Mulholland lore linked to Calabasas history

MAN OF THE TIMES—Catherine Mulholland, granddaughter of William Mulholland, has written several books on local history. Catherine Mulholland, the noted author and historian whose grandfather, William Mulholland, built the Los Angeles Aqueduct, spoke to local residents earlier this month about her latest effort to chronicle the rich history of Calabasas.

The 85-year-old Mulholland, author of "Calabasas Girls: An Intimate History" (1976) and "The Owensmouth Baby: The Making of a San Fernando Valley Town" (1987), appeared at the fall meeting of the Calabasas Historical Society.

A biography she wrote about her grandfather, "William Mulholland and the Rise of Los Angeles" (2000), recounts the life of the man who engineered what was once considered nearly impossible—bringing water from the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Owens Valley to the San Fernando Valley via an aqueduct. The book was named "Best Nonfiction" of the year by the Los Angeles Times Book Review.

Few families have had a larger impact on the development of Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley than the Mulhollands.

Catherine Mulholland's family has lived in the area for four generations. Her maternal ancestors, the Ijams and Haas families, settled in Calabasas and the west San Fernando Valley in the late 1870s and 1880s.

"My grandfather was committed to the almost Teddy Roosevelt progressive idea of municipal ownership of water," said Mulholland, who recalls events of the early to mid-20th century as if they were yesterday.

"I've been privileged to witness a lot of tragedy, joy and life in California history, and I've been able to write about it."

Playing near the movie studios one day as a child, Mulholland remembers pulling a foolish prank and stealing the pigskin gloves belonging to movie star Clark Gable off the seat of his red Packard convertible. She returned them after a reprimand by her grandmother.

In her youth, Mulholland played in a jazz band, cavorted with Charles Mingus and danced to the music of Benny Goodman at the Hollywood Palladium. She was, by her own admission, an "original Valley girl."

In the 1960s, Mulholland joined the burgeoning hippie movement while attending the University of California at Berkeley. She took a keen interest in the integration of local schools. She saw many examples of discrimination in California and felt moved when the nation elected Barack Obama the first black president.

Mulholland eventually returned to her roots in the west San Fernando Valley region.

"Chatsworth and Calabasas were the only two stretches in this part of the state," she said. "I got interested in the history of the land I had fled for 30 years."

She wrote "Calabasas Girls" for her mother's 80th birthday.

"It had legs, and it had interest beyond the family," she said.

Her latest foray into the lore of the land has recently been completed and is titled "Calabasas Lives: Pioneers of a Western Outpost." Distribution is scheduled within a month.

"It's a wonderful way of community memory being preserved," Mulholland said.

Since its formation in a 1979, the Calabasas Historical Society has been dedicated to preserving the interest of the region and its residents. The volunteer organization has made valuable contributions to the Kathleen Beachy Memorial Library at Pierce College and the Ruth Loring Collection of Southern California History housed at the new Calabasas Library.

The historical society recently helped celebrate the arrival of the Butterfield Overland Mail Stagecoach at the Leonis Adobe on the 150th anniversary of its operation.

The society provides living history displays at local schools, parks and other locations. It provides academic scholarships to students and gives an annual Living History Award to recognize individuals who have contributed significantly to the community. Nominations are now being accepted. Contact committee chair Robin Mitchell at (818) 222-4617 for more information. Catherine Mulholland is a past winner, as are George French, James Bozajian, Dennis Washburn, Earlyn Masher, Kathy Ayres and Arlene Bernholtz.

The president of the society is Debbie Bruschaber.

For more information, visit calabasashistoricalsociety.org.