Explore the challenges faced by Harriet Williams Russel Strong in advocating for her innovative ideas, navigating gender discrimination in business, and ultimately implementing her reservoir plans during a storm in Southern California. Delve into Strong's efforts in developing legislation for flood control, proposing hydroelectric plants, advocating for women's presence in delegations, and pitching the idea of damming the Colorado River at the Grand Canyon for water management. Reflect on Strong's complex legacy, including her achievements in civic work, music composition, and the controversial views expressed in a 1924 speech, alongside a discussion on the Boulder Canyon Project Act of 1928 and its downstream effects.
Harriet Williams Russell Strong was quite a powerhouse of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Not only did she manage to dig herself out of an unfortunate situation when her fortunes changed at the age of 39, she was also an inventor, and an early proponent of water conservation.
Research:
- Albertine, Susan. “Self Found in the Breaking: The Life Writings of Harriet Strong.” Biography, vol. 17, no. 2, 1994, pp. 161–86. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/23539669
- Apostol, Jane. “Harriet Russell Strong: Horticulturalist, Conservationist, and Feminist.” California History, vol. 85, no. 2, 2008, pp. 50–65. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/25139149
- “City in the Grasp of Swirling Water.” Los Angeles Times. Feb. 19, 1914. https://www.newspapers.com/image/380229853/?match=1&terms=%E2%80%9CCity%20in%20the%20grasp%20of%20swirling%20water%E2%80%9D
- “Flood Subsiding; Near End.” Los Angeles Express. Feb. 21, 1914. https://www.newspapers.com/image/607900618/?terms=flood
- “Harriet Russell Strong.” Lemelson-MIT. https://lemelson.mit.edu/resources/harriet-russell-strong
- “Harriet Russell Strong.” Whittier Museum. https://whittiermuseum.org/research/harriet-russell-strong/
- “Harriet W.R. Strong.” National Inventors Hall of Fame. https://www.invent.org/inductees/harriet-w-r-strong
- “Loss to Railroads Over Two Millions.” Los Angeles Times. Feb 22, 1914. https://www.newspapers.com/image/380231660/?terms=flood
- Lund, H.H. “The Successful Ranch Woman of Whittier.” Little Farms Magazine. February 1913.
- “A Strong Will.” U.S.P.T.O. https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/journeys-innovation/historical-stories/strong-will
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