When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
History lesson: William Mulholland (1855-1935) was the embodiment of L.A.’s complicated relationship with water. Born in Belfast, Ireland, William left home at age 15 and would get by by doing odd jobs around the United States, before moving to Los Angeles in 1877.
Here he worked his way up from a mere ditch cleaner, to water company manager.
In 1902, the City formed the Water Department – forerunner to the DWP – and crowned William Mulholland as the superintendent. His greatest triumph was the Los Angeles Aqueduct, which brought water from the Owens Valley in the Eastern Sierra down to the San Fernando Valley. When the project was completed in 1913, Mulholland famously said of the water: “There it is. Take it.” (Owens Valley farmers were displeased, to say the least, while some Angelenos were rightly skeptical as to why the aqueduct led to arid SFV land owned by a handful of millionaires instead of closer to town.) He also “built” Lake Hollywood in 1924-1925 by flooding Weid Canyon with the Mulholland Dam.
His career ended on March 12th, 1928, when the St. Francis Dam north of Santa Clarita failed just twelve hours after he inspected it. 15 billion gallons of water smashed into the valley below, forming a deadly river two miles wide and 70 miles long, all the way out to the Pacific. More than 450 people were killed.
Mulholland Drive was laid out in 1922, when things were still going swell for its namesake; Mulholland himself reportedly conceived of a hilltop highway here twelve years earlier, which is why this street honors him.
About this sign: this road, Mulholland Hwy, is a turn off from Mulholland Drive at SR Highway 27. It runs paralleled along Malibu’s main road, PCH 1. The western starting point is on the Pacific Coast Highway and its eastern terminus is actually positioned at Topanga Canyon Blvd, also known as SR Highway 27.
Now despite this sign being roughly 40-50 years old, at least, this sign also packs a punch as it has a very rare, error. It has a misprinted name, where it is only supposed to be spelled “Mulholland” it is spelt “Mullholland” with 2 L’s in the “Mul” part instead of the normal 1.
Sign measures 30” wide, 6” tall and 1” thick. Sign weighs 9.25LB
’s ai generated description: The product is a vintage Los Angeles County Mulholland Hwy street sign with a rare error of having a double L in the Mul part of Mulholland. This unique collectible item is likely to appeal to transportation enthusiasts and collectors alike for its historical significance and rarity. The sign represents a piece of Southern California's past and is sure to be a standout piece in any collection.
