San Diego Old Mission Dam and Aqueduct
Vintage Photos and Diagram
A proof image of my great grandfather looking over the Old Mission Dam structure.
Circa 1913
Photo by Lee Passmore
Circa 1913
Photo by Lee Passmore
A great diagram, unknown source, of the cross section of the flume area- Old Mission Dam, San Diego.
Lee Passmore's diagram of the Dam and Aqueduct features.
Circa 1913
A famous image of Lee Passmore upon "re" finding the flumes from the Old Mission Dam. In the family it was told that he was photographing landscape views and saw "lines" in the hills and investigated them at a later date.
Photo by Lee Passmore
A famous image of Lee Passmore upon "re" finding the flumes from the Old Mission Dam. In the family it was told that he was photographing landscape views and saw "lines" in the hills and investigated them at a later date.
Photo by Lee Passmore
Road along side the Old Mission Dam on the south side of the dam. Not sure if this is the current road used or an older road.
Photo by Lee Passmore
Photo by Lee Passmore
Boulder near Old Mission Dam- San Diego, Cal- May 18, 1913 (Sunday)
Lee's wife, Lida, posed for many of his images, it's assumed to add a human element and for scale.
Photo by Lee Passmore
Lee's wife, Lida, posed for many of his images, it's assumed to add a human element and for scale.
Photo by Lee Passmore
Old Mission Dam
Old Mission Dam Aqueduct
Re-discovered- 1913
"The left side of old Mission Dam, looking upstream - showing the 3 inch tile through which water entered the aqueduct- flowing from here to the old mission- following the winding riverbank.
The masonry, and this old dam is in a wonderful state of preservation, and may be seen today in a drive of 30 minutes from Fifth and Broadway."
- Lee Passmore
Old Mission Dam Aqueduct
Re-discovered- 1913
"The left side of old Mission Dam, looking upstream - showing the 3 inch tile through which water entered the aqueduct- flowing from here to the old mission- following the winding riverbank.
The masonry, and this old dam is in a wonderful state of preservation, and may be seen today in a drive of 30 minutes from Fifth and Broadway."
- Lee Passmore
Old Mission Dam Aqueduct
Re-discovered- 1913
"This photograph shows the aqueduct in detail. The length of portion excavated is 35 feet - measurements - extreme with 4 feet. Measurements inside width at top 18 inches. Inside width bottom 8 inches. Inside depth 18 inches.
The half round tile used for the bottom of aqueduct was coated with cement to the thickness of 2 inches to prevent erosion. The inside of the flume was also coated with cement - the thickness about a half inch.
The hardened tiles were placed edge to edge -vertical- and joints well filled with cement and then capped with tile all completely protected with cement." - Lee Passmore
Re-discovered- 1913
"This photograph shows the aqueduct in detail. The length of portion excavated is 35 feet - measurements - extreme with 4 feet. Measurements inside width at top 18 inches. Inside width bottom 8 inches. Inside depth 18 inches.
The half round tile used for the bottom of aqueduct was coated with cement to the thickness of 2 inches to prevent erosion. The inside of the flume was also coated with cement - the thickness about a half inch.
The hardened tiles were placed edge to edge -vertical- and joints well filled with cement and then capped with tile all completely protected with cement." - Lee Passmore
Old Mission Dam Aqueduct
Re-discovered- 1913
"Looking down on old Aquaduct. This portion was excavated by the photographer before picture could be made. And shows a section 35 feet long. The channel of San Diego river appears in this photo - is 15 feet lower than the aqueduct. One of the half round tile - taken from the bottom of flume shows at the lower end of photograph. This tile is 28 x 8 by one. And was filled with cement to prevent erosion."
- Lee Passmore in 1913
Re-discovered- 1913
"Looking down on old Aquaduct. This portion was excavated by the photographer before picture could be made. And shows a section 35 feet long. The channel of San Diego river appears in this photo - is 15 feet lower than the aqueduct. One of the half round tile - taken from the bottom of flume shows at the lower end of photograph. This tile is 28 x 8 by one. And was filled with cement to prevent erosion."
- Lee Passmore in 1913
Old Mission Dam Aqueduct
Re-discovered- 1913
"Looking up the old Mission Gorge. The precipitous walls of rock - on left side of river looking upstream- with part of the old aqueduct showing. This aqueduct is about 15 feet above the present river bed- and follows the contour of the riverbank from the Old Mission Dam to the San Diego Mission. A distance of about 3 miles."
- Lee Passmore in 1913
Old Mission Dam Aqueduct
Re-discovered- 1913
Photo by Lee Passmore
Re-discovered- 1913
Photo by Lee Passmore
Old Mission Dam Aqueduct
Re-discovered- 1913
Photo by Lee Passmore
Re-discovered- 1913
Photo by Lee Passmore
Heavy rain water year, perhaps 1916
It isn't clear if this is a Passmore image, but an interesting early image of the dam in a low water year.
