Helix Water District

Helix History (1910-1929)

1910
Ed Fletcher and James Murray buy the San Diego Flume Company, renaming it the Cuyamaca Water Company. A large amount of preliminary design work begins on system upgrades.

At the same time
The Mexican Revolution is underway. Halley's Comet is seen. E. M. Forster writes "Howard's End." The Manhattan Bridge is opened. Barney Oldfield is at the height of his racing career. Stravinsky is publishing popular operas.

1911
Work begins to replace problem areas of the flume. South Fork Siphon and Chocolate Creek Siphon are built. Murray Hill, later Grossmont Reservoir, is started. Flume side boards are raised to increase capacity.

At the same time
Explorer Roald Amundsen reaches the South Pole. The "Mona Lisa" is stolen from the Louvre, is not found until 1913. D. H. Lawrence writes "The White Peacock." Renoir paints "Gabrielle with a Rose." Matisse paints "The Red Studio."

1912
Murray Hill (Grossmont) Reservoir is completed. The Diverting Dam is raised five feet. The raising of flume side boards continues. East County water consumers begin to unite to form the La Mesa, Lemon Grove,and Spring Valley Irrigation District. They begin looking for their own water source.

Grossmont Reservoir in 1912.

At the same time
Arizona and New Mexico become states. Woodrow Wilson wins the Presidential election. The Titanic sinks. F. W. Woolworth founds his chain of stores. The first successful parachute jump is made. C. G. Jung publishes his "Theory of Psychoanalysis."

1913
Cuyamaca Water Company buys the El Capitan dam site. Exploratory work begins at the site. El Monte Pump Station is acquired. Sand Creek Pump Station, Diverting Dam pump, Chocolate Creek pump are all installed to augment the flume. Many sections of wooden flume replaced with a new steel version. A small concrete dam is built at diversion point on South Fork.

At the same time
Henry Ford develops the assembly line. The fox-trot dance is popular. Geiger invents his counter for radiation. Willa Cather writes "O Pioneers." D. H. Lawrence writes "Sons and Lovers." Poet Robert Frost is popular, publishes "A Boy's Will" this year.

1914
The El Monte Pump Station rebuilt and electrified (previously steam). The La Mesa, Lemon Grove, and Spring Valley Irrigation District offers to buy the Cuyamaca Water Company, with the price to be set the following year. The District joins the Irrigation Districts Association of California.

At the same time
World War I begins. Dubbed "the first modern war," extensive fighting takes place in trenches with heavy artillery and the first tanks. The United States stays out of the fighting at the beginning. Jack Dempsey begins his boxing career. The Panama Canal is opened. James Joyce writes "The Dubliners." E. R. Buroughs writes "Tarzan of the Apes."

1915
The La Mesa Ditch is enlarged. The side boards are raised for the remaining length of the flume. Fletcher and Murray, owners of the Cuyamaca system, forestall the purchase of their district when they dispute the set price.

At the same time
World War I continues in Europe. Airplanes begin to set the stage for future combat as fighters begin patrols and bombs are dropped from aircraft. Einstein develops his famous "General Theory of Relativity." John Buchan writes "The Thirty-Nine Steps." W. Somerset Maugham writes "Of Human Bondage." D. W. Griffith films "Birth of a Nation." The first motorized taxis come into use.

1916
Charles Hatfield is blamed for the severe floods of 1916, which require extensive repairs to the flume (such as replacing South Fork Syphon and long sections of the main flume) and other major water facilities in San Diego County. Rainfall in excess of eight inches falls in the mountain areas within a few hours.

Digging out pump buried during flooding of 1916.

At the same time
World War I continues. German Zeppelin airships bomb Paris. The United States tries to remain neutral, but will soon send troops to aid the Allies. Jazz becomes popular. The National Park Service is established. Woodrow Wilson is reelected. Lawrence of Arabia is becoming famous for his efforts in the Middle East. James Joyce writes "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man."

1917
Construction begins on the new Murray Dam. Reconstruction continues on other major water facilities countywide.

At the same time
World War I continues. The United States becomes committed to the Allied effort. Gas masks become standard equipment in the trenches as chemical warfare becomes prevalent. Charlie Chaplin is big in the movie theaters. Women demonstrate in an effort to recieve voting privileges. J. S. Sargent paints his "Portrait of J. D. Rockefeller."

1918
Murray Dam is completed, increasing storage there by six times.

Murray Dam, seen here in 1950, held water brought from the flume by the La Mesa Ditch. The ditch connected Murray with the Eucalyptus Reservoir.

At the same time
World War I continues until November when Germany surrenders. An influenza epidemic sweeps the world; thousands are lost. The first airmail postage is created. Daylight Savings Time goes into effect. Willa Cather writes "My Antonia." Aldous Huxley writes "The Defeat of Youth."

1919
El Monte Pump Station is again enlarged and equipped with more wells. The Sweetwater Trestle on the main flume falls, requiring replacement with a siphon.

At the same time
The League of Nations is formed. Prohibition begins in the United States. Alcock and Brown fly across the Atlantic, stopping in Newfoundland and Ireland. Babe Ruth is a baseball superstar. The Black Sox baseball team is caught in a bribery scandal. Monet's last painting marks the end of the Impressionist era.

Go to 1920-1929