Wilbur Fiske McClure (1856-1926) was a distinguished civil engineer whose career included various significant roles in developing California’s urban and state infrastructure. Born in Ohio and raised in Pennsylvania, McClure got his first surveying experience as a railroad engineer, working across several states before settling in California in 1883. Once living in California, he contributed to numerous railroad, marine, and municipal projects, eventually becoming the City Engineer of Berkeley. His tenure in Berkeley coincided with rapid urban transformation, allowing him to lay much of the groundwork for the city’s modern layout and infrastructure.
In 1912, McClure was appointed State Engineer of California by Governor Hiram Johnson. McClure served in this capacity for over a decade and was a central figure in developing California infrastructure. This included serving as California’s representative on the Colorado River Commission, where he was a signatory on the Colorado River Compact. Later, McClure also worked as Commissioner of Public Works. The large Lake McClure, created by the construction of the Exchequer Dam on the Merced River, is named after our mapmaker, the state engineer at the time of the dam’s construction.