M.M. O'shaughnessy Photograph Collection, Circa 1885-1986 (Bulk 1890-1934)
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http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/k6mg7pb7 Online items available Finding Aid to the M.M. O'Shaughnessy photograph collection, circa 1885-1986 (bulk 1890-1934) Chris McDonald and Lori Hines The Bancroft Library University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, CA 94720-6000 Phone: (510) 642-6481 Fax: (510) 642-7589 Email: [email protected] URL: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/ © 2016 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved. BANC PIC 1992.058 1 Finding Aid to the M.M. O'Shaughnessy photograph collection, circa 1885-1986 (bulk 1890-1934) Collection number: BANC PIC 1992.058 The Bancroft Library University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, CA 94720-6000 Phone: (510) 642-6481 Fax: (510) 642-7589 Email: [email protected] URL: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/ Finding Aid Author(s): Chris McDonald and Lori Hines Date Completed: 2007 Finding Aid Encoded By: GenX © 2016 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved. Collection Summary Collection Title: M.M. O'Shaughnessy photograph collection Date (inclusive): circa 1885-1986 Date (bulk): 1890-1934 Collection Number: BANC PIC 1992.058 Extent: 9 cartons, 10 volumes, 4 oversize boxes, 8 oversize folders, 6 boxes (negatives), 2 sleeves (strip negatives), 1 object90 digital objects (91 images) Repository: The Bancroft Library. University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, CA 94720-6000 Phone: (510) 642-6481 Fax: (510) 642-7589 Email: [email protected] URL: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/ Abstract: The M.M. (Michael Maurice) O’Shaughnessy photograph collection, 1887-1986, consists of photographic prints, film negatives, reports, albums, cartoons, lantern slides and ephemera relating to M.M. O’Shaughnessy’s professional life as a civil engineer, working first as a consultant in private practice, and later as City Engineer of San Francisco. The bulk of the collection documents the construction of the Hetch Hetchy Water Supply system, which O’Shaughnessy directed during his tenure as City Engineer of San Francisco. In addition, there is material relating to his personal life and family. Languages Represented: Collection materials are in English Physical Location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog. Access Information COLLECTION STORED, IN PART, OFF-SITE: Advance notice required for use. RESTRICTED NEGATIVES: Use of negatives only by permission of the appropriate curator. OVERSIZED "--H" RESTRICTED DUE TO SIZE: Advance notice required for use. Preferred Citation [Identification of item], M.M. O'Shaughnessy photograph collection, BANC PIC 1992.058, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley Alternate Forms Available Digital reproductions of selected images are available. BANC PIC 1992.058 2 Related Material M.M. (Michael Maurice) O’Shaughnessy papers, 1982-1937, BANC MSS 92/808 c O’Shaughnessy family papers, circa 1920s-1980s, BANC MSS 2003/229 c Separated Material Three unrelated collections were received with the O'Shaughnessy photographs and have been cataloged separately. Harry M. Guy photograph collection, BANC PIC 1992.081 Irina Tolstoy photograph collection, BANC PIC 1992.082 Sheehy and Rodman family photograph collection, BANC PIC 1992.083 Indexing Terms The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog Civil engineers--California--Photographs Dam failures--California--Los Angeles County--Photographs Dams--Design and construction--California--Photographs Flood control--California--Photographs Public works--California--San Francisco--Photographs Street-railroads--California--San Francisco--Pictorial works Water-supply--California Water-supply--San Francisco (Calif.)--Photographs Hetch Hetchy Reservoir (Calif.)--Pictorial works San Francisco (Calif.)--Pictorial works Cartoons (Commentary) Editorial cartoons Photograph albums Photographic prints Acquisition Information M. M. O’Shaughnessy photograph collection was received by The Bancroft Library from two sources. The first portion was purchased from Butterfield & Butterfield on March 6, 1992. The second, and much larger portion, was given to The Bancroft Library by Elizabeth O’Shaughnessy on August 15, 1992. The material donated by Miss O’Shaughnessy formed the manuscript collection, BANC MSS 92/808. The photographs were transferred from BANC MSS 92/808, and merged with BANC PIC 1992.058. The rationale was that all the material was originally part of a single collection, and that there was no apparent reason to leave them as two separate collections. There was no attempt to distinguish the items originally contained in the purchase from those originally contained in the gift. Accruals No additions are expected. Biographical Information Michael Maurice (M. M.) O’Shaughnessy was born in Limerick, Ireland, on May 28, 1864, the son of Patrick and Margaret (O’Donnell) O’Shaughnessy. One of nine children, he was educated in the public schools in Ireland, and attended Queen’s College, Cork, and then in Galway. He graduated with honors from the Royal University, Dublin on October 21,1884, and received the degree of Bachelor of Engineering. 0n March 8, 1885, O’Shaughnessy sailed for America and ten days later reached New York City, then proceeded on to San Francisco, arriving on March 30, 1885. He began his career working as Assistant Engineer, first for the Sierra Valley and Mohawk Railroad (1885-1886) and later for Southern Pacific Railroad (1886-1888) at various locations throughout California. He began private consulting as a civil engineer in August 1888, and undertook the surveying and engineering of land developments in California, laying out a number of small towns. From 1890 to 1898, he was in general engineering practice in California, with an office in San Francisco. He served as Chief Engineer of the 1893 California Mid-winter International Exposition; was Chief Engineer for the Mountain Copper Company and built 12 miles of narrow-gauge railroad in Shasta, California in 1895; and completed projects for several corporations, including the Spring Valley Water Company. From 1899 to 1906, O’Shaughnessy was engaged in the design and construction of four large irrigation and hydraulic projects on about twenty sugar plantations in the Hawaiian Islands, including Olokele Aqueduct, Kauai; Koolau Aqueduct, BANC PIC 1992.058 3 Maui; and Kohola Aqueduct, Hawaii. From 1907 to 1912, he served as both Chief Engineer and Consulting Engineer for John D. and Adolph Spreckels’ Southern California Mountain Water Company in San Diego, and completed the Dulzura Conduit and Morena Rock Fill Dam. Other work during this period included Throttle Dam (New Mexico), channel rectification on the Salinas River for Spreckels Sugar Company, Crocker-Huffman Dam on the Merced River, and development of the water works at Port Costa. On September 1, 1912, O’Shaughnessy was appointed City Engineer by Mayor James Rolph, and received a yearly salary of $15,000—almost double that of his predecessor. He held the position for twenty years – until January 8, 1932, when a new City Charter was adopted that separated the ordinary work of the City Engineer from that of its public utilities, including the municipal water supply. On February 8, 1932, the newly formed Public Utilities Commission appointed him Consulting Engineer for Hetch Hetchy Water Supply, a position that he held until his death in 1934. Accomplishments during his tenure as San Francisco City Engineer include extensions of streets and sewers, design and construction of boulevards, tunnels, bridges, development of a high pressure fire system and fire alarm signal station, and municipally owned utilities, including a street railway system and water supply and hydro-electric power projects. The major part of O’Shaughnessy’s time and interest were occupied with the Hetch Hetchy Water Supply project. Former City Engineer Carl E. Grunsky had selected the Tuolumne River as the source of water for San Francisco, but there were lengthy delays due to opposition from many sources. O’Shaughnessy’s immediate predecessor, Marsden Manson, kept the project alive, and following engineer John R. Freeman’s report on the project in 1912, Congress approved President Wilson’s grant of the federal lands to San Francisco. Construction work began in 1914 in the mountains and was finally completed in 1934, when water first reached reservoirs. The work required building a railroad, power plants and transmission lines, several storage dams and reservoirs, and an aqueduct. During the lengthy period of construction, O’Shaughnessy resisted attacks by numerous opponents of the project who sought to stop the progress of the work. In July 1923, the dam at Hetch Hetchy Valley was dedicated in his honor, and officially given the name, O’Shaughnessy Dam. Throughout his career, O’Shaughnessy served as a consulting engineer for a wide variety of projects, including municipal, state and federal government endeavors, as well as corporate and private enterprise. Notable among these are water and power projects throughout California, including Strawberry Dam (Stanislaus River); Lower Otay, Barrett and El Capitan Dams (San Diego); Alpine Dam (Marin County); Bowman Dam (Yuba River); and Juncal Dam (Santa Barbara); and elsewhere in the U.S., including Skagit River, Seattle and Dix River, Kentucky. He advised on municipal transportation systems, including street railways in Detroit, Michigan and Tacoma, Washington, and waterfront