6 - A Little California Voodoo

The story of Charles M. Hatfield, rainmaker of California, and the 1916 flood of San Diego with which he was - maybe - connected.

 

Sources

“$5,000 price named,” Monroe (LA) News-Star, April 28, 1925.

“A rainmaker's claim,” Scranton (PA) Republican, April 1, 1904.

“Charles M. Hatfield, alleged rain maker, again visits here, wants $3,000 for three inches,” Oxnard Press-Courier, March 13, 1923.

“Cloud-compelling Jove has a bold competitor in Oregon,” Oregon Daily Journal, July 14, 1907.

“Destruction and death follow in wake of water,” San Bernardino County Sun, January 29, 1916.

“Dam breaks and angry flood assails Pomona,” Los Angeles Times, January 19, 1916.

“Droughts and famine needless, says 'rainmaker' Hatfield,” Bismarck (ND) Tribune, August 13, 1921.

“Fall in San Diego,” Los Angeles Times, January 16, 1916.

“Hatfield chasing elusive cloudlets,” Los Angeles Herald, October 4, 1908.

“Hatfield, good guesser, ranchers may feel assured there will be 12 inches or more of rain this season,” Oxnard Press-Courier, December 16, 1921.

“Hatfield has corner on rain,” Los Angeles Times, December 3, 1904.

“Hatfield made the sky fall (and fall), Taylor (TX) Daily Press, November 30, 1978.

“'Hatfield the rainmaker' started all this tinkering with the weather,” Oakland Tribune, February 15, 1951.

“Hocus pocus is what Ventura dubs Hatfield,” Oxnard Press-Courier, December 16, 1921.

“Making rain again,” Des Moines Daily Register, November 6, 1921.

“Morton County people interested in Hatfield,” Morton County (KS) Progress and Rolla Progress, June 18, 1925.

“Plants for rainmaking,” Harrisburg (PA) Telegraph, February 2, 1906.

“Rain promised, flood followed in 1916.” Retrieved from http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/local-history/sdut-charles-hatfield-1916-rainfall-el-nino-san-diego-2015nov21-htmlstory.html

“Rain promised for Christmas,” Los Angeles Times, December 19, 1904.

“'Rainmaker' is not re-engaged,” Vancouver Daily World, February 11, 1922.

“'Rainmaker' to get paid for rainfall,” Montreal Gazette, July 29, 1921.

“'Rainmaker' offers to break big drought,” Fresno Bee, August 12, 1934.

“'Rainmaker' wins $8,000 for breaking dry spell,” Springville (UT) Herald, April 24, 1925.

“Raining dollars into 'hat',” Vancouver Daily World, May 21, 1921.

“Rainmaker busy,” Los Angeles Times, December 13, 1904.

“Rainmaker may get $10,000 as result of floods in California,” Indianapolis News, February 10, 1916.

“Rainmaker sues,” Los Angeles Times, December 3, 1916.

“Rainmaker Hatfield in Italy in attempt to end long drought,” Bismarck (ND) Tribune, August 21, 1922.

“Rainstorms at $50 each, or your money back,” Boston Globe, March 2, 1904.

“San Bernardino county loss about a million,” Los Angeles Times, January 19, 1916.

“Six deaths and $2,000,000 loss; storm havoc in south,” Santa Ana Register, January 19, 1916.

“Steamer is embedded in silt at the harbor,” Los Angeles Times, January 19, 1916.

“Thinks he can coerce nature,” San Francisco Chronicle, Decmber 12, 1904.

“Trains by the score crawl out of floods,” Los Angeles Times, January 21, 1916.

“Wall of water rushes from hills near Claremont School,” San Bernardino Sun, January 19, 1916.

“With a grain of salt,” Redlands (CA) Daily Facts, April 16, 1958.

Brimner, Larry Dane. The Rain Wizard. Honesdale, PA: Calkins Creek, 2015.