Obtaining sufficient water has always been a basic requirement for residents of San Diego.
February 22, 1888 (according to today’s Union-Tribune)
Construction was completed on a 35.6-mile flume designed to carry water from the Cuyamaca Dam to San Diego. Work on the project began in 1886 after the San Diego Flume Co. was incorporated and the Cuyamaca earthen dam was built. To celebrate, California Governor R.W. Waterman and other dignitaries rode down the channel in a small watercraft. (from the UT)
(or was it a year later?) According to the SD Historical Society: Bryant Howard, president of the Consolidated National Bank who had taken over the direction of the flume company from Ephraim Morse, was named president of a celebration scheduled for February 22, 1889. The event was considered so important that it rated nineteen vice presidents and ten scheduled speakers. A parade started from Sixth and H Streets with A. G. Gassen, the grand marshal, wearing a scarf of red and a big red plume in his hat. His adjutants wore blue scarves and white plumes in their hats, and their aides wore yellow scarves. It being Saturday afternoon and Washington’s Birthday as well, most of the downtown area was draped with red, white and blue bunting and flags were displayed in front of houses and stores.
Every group that could muster a unit was represented, including the City Guard Band, City Guard, the Grand Army of the Republic, Knights of Pythias, Pacific Beach Cadets, the Ancient Order of United Workingmen, International Order of Odd Fellows, Turnverein, Atherton’s Commercial College, S. White’s and Schiller & Murtha’s baseball clubs, Excelsior Rowing club, Golden Eagle Society, League of Freedom and the Red Men. The most popular of the commercial floats was a brewery wagon dispensing free beer to parade viewers along the way. (Some things never change!)
This year’s rainfall totals are more than twenty inches less than last year’s 22.47″…remember all that wet stuff? 2005 produced the third wettest season since 1850.
