Photograph was edited for publication purposes. On December 14, 1963, the dam collapsed, spilling 300 million gallons of water into the hillsides that swept away houses and cars and left three dead. Most of Baldwin Village, including the historic Village Green community, was flooded as well. The crack in the dam was ultimately attributed to subsidence caused by overexploitation of the Inglewood oil field. The disaster caused the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power to phase out small local reservoirs, opting instead to store water in groundwater basins and behind the Hansen Dam in Lake View Terrace. A big pile of wreckage is all that is left of William C. Newton's apartment after it was demolished by waters during the Baldwin Hills Reservoir disaster. An arrow points to a smashed automobile, embedded in the rubble, with headlights staring up at the sky. The mud-splattered cleanup crew consists of, left to right, William Newton, a friend holding a television set, Mrs. Newton and Mrs. Mize. Photo dated: Dec. 16, 1963.
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