HIGHWAY TO HISTORY; SIGNPOSTS OF PAST ABOUND ON 395.Byline: BRETT PAULY Ever wonder when motoring up Highway 395 to the fishing grounds or the ski slopes about all those eye-catching monuments lining the corridor that beckons from the Eastern Sierra like the yellow brick road to Oz? For years I was bound and determined to pull over and check one out, but I always seemed in a rush to get to my destinations in Inyo and Mono counties . . . or back home again. Following last month's trout-season opener, I did stop at one site and found - not surprisingly - they are historical landmarks. And what treasures they hold. I was hooked like a Crowley Lake Crowley Lake is a reservoir on the upper Owens River in southern Mono County, California in the United States. It was created in 1941 by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) as storage for the Los Angeles Aqueduct and for flood control. rainbow and stopped at four more during my southbound jaunt. Call it a drive-thru history lesson, a roadside tour of the Wild West. Call it whatever you wish. But if you want to learn more about the annals of the Owens Valley This article has multiple issues: * It needs to be expanded. * It may need copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. and its neighboring high desert to the north, slow down, flip on the turn signal and ease onto the shoulder to peruse pe·ruse tr.v. pe·rused, pe·rus·ing, pe·rus·es To read or examine, typically with great care. [Middle English perusen, to use up : Latin per-, per- the plaques that adorn the highway as so many windows to the past. ``It's kind of like being in a time machine, being able to transport yourself briefly into another time,'' said Maryln Lortie, a historian with the state Office of Historic Preservation Historic preservation is the act of maintaining and repairing existing historic materials and the retention of a property's form as it has evolved over time. When considering the United States Department of Interior's interpretation: "Preservation calls for the existing form, in Sacramento. ``It's one thing to read about history in a book, but to actually be there on the spot where something historical actually occurred brings you into a greater closeness. ``For those of us who love history, it's very special.'' Special enough that private groups like E Clampus Vitus The Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus (ECV) is a fraternal organization dedicated to the study and preservation of Western Heritage, in particular the history of the Mother Lode and gold mining regions of the area. - a fraternity founded during California's gold California's Gold is a PBS travel program that explores the numerous natural, cultural and historical wonders of the Golden State. The show, now in its 13th year, is produced and hosted by Huell Howser. rush that today scouts for important but little-known historical locales - erects its own commemorative bronze tablets to augment those raised by state and federal agencies. ``You have to remember your past, how our forefathers forefathers npl → antepasados mpl forefathers npl → ancêtres mpl forefathers npl → Vorfahren struggled to tame this Wild West,'' said Gary Parrott of Mammoth Lakes, a California Highway Patrol highway patrol n. A state law enforcement organization whose police officers patrol the public highways. officer and historian for the fellowship's Bodie chapter, one of two Eastern Sierra assemblies of ``Clampers.'' ``It helps to look forward.'' Here are synopses of landmarks, from south to north, to enhance any self-guided sojourn you might care to embark upon. With the exception of the Mammoth Lakes sites listed, all monuments are situated along Highway 395 unless additional directions are given: Farley's Mill: Silver-mining worker M.H. Farley completed Owens Valley's first processing mill and furnace in 1862. Half-mile south of Olancha. Cartago Boat Landing: In 1870s, bullion bars hauled across Owens Lake Owens Lake is a large dry lake in eastern California's Owens Valley, located about 5 miles (0 km) south of Lone Pine, California. by steamer. Half-mile south of Cartago. Cottonwood Charcoal Kilns: Col. Sherman Stevens built sawmill sawmill, installation or facility in which cut logs are sawed into standard-sized boards and timbers. The saws used in such an installation are generally of three types: the circular saw, which consists of a disk with teeth around its edge; the band saw, which , flume in 1873 to provide lumber, charcoal for bullion mine. 70 miles north of Cartago, 1 mile east. (Plaque missing.) Diaz Lake: Named for Chilean homesteaders, lake formed when ground below dropped 20 feet during 1872 earthquake that opened new spring. Plaque to be installed at lake June 20. Grave of 1872 Earthquake Victims: 27 people killed when 8.3 temblor destroyed Lone Pine on March 26, 1872; 16 buried in common grave. 1 mile north of Lone Pine. Alabama Gates: Constructed 1913 to de-water L.A. Aqueduct when maintenance was required. Seized by citizens in 1923 to divert water to dry Owens River and draw attention to local concerns. 8 miles north of Lone Pine. Manzanar Relocation Center Manzanar Relocation Center Internment facility for Japanese Americans during World War II. Fear that Japan would invade the western U.S. with the aid of spies living in the U.S. : In 1942 during World War II, U.S. residents of Japanese ancestry were interned in relocation centers. Manzanar held 10,000 within its barbed wire barbed wire, wire composed of two zinc-coated steel strands twisted together and having barbs spaced regularly along them. The need for barbed wire arose in the 19th cent. , guard towers. 9.6 miles north of Lone Pine. Legend of Winnedumah: Paiute lore tells of Indian summoning spirit to defeat enemy; was turned to stone, an 80-foot monolith still standing. Independence's south end. Edwards House: Thomas Edwards founded Independence in 1863. In 1865 built this house, Inyo County's oldest. Turn left Market Street, Independence. Mary Austin's Home: Author of ``The Land of Little Rain,'' and other titles about Owens Valley resided here. 253 Market St., Independence. Putnam's Cabin: Charles Putnam built Inyo's first cabin in 1861; served as trading post trading post See post. , hospital, ``fort.'' 139 Edwards St., Independence. Camp Independence: Col. George Evans led military expedition here July 4, 1862, (hence name), to quash Indian hostilities. Turn right Shabell Lane, 1.7 miles north of Independence. Mount Whitney State Fish Hatchery hatchery a commercial establishment dedicated to the hatching of bird eggs to provide day old chicks and poults to the poultry industry. hatchery liquid the contents of unfertilized eggs. Used in petfood manufacture. : Citizens donated 40 acres to state in 1916 to build hatchery. Turn left Fish Hatchery Road, 1.7 miles north of Independence. Charley's Butte Butte, city, United States Butte (by  t), city (1990 pop. 33,336), seat of Silver Bow co., SW Mont.; inc. 1879. It is a trade, ranching, and industrial center. : Named for Charley Tyler, African-American cowboy who died here in 1863 defending party from Indian attack. 12 miles south of Big Pine. Westgard Pass Toll Road: J.P. Scott Broder completed mine-and-mill road, toll house in 1873; lived here collecting duties until 1900. At Highway 168. Horace Marden Albright: Born here in 1890, conservationist was a founder, second director of National Park Service. 207 W. Line St., Bishop. Kitty Lee Inn: Named for proprietor's daughter in 1924; prominent stop for Hollywood celebs. At Pine Street, Bishop. The Mule: Dedicated to animal whose stamina, intelligence allowed hauling of men, material from East to settle West. At Tri-County Fairgrounds n. pl. 1. same as fairground. , off Bishop's Sierra Street. Pine Creek Mine: Civil War veterans struck gold here, and in 1916 discovery of another mineral parlayed into world's largest tungsten mine. 14 miles north of Bishop. Owens Valley: Named for Army captain in John C. Fremont's 1843 expedition but trodden trod·den v. A past participle of tread. trodden Verb a past participle of tread by first white man, Joseph Walker, 10 years prior. 20 miles north of Bishop. McGee Mountain Rope Tow: Built by Dave McCoy in 1938, its success prompted move to Mammoth Mountain in 1941. On frontage road north of McGee Creek Road. Mammoth City: Largest of Mono County's Lake Mining District towns sprang to life when gold was discovered in 1877, busted as mines faltered in 1881. On Old Mammoth Road near Red Mountain. Pioneers of Old Mammoth: Commemorates original settlers. Near Mammoth City landmark. (Monument destroyed.) Mammoth Consolidated Gold Mine: Produced gold from 1880-1933, until Great Depression, local bank failures caused closure. At Cold Water Campground trailhead, Lake Mary Road. Hayden Cabin: Constructed in 1927 by Emmet and Margaret Hayden; testimony to Mammoth Lakes' history. On Old Mammoth Road. Lost Cement Mine: Legend states two prospectors found gold ``ledge'' but were forced to leave because of weather. Storm proved fatal. Before they died, the pair shared secret with physician, who quit practice, spawned rush to find deposit. At Crestview Rest Area. West Portal: Largest of four ``camps'' (company towns) built in 1933 by L.A. Department of Water and Power for Mono Basin Project employees. At vista point north Highway 158's south junction. Lee Vining: Named for Leroy Vining, one of Mono's first settlers who established camp here after gold found year earlier. In Lee Vining. Sheriff James P. Dolan: Mono's 15th sheriff was shot, killed in 1915 attempting to arrest two outlaws who terrorized ranchers. At Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve The Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve was established at Mono Lake, in Mono County, California, to preserve the "tufa towers". The towers are made of calcium-carbonate spires and knobs formed by the interaction of freshwater springs and alkaline lake water. . Grave of Adeline Carson-Stilts: Kit Carson's daughter moved to Mono in 1858 to became one of three women residing in county. At Cemetery Road. Mono Diggins: Discovery of gold here in 1859 sustained rush that started at Dog Town in 1857; largely responsible for development of Bodie. At Conway Summit. Dog Town: Eastern Sierra's first gold hot spot took moniker (1) A name, title or alias. See alias. (2) A COM object that is used to create instances of other objects. Monikers save programmers time when coding various types of COM-based functions such as linking one document to another (OLE). See COM and OLE. from miners' term for camps with huts, hovels. 7 miles south of Bridgeport. The Poor Farm: Built in Bodie as Mono County Hospital in 1879, relocated here when county offices transferred to Bridgeport; became refuge for aged, ill, penniless pen·ni·less adj. 1. Entirely without money. 2. Very poor. See Synonyms at poor. pen  ni·less·ly adv. . At Green Creek Road. Bridgeport Inn: Originally the Levitt House when completed in 1877, was major stage stop where Mark Twain may have stayed. At inn. Mono County Courthouse: State's second-oldest active courthouse, since 1881. At courthouse. Bridgeport Chronicle-Union: Brothers Robert and Alex Folger began newspaper in 1880; legacy continues as Review-Herald. At courthouse. CAPTION(S): 3 Photos, Map PHOTO (1--Color) Mount Whitney looms behind the common gravesite grave·site n. A place used for graves or a grave. of 16 victims of the 1872 earthquake in Lone Pine. Brett Pauly/Daily News (2--Color) A memorial to U.S. residents of Japanese ancestry held at Manzanar in World War II stands at the former relocation center. John McCoy/Daily News (3--Color) With the Eastern Sierra Nevada in the background, a marker commemorates the historic Pine Creek Mine, north of Bishop. John McCoy/Daily News MAP: (Color) HISTORICAL SITES ALONG HIGHWAY 395 IN EASTERN SIERRA Dionisio Munoz/Daily News |
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