1916 Hamlin Map of Los Angeles Storm Sewers

Homer Hamlin (August 27, 1864 - May 14, 1920) was an American civil engineer. Born in Pine Island, Minnesota, Hamlin attended public schools in Minnesota and spent one year enrolled at a college in Rochester, Minnesota. He moved to San Diego, California, at the age of 22 and began working in the city engineering department. After 'some time' there he moved on to work in private engineering firms. Hamlin moved to Los Angeles in 1894 and worked in the County Surveyor department and the City Engineer department for the next 7 years. He was appointed Chief Deputy of Field Forces, City Engineer, in January 1899, and held that position for three years. Hamlin joined the United States Reclamation Service in 1901 and worked as an engineer on the construction of the Laguna Dam across the Colorado River. He returned to working for the city of Los Angeles in August 1906 when he was named City Engineer of Los Angeles, a position he held until July 1917. As City Engineer, Hamlin supervised numerous construction projects, served on the Aqueduct, and completed the Outfall Sewer, a series of tunnels in water bearing formation. The City of Los Angeles acquired a strip of land that connected Los Angeles with San Pedro and Wilmington in 1909. Known as the 'Shoe String', Hamlin tirelessly campaigned for the land acquisition. Impressively, Hamlin largely taught himself engineering. He died in Washington, D.C. while serving as a delegate of the Association of Water Users of the Salt River Valley. More by this mapmaker...