William Todd
September 1, 1857 – October 13, 1931
William Todd was born near Glasgow, Scotland, in 1857. At the age of twenty-two, he immigrated to America, initially settling in Cresco, Iowa, before moving to Austin a year later. Upon his arrival in Austin, he began working for the Milwaukee Railroad. In 1891, he was appointed Chief Engineer for Austin Waterworks. In 1899, Mr. Todd constructed the city’s first municipal electric light plant and advocated for the use of springs instead of wells for the city’s water supply. In 1900, he was elected Superintendent of the Electric, Light, and Waterworks. His visionary contributions as a dedicated engineer significantly improved the utility systems that we continue to benefit from today. In 1927, the citizens of Austin petitioned the Water and Light Board to name the Herzog Spring Farm “Todd Park” in his honor.