While many people proposed ideas in the debate about where to get the water for San Francisco, A. H. Giannini fixated on the proposed creation of a dam in Hetch Hetchy Valley, part of Yosemite National Park. Dr. Giannini testified at hearings in front of Congress about his position and published many letters and notes in the newspapers where his appeals to the public appeared often and his progress in Washington was heavily reported on. By the time the delegation from the city and county council of San Francisco was planning on leaving Washington, thinking that they won, Doc overheard a representative of the Spring Valley Water Company (staunch opposers of the dam) lobbying the Senate to reconsider the dam. This opened the way for the delegation to return to the Senate to reiterate their points.
A.H. Giannini. Courtesy of San Francisco Public Library.
As the project progressed, the issue of funding reared its head. The construction of the dam would have to end if no one intervened. To increase funding, the city government began to sell bonds for the dam’s construction. However, these bonds were having trouble selling.
A.P. Giannini’s Bank of Italy was inclined to intervene, and ended up purchasing between four million and five million dollars of Hetch Hetchy bonds. It seems these two brothers were determined to keep their passion project alive even years after their previous involvement.
The dam was eventually finished, partly due to the involvement of A. P. and A. H. (Doc) Giannini.
Signing of the water bonds for Hetch Hetchy.