Helix Water District

Helix History (1900-1909)

1900
The Flume Company records its lowest runoff this year at 140 acre-feet. The large Lakeside Inn is an important tourist draw in East County.

At the same time
Picasso paints "Le Moulin de la Galette." Sargent paints "The Sitwell Family." Trial flights underway for the Zeppelin airship.

1901
The San Diego Flume Company is in steady decline.

At the same time
William McKinley is killed, Theodore Roosevelt assumes office. Picasso begins his "Blue Period." Ragtime Jazz is popular. The first motor-driven bicycle is created. J. P. Morgan's huge U. S. Steel Corporation is organized.

1902
An English firm holding bonds assumes ownership of the San Diego Flume Company while seeking to sell the properties. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is established.

At the same time
Joseph Conrad writes "Youth." Beatrix Potter writes the first "Peter Rabbit" stories. The Aswan Dam is completed. Gauguin paints "Riders by the Sea."

1903
The California Supreme Court rules in favor of property owners in a landmark groundwater decision.

At the same time
Settlement of Alaska is underway. Jack London writes "The Call of the Wild." The film "The Great Train Robbery" is the longest yet made at 12 minutes. The Wright Brothers fly their airplane at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Henry Ford founds the Ford Motor Company. Richard Steiff creates "Teddy Bears," naming them after Teddy Roosevelt. The first Tour de France bicycle race is held.

1904
East County residents can travel up the San Diego River canyon to Pine Hills and Julian.

Prior to the construction of El Capitan Reservoir, Eagle Peak Road was a popular route to Pine Hills and Julian.

At the same time
Teddy Roosevelt wins election for Presidency. Jack London writes "The Sea-Wolf." James Berrie creates "Peter Pan." Work begins on the Panama Canal.

1905
San Diegans mourn the lost crew members of the USS Bennington after an explosion.

At the same time
The first regular cinema is established. Albert Einstein formulates several famous theories including his Theory of Relativity and Theory of Photons. Sigmund Freud is at the height of his publishing career in psychology. Ty Cobb begins his baseball career. The first neon lights are made.

1906
The Castle Rock Ranch is headquartered where Parkway Plaza now stands.

At the same time
San Francisco is destroyed by earthquake and fire. The first radio transmission of voice and music is made. Roald Amundsen determines the location of the North Pole. Upton Sinclair writes "The Jungle" about food processing practices, which leads to the Pure Food and Drug Act. The first Grand Prix automobile race is held.

1907
Barney Oldfield races his "Green Dragon" car at the Lindo Park track in Lakeside.

At the same time
Oklahoma becomes a state. The first exhibit of Cubist art is held. Ivan Pavlov and his dog experiment with conditioned reflexes. Louis Lumiere develops a process for color photography. The Boy Scouts are formed. The first daily comic strip, "Mr. Mutt," begins circulation.

1908
Supreme Court rules that federal Indian reservations have an implied right to water dating back to their formation.

At the same time
William Howard Taft is elected as President. Dancer Isadora Duncan is popular. E. M. Forster writes "A Room with a View." General Motors Corporation is founded. Henry Ford begins producing the Model T; 15,000,000 will be made.

1909
Ed Fletcher and William Gross begin attracting artists and musicians to their artist's colony on Grossmont.

At the same time
Matisse paints "The Dance." Frank Lloyd Wright designs the Robie House in Chicago while ascending in popularity. Mary Pickford becomes the first "movie star." Louis Bleriot flys across the English Channel for the first time. Robert Peary reaches the North Pole. Bakelite becomes the first plastic produced for commercial uses. The first "permanent waves" are given in hair salons.

Go to 1910-1919