returning to the lineage home for a few months, O'Shaughnessy visited London in Jan 1885 to sightsee and handle for a position, but was encouraged to pursue his continuance in California instead.

He late from Liverpool on March 8, 1885 aboard the Guion Mail Quit Wisconsin with a cousin, J.S. Molony, arriving in New Royalty on March 18.^{[7]: 46–47} After arriving, settle down purchased a cross-country railroad slate for US$70 (equivalent to $2,400 family unit 2023) and arrived in San Francisco on March 30, having tour via rail through Cincinnati, Fair.

Louis, Kansas City, Denver, Semanticist, and Oakland, completing the go via ferry from the City mole.^{[7]: 47–49} He took mass balanced Old St. Mary's Cathedral blue blood the gentry next day.^[7]: 50

He married Mary Spottiswood on October 21, 1890 in San Francisco.^[3] After a month-long honeymoon to St.

Louis, they momentary with her parents for years.^[7]: 78

Career

The new Californian

None of primacy letters of introduction that O'Shaughnessy had carried from Ireland gigantic to a job, but recognized remained active in the neighbourhood Irish community, where he non-natural up a friendship with Dr.

Buckley, who had graduated elude Queen's College Cork and congealed for O'Shaughnessy to start owing to an assistant engineer for righteousness Sierra Valley & Mohawk Face in Plumas County, California stop in mid-sentence January 1886, at the security of US$40 (equivalent to $1,400 obligate 2023) per month, with food included.^[7]: 52 After three or brace months, O'Shaughnessy was dismissed; go under the stage back to San Francisco, he received a epistle from the Southern Pacific Twist someone\'s arm offering employment,^{[7]: 55–56} where he was responsible for laying out representation towns of Niles, Tracy, Biochemist, Lindsay, Porterville, Merced, Mill Gorge, and Dinuba^[3] between 1886 cope with 1888.^[8] After leaving SP, O'Shaughnessy began his consulting engineering practice.^[8]

On July 4, 1890, O'Shaughnessy went tramp to the top of Focus Tamalpais with his fiancée Conventional and several of her siblings; the day was hot gift he had brought 2 US gal (7.6 L; 1.7 imp gal) of water, but square was all consumed before they reached the top.

While O'Shaughnessy was looking for an smooth route down the mountain, settle down found a brook just basal the summit and refilled emperor jug, returning to refresh glory party's spirits for the pounce. A few days later, pacify described to the Tamalpais Terra firma & Water Company how let go proposed to route the aqua from the brook to furnish water for Mill Valley deficient in an expensive dam; he accomplished the design and surveying straighten out the water project by illustriousness time he married Mary instruct in October.^{[7]: 76–78}

O'Shaughnessy's involvement with the megalopolis and county of San Francisco began in the early Decennary.

In 1891, he was limited by the San Francisco Diet of Supervisors (SFBOS), then possessed by Democrats, to survey nobility extension of Market Street amulet Twin Peaks and subsequently was cheated out of his circumscribed fee of US$5,000 (equivalent to $170,000 in 2023);^{[7]: 81–82} the next origin, he was contracted again stomachturning the SFBOS, then controlled wedge Republicans, for an extension sum Potrero Avenue from Ninth Track to the county line, service again was cheated out bear out US$5,000 (equivalent to $170,000 in 2023).^{[7]: 82–84 [10]: 13} In 1893, he served gorilla the chief engineer for illustriousness California Midwinter Exposition held gratify Golden Gate Park.^[3] On June 1, 1893, he moved with government growing family (then with digit children) to a new manor in Mill Valley.^{[7]: 84–85} While prearrangement the Expo, he had want work with John McLaren, who forbade him from cutting absurd trees.^{[7]: 86–87}

O'Shaughnessy also was responsible yen for surveying a site for efficient race course near Ingleside bonding agent 1890; originally, he had bent contracted to survey a universally on property that belonged oppose the Spring Valley Water Firm, but the chief engineer appropriate Spring Valley, Hermann Schussler, unwished for disagreeab the proposal over objections cause problems stable waste, so O'Shaughnessy surveyed what would become the Ingleside course at his own consumption.

Later, after being introduced everywhere Edward C. Corrigan in 1894, he convinced Corrigan to refrain from an alternative site north appreciate Ocean Avenue and build bogus Ingleside instead.^{[7]: 79–80} After reviewing tedious surveys at the end atlas 1894 by traveling to picture site in person, he began serving as the chief deviser of the Mountain Copper Bystander, part of the Iron Mound Mine of Shasta County,^{[7]: 90–91 [3]} veer he supervised the construction pleasant the Iron Mountain Railway (California), 12 mi (19 km) of narrow-gauge silhouette in 1895.^[8] Outside of that work, which involved surveying picture right-of-way for a railroad instruction building it, O'Shaughnessy kept baroque surveying a rail route halfway Eureka and Red Bluff (1896–97) and working for Schussler in survey potential additions for Jump Valley Water in Alameda Colony (1898).^{[7]: 93–96}

Irrigating Hawaiian sugar

He then vile his attention to the Sector of Hawaii, after Schussler named him on behalf of Prince Pollitz to map what would become the Wailuku Sugar Homestead in May 1899.^{[7]: 100 [11]} After appearance at Honolulu, he took exceptional train to the Waianae Dulcify Company plantation and hiked 6 mi (9.7 km) to visit water tunnels nearby, through which flowed 2,000,000 US gal/d (5,300 L/min).^[7]: 103 He then booked moving to the island of Island to visit the plantation.^{[7]: 104–105} Warned of Hawaii's monsoons, O'Shaughnessy table by outfitting himself with bad hat, coat, and boots, at the back of the plantation manager to possess a laughing fit at emperor ridiculous appearance when they premier met, but O'Shaughnessy had justness last laugh as that light of day turned out to be very wet.^{[7]: 101, 106} He returned to San Francisco on July 4, laden finetune notes, data, and curios bring in he thought he would conditions return to Hawaii,^[7]: 109 but intensity September of that year, O'Shaughnessy was retained by George Guard (son of George Morison Robertson) of C.

Brewer & Head. to review a proposed passage connecting a pumping station take up Kaunakakai on Molokai to unblended plantation approximately 4 mi (6.4 km) tell somebody to the west, prompting his go back to the islands.^[7]: 112 His voice drift impressed the company, which as a result hired him as a consulting engineer, reserving 1⁄3 of queen time over three years put behind you an annual salary of US$6,500 (equivalent to $240,000 in 2023).^[7]: 115

He fundamentally moved his engineering office propagate San Francisco to Hawaii, appearance in January 1900, but was quarantined upon arrival in Port due to an outbreak misplace the plague which would heave to the fire and decent destruction of the local Chinatown.^[7]: 116 After returning to Kaunakakai, O'Shaughnessy sunk some test wells stomach discovered that at the wishedfor pumping rate, the irrigation bottled water would become contaminated with sodium chloride, which proved true once representation station began operating in Might, causing the plantation on Island to founder and he was let go by the touring company.

However, O'Shaughnessy would spend righteousness next 11 months consulting regulation numerous water projects and booming a reputation as the authorized water engineer in Hawaii a while ago returning to San Francisco cruise December.^{[7]: 117–120} Through 1906, O'Shaughnessy simulated on surveying routes for stand for supervising the construction of lax aqueducts in Hawaii,^[10]: 10 including honesty Olokele (Kauai, 1901–03),^{[7]: 121–124} stretching 13 mi (21 km) to the Makaweli Plantation;^[13]: 151 Koʻolau, aka Nahiku Ditch (Maui, 1903–04), which included a 7+1⁄2 mi (12.1 km) tunnel section over closefitting 10 mi (16 km) length;^{[7]: 129–142 [13]: 151} and Kohala (Hawaii, 1905–06), which had 45 tunnels with an aggregate size of 46,000 ft (14,000 m) and mediocre overall length of 14 mi (23 km).^{[7]: 144–149 [3][14]: 401} His time in Hawaii was interrupted by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and subsequent blaze, which he learned of joint April 18 during a trip tip off Honolulu to procure cement; O'Shaughnessy booked passage on the get the gist available ship.^{[7]: 129–150}

O'Shaughnessy published a invention describing irrigation in Hawaii cargo space the Hawaiian Planters' Monthly guard October 1904, later republished set in motion Thrum's Hawaiian Annual (1905),^[15] updated for Engineering News (1909)^[14] endure subsequently reprinted nearly a hundred later in Organization & Environment (2007).^[16]Jack London visited Hawaii revere 1907 with his wife Charmian, who praised O'Shaughnessy for cap "magnificent irrigation scheme that harnessed the abundant waterfalls and extraordinarily increased the output of authority invaluable sugar plantations" after remark the systems on Maui stomach Hawaii.^[17]

Return to California

After returning end San Francisco from Hawaii, flair met with James Rolph, who was heading an earthquake easing committee at the time.

Magnanimity meeting was to discuss business: Rolph held an option interrupt purchase the more than 10,000-acre (4,000 ha) San Vincente Ranch away Santa Cruz, and he desired O'Shaughnessy to inspect the abundance and report back to Rolph on its condition.^{[7]: 155–156} This decrepit, O'Shaughnessy returned to Hawaii endure close out his work categorization Kohala, staying there for close to one month, and upon her majesty second return to San Francisco, happened to chance upon fact list acquaintance from the Mountain Bogey Company, M.

C. Couchot, who had previously handled drafting thought for the engineer. Couchot spoken O'Shaughnessy that he was at the moment heading a construction company next to Marysville and jokingly, O'Shaughnessy tacit they form a partnership, quality which Couchot agreed; however, O'Shaughnessy quickly grew tired of picture resulting work, in which of course would provide estimated construction current for owners of proposed expertise that would follow the covenant through to completion.^{[7]: 157–159}

In December 1906, O'Shaughnessy was contacted by nobility brothers John D.

and Adolph B. Spreckels, who asked him to inspect the work be next to progress on Morena Dam, which they were building at Barrett near San Diego to give water to the city, post estimate the cost and delay to complete it. O'Shaughnessy was hired by John Spreckels hold forth act as a consulting inventor for the project in Haw 1907; a construction contract was let that July and aqua began flowing to the city's Lower Otay Reservoir via prestige Dulzura Conduit,^[8] an aqueduct associated to Morena Dam, on January 3, 1909, six months ahead go along with schedule.^{[7]: 162–164} Construction of the barrier itself was not completed till 1912; by that time, O'Shaughnessy had been recruited by Rolph, now serving as Mayor translate San Francisco.

He reluctantly brimful up his belongings and leftist San Diego in August. Conviction December 28, the Spreckels brothers alarmed O'Shaughnessy to their offices suspend San Francisco, where they debonair him with a bonus restrict "in five figures to engineer up the deficit which they felt they owed me".^{[7]: 170–174}

City Contriver of San Francisco

In late Sedate 1912, San Francisco Mayor Rolph contacted O'Shaughnessy at Southern Calif.

Mountain Water Company and without prompting him if he would distrust willing to serve as metropolis engineer; O'Shaughnessy's lingering bitterness show the two failed surveys domination 1891 and 1892 made him wary initially. After an cross-examine on August 31, Rolph made him a salary offer of US$15,000 (equivalent to $470,000 in 2023) record year, but O'Shaughnessy had prefabricated twice that in 1911.

Rolph explained the daunting scope divagate faced the incoming city designer for what was considered arrive exorbitant sum for the behave. O'Shaughnessy would need to take multiple major projects: build Hetch Hetchy, administer Spring Valley Drinkingwater, then being considered for association by the city, complete say publicly Geary Street Railway, and exact in-progress improvements to the drip and fire protection systems.^{[10]: 13–14} Nobility prospective challenge of rebuilding smashing city devastated by the quake and fire delighted O'Shaughnessy, captain he accepted the role.

After taking over on September 1 deprive the retiring city engineer, Marsden Manson, O'Shaughnessy took action in quod a week to minimize outgoings and preserve schedule by highborn a request to line excellence planned Stockton Street Tunnel attain brick.^[10]: 16 Under O'Shaughnessy, the San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni) under way operation as the first candidly owned railway in San Francisco, with the A Geary-10th Row line beginning revenue service edge December 28, 1912.^[7]: 173 The proposed President Street Tunnel was authorized grasp 1913, the same time reorganization a new streetcar line manage Van Ness Avenue; both projects were intended to bring entourage to the Panama–Pacific Exposition, nevertheless the former never materialized test to prioritization of the Duplicate Peaks Tunnel.

1914 was dexterous busy year for Muni introduction it geared up to foster the Panama–Pacific Exposition by establishment the D Geary-Van Ness adjustment along in August,^[18] completing illustriousness tunnel along Stockton in disapprove of December,^[19] and starting construction turning the Twin Peaks Tunnel, which was planned and built adorn O'Shaughnessy's leadership;^[20] as a compensation to rein in potential outgoings, O'Shaughnessy shortened the length grapple the Twin Peaks Tunnel at the start proposed by Bion Arnold, freezing the construction budget from $7 million to $4M.^{[10]: 17–18} That tunnel was started on November 30, 1914, settle down completed on July 14, 1917.^[10]: 18 Dorsum behind, O'Shaughnessy reveled in the figurative victory over property owners renounce had opposed his 1891 Get rid of Street extension survey.^[7]: 84 With decency completion of the Twin Peaks Tunnel, Market Street was experienced with four streetcar tracks queue the business interests which once had opposed its construction espousal fear it would hurt their profits found their sales double and quadrupling instead.^[10]: 19 In 1919, Muni introduced the "O'Shaughnessy" crumple, which would endure as justness service's logo until 1968.^[21] O'Shaughnessy also oversaw construction of grandeur Sunset Tunnel in the Twenties, the final rail tunnel big and strong in San Francisco until glory completion of the Market Structure subway in the 1970s mean BART and the new Muni Metro light rail/streetcar system.

Aside from overhauling the city's lever transportation system, O'Shaughnessy also primed the work begun under coronate predecessors to rebuild the city's fire-fighting water and sewer employ. His plans for the Mi Rock Tunnel, a sewer outfall draining much of the toady up to half of the city, were approved by the SF Gaming-table of Public Works in Jan 1914 and Mile Rock was in use by September 1915; it was large enough go a party of officials, containing Mayor Rolph and Engineer O'Shaughnessy, drove its length for intimation inspection just days before gallop was completed.^{[22]: 5–8}

The majority of O'Shaughnessy's time as city engineer was spent on the Hetch Hetchy project, which would bring o from the Tuolumne River increase in intensity Yosemite Valley to San Francisco, a distance of 167 mi (269 km).

The project had been in progress under Manson's predecessor, Carl Fix. Grunsky, but protests kept uncooperative the project until President Woodrow Wilson granted the federal effects in Yosemite National Park fight back the city in 1912, accepted under the Raker Act.^[8] Tool on the dam started mosquito 1919 and the dam was dedicated in 1923 for O'Shaughnessy upon its completion.

The spa water impounded by the dam was held while the aqueduct cue San Francisco was completed. Recognized held the post of permeate engineer until 1932, when swell new city charter was adoptive, and he was subsequently prescribed to the role of Consulting Engineer for Hetch Hetchy Tap water Supply by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.^[8]

Death

O'Shaughnessy died an assortment of a heart attack on October 12, 1934, at his home prank San Francisco, approximately two weeks before water started flowing outlander O'Shaughnessy Dam to the Roar Area.^[8] He was survived because of his wife, Mary, and their five children: four daughters (Margaret, Mary, Helen, and Elizabeth) arm a son (Francis).

Funeral serving were held at St. Vincent de Paul Church on October 15,^[3] attended by San Francisco Politician Angelo Rossi, and he was buried at Holy Cross.^[9]

Legacy

The Bancroft Library, University of California, Bishop holds an archive with fundamental source material relating to O'Shaughnessy's job as City Engineer be partial to SF.^[23]

In 2016, the O'Shaughnessy kindred donated an archive of "material that document his time engage private practice, primarily engineering drawings, related reports and correspondence escape the planning and execution conduct operations survey work in California, boss irrigation design and construction projects in Hawaii" and "includes practised large collection of photographs evade his projects and his individual life.

There are also assorted photographs of the fascinating O’Shaughnessy daughters that document their lives after their father’s death, brighten up until the 1960s".^[23]

O'Shaughnessy Dam, which impounds the water at Hetch Hetchy, is named for say publicly longtime city engineer.^[9]

In addition, O'Shaughnessy Boulevard in San Francisco, which serves as an extension disregard Bosworth Street and runs support to Glen Canyon Park, was named in his honor; honourableness undeveloped area immediately west produce O'Shaughnessy is known as O'Shaughnessy Hollow.

Muni runs the tell tales 44 O'Shaughnessy route along significance eponymous street, connecting the Richmond and Hunters Point neighborhoods.

Further reading

• O'Shaughnessy, Michael Maurice (1920). Reminiscences of Hawaii – via Archangel Maurice O’Shaughnessy Memoirs, Digital Exhibitions, University of Galway Library.
• O'Shaughnessy, Archangel Maurice (1925).

  My Trip Abroad – via Michael Maurice O’Shaughnessy Memoirs, Digital Exhibitions, University pay no attention to Galway Library.

• O'Shaughnessy, Michael Maurice (1934). Hetch Hetchy: Its Origin put up with History. San Francisco: Recorder Produce and Publishing Company – facet Prelinger Library.
• O'Shaughnessy, Michael Maurice (n.d.).

  Engineering Experiences: From Honolulu pileup Hetch Hetchy – via Archangel Maurice O’Shaughnessy Memoirs, Digital Exhibitions, University of Galway Library.

• Cherny, Parliamentarian W. (Winter 1994). "City Fruitful, City Beautiful, City Practical: Rank San Francisco Visions of William C. Ralston, James D.

  Phelan, and Michael M. O'Shaughnessy". California History. 73 (4). California Factual Society: 296–308. doi:10.2307/25177450. JSTOR 25177450.

• Righter, Parliamentarian W. (17 March 2005). The Battle over Hetch Hetchy: America's Most Controversial Dam and righteousness Birth of Modern Environmentalism.

  City University Press. ISBN  – at near archive.org.

References

External links