Charles Hatfield
From Kook Science
| Charles Hatfield | |
|---|---|
| Born | 15 July 1875 Fort Scott, Kansas |
| Died | 12 January 1958 (82) [1] Los Angeles, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Field(s) | Pluviculture |
| Known for | Rainmaking |
Influenced
| |
Charles Mallory Hatfield (July 15, 1875 - January 12, 1958) was an American "rainmaker" who claimed to have produced over 500 successful artificial precipitations with his secret mixture of 23 chemicals.
The "Moisture Accelerator"
- Raised in Kansas.
- Sewing machine solicitor.
- 1904, "RAINSTORMS AT $50 EACH".
- by 1907, Hatfield held ongoing contracts across Southern California, including Stanislaus, Merced, San Joaquin, and boasted contracts in Oregon and other states.
- 1915, San Diego flooding, legal controversy.
- 1920, farmers in Washington state counties Grant, Douglas, and Lincoln contracted with Hatfield at a modest $3000 per inch.
- 1921, farmers in Medicine Hat, Alberta (Canada) paid out $8000 for four and a quarter inches of rain.
- 1931, farmers in San Bernadino county propose an offer of $10,000 (or $1000 a foot) to fill Big Bear Lake.
Resources
- Jenkins, Garry (2005), The Wizard of Sun City: The Strange True Story of Charles Hatfield, the Rainmaker Who Drowned a City's Dreams, Thunder's Mouth Press, http://amzn.to/1A4eSM9
References
- ↑ "California, Death Index, 1940-1997," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VPWX-P72 : accessed 24 February 2015), Charles Mallory Hatfield, 12 Jan 1958; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.