Papa G
My family has been vacationing in Mammoth for 30 years, but I never thought much about it other that to admire its beauty. I'm not a skier, but love exploring the outdoors, even when there's many feet of snow on the ground. I've long thought it would be a great place to retire to and, by golly, that's just what I did... 5 years ago.
It wasn't until after I settled in that I developed an appreciation for the history and ecology of the Eastern Sierra Nevada. I finally got around to reading through a box of papers, handwritten by my paternal grandfather on yellow legal paper, that I got from my grandparents' attic after they died. Only then did I find out that he had been right here during the Summer of 1911 and that led me to want to learn more about the area and what he experienced.
As a young man, Frank Goble had worked as a survey engineer for the Pennsylvania Railroad excavating 4 tunnels under the East River in New York City. One of his jobs every morning was to check on the statue of Horace Greeley to be sure it hadn't fallen into the river after the previous days blasting. By age 21 he'd had enough of working for the railroads and decided to take Horace's advice inscribed on his monument: "Go West, young man." In 1910, he packed up his new bride, Josephine Booth, and traveled by steamer from New York to New Orleans, and by the Southern Pacific Railroad from New Orleans to Los Angeles, arriving in time to see the smoldering remains of the Great Explosion of General Otis' Los Angeles Times Building at 1st and Broadway (apparently the result of a labor dispute).
Grandma Jo got a job in Los Angeles as a fone lady with one of the two large confectionaries wholesale and retail firm. She had an apartment up on the Hill (Temple Street). He signed on with Koebig & Koebig Civil and Hydraulic Engineering Company. His first assignment was to continue Herbert Hoover's work after he was called away following the Colorado River surveying for dam sites for what would become decades later Hoover and Parker Dams. While he was roaming all over southern California, Arizona, and Nevada surveying rivers and potential highway routes (Route 99 from Los Angeles to Bakersfield, Route 80 from El Centro to Jacumba, Highway 14 across the Tehachapi Mountains), she managed on her own in the booming desert city of Los Angeles where she had their two sons, Russell in 1911 and my father Gene in 1914.
While working on Highway 14, his crew took a side job which took them north through the Owens Valley. He was at least aware that something was going on with people fighting over water rights and Mulholland's plan to build an aqueduct to bring water from the Owens River to Los Angeles. He mentioned Mullholland had sent a team of engineers north to survey the Owens River and that they were buying up ranch lands and water rights. Papa and his crew took the Southern Pacific Bead Gauge RR from Lone Pine to Laws, and a stagecoach into Bishop.
Lone Pine, 1911
He mentioned standing at the foot of Mt. Whitney... I was really scared-- you look up from the base and all you can see is the sky and the Heavens. He recalled they were all glad they didn't have to climb it (14504 Elev.).
Bishop, 1911
After rustling up a 2 team horse and mule to a hay rig and a 6 mule jerk line supply wagon in Bishop, they headed up over Sherman Pass to Rock Creek in Long Valley. They spent a night at Robert's Ranch (the last ranch in the valley at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Range, Elev. 5000), continuing on the next day for Rock Creek, Elev. 6375. Here made an over night fly camp and next morning began scouting about for the Owens River Canyon Gorge to start our exploration program.
We finally spotted a good camp site along the Owens River about 2-1/2 miles from where Rock Creek joins the Owens River. So with our camp set up, we were in business and with observations on stars and sun, we were able to spot our exact spot on earth. Again we were guided by Herbert Hoover's USC&GS maps triangulation monuments and B.M.S. (Bench Marks). The Owens River Canyon is some 1500 feet deep in places-- located 5 dam sites and power houses in 15 miles of canyon.
The camouflaged project was for the Silver Lake Power Development Co. of Bishop, Inyo Co., Calif. Briefly, it seems that while Koebig Jr. was building the Royal Gorge R.R. in Colorado, he had filed on the water rights of the Owens River Canyon Gorge and tributaries but before he could get to make a success of same, the Federal Govt withdrew any exploration expedition-- so remained dormant until July 5, 1911. So when notified that the ban would be lifted at 12:01 A.M. on July 5, 1911 and if he was on the spot, he could claim his claim to his first filing (who had been assisted by Hiram Johnson who was the Governor of California)
Seems about July 15th, 1911, who came a calling on us one fine day but a Mr. Lee and party, Scouting Engineer for the Water and Power Dept., City of Los Angeles, said Mr. Mulholland has sent him there to survey that water shed. So finding Koebig's engineers already on the job for two weeks there was nothing for them to do. We dined Mr. Lee for a couple of days on ice cold mountain trout and Mr. Lee, saddened but wiser returned to his boss Chief Eng. Mulholland and report his findings... that was the last we ever seen or heard from Mr. Lee-- until several years later I received a letter from him wanting me to come to Alaska to assist on the building of the Alaskan Rail Road but never did make it.
After locating five dam and power plant sites throughout the Owens River Canyon Gorge, we headed on up Owens River through Long Valley via Casa Diablo Mtn. Elev. 7955 Casa Diablo Hot Springs (sulphur).
He also mentioned traveling further north as part of this excursion to Topaz Lake and Monitor Pass, but not why. And he recorded elevations for Reno, Lake Tahoe, Donner Pass, Emigrant Gap and Marysville but not what he did, other than record the elevations on his resume. I wish he'd written more describing their life, hardships, daily activities, and so on. He tended to provide details like elevations but not how they lived or dressed or traveled or what they ate or about the people. He mentioned that they hired native Indians but not whether they were Paiute or Shoshone or how they communicated or related. He did say that at one camp site, their cook gave the Indians cans of tomatoes and they would do anything for them.
I really wish I knew something about how Grandma Jo managed on her own with two kids in a frontier town. The only story I remember about her from childhood is that one day she, her babies and the cook were alone in the camp (she did get to go on at least one excursion with special permission from Gov. Hiram Walker because women weren't allowed in state engineering high camps) when a pack of coyotes came around, and she grabbed an ole 30 'ought six rifle and fired off a round to scare them away, and she landed on her keister! They were in California for nearly 7 years. She must have been a pretty strong woman though I didn't have that impression of her growing up. A few years older than Papa, she lived 92 years. Papa died first at 89.
They left California in 1917. All highway work had been curtailed because of the war conditions. He decided to take a 6 month leave of absence, go back east to see the family, and return later. They took the train back to New York, he was hired by Hires, and never returned to California. I know he was mighty pleased when I moved to Southern California 1974 and was in many of the same areas he had explored so many years before. I certainly got my love of adventure and exploration from him, and I feel his presence with me when I'm out and about the wildreness in Inyo and Mono Counties.
I lived in and around Los Angeles for about 20 years and I never knew where the water came from but Papa G's stories sparked an interest in me to learn more about the history of the area, especially about the water issues. Wandering around taking pictures made me curious about the geology and ecology of the area and aware of how the water situation was damaging the ecosystems. There are many worthwhile books to read and videos to watch, which are available in local shops and visitor centers. I've listed those I've read/watched below. There are also some excellent museums and historical sites worth visiting when you're in the area. These have helped me fill in the gaps and details my grandfather left out. Go to my links page.
I encourage you, especially if you come to Mammoth from Southern California, to learn about the ongoing water issues between the Owens Valley and LADWP. Maybe you don't usually think about where your water comes from when you turn the faucet on... maybe you should. Maybe you've wondered what's up with that dry lake bed from Olancha to Lone Pine as you drive past it on your way up to Mammoth. What was once a pristine 60 by 20 mile, 60 foot deep lake, is now a dust bowl so people in the San Fernando Valley can have green lawns and golf courses, and LADWP has had to be forced to take responsibility to mitigate the resulting air pollution and environmental degradation. Years of legal nonsense, including refusal to comply with court rulings and $5,000 a day fines for months (this is your money being wasted), and LADWP is only recently beginning the work to reflood and vegetate parts of the dry lake bed to keep the dust down and maintain wildlife habitats. Due to the high winds in the area, it is one of the biggest sources of air pollution in the United States. Cases of asthma are rising among children in the towns around the lake. Maybe you should take the time to find out more about it and what you can do to help... even fixing your leaky faucet or broken sprinkler head at home will help save the Owens Valley. The Owens Valley used to be a vast agricultural area but the farms are gone... nothing but chaparral will grow on what was once fertile land. LADWP continues to pump the ground water, destroying what little vegetation and animal habitats are left. You should care... care enough to be part of the solution.
Today, December 6, 2006, as I'm typing this, Mayor Antonio Villarigosa from Los Angeles is ceremonially opening the valve that will reflood parts of Owens Lake and return some of the eco-system and wildlife habitats, not to mention fishing grounds, that were destroyed almost 100 years ago, and mitigate some of the pollution caused when LADWP drained it dry to make the San Fernando Valley green (see article). Thanks to the efforts of a few people who really care, the Owens Valley Committee, progress is being made but it has taken years of litigation to get LADWP to take responsibility for the destruction it caused and begin making amends. That's just not right!
Speaking of lakes, have you been up to Mono Lake? Spectacular, isn't it? Do you realize it too is in danger because Los Angeles wants more water? It too could become a dry lake bed, a dust bowl devoid of life, another eco disaster. Next time, don't just drive by-- stop at the visitor center, educate yourself, made a contribution toward saving the lake, the tufas, and the ecosystem it supports. We need to stop development and maintain the natural beauty of the area for future generations. Contact the Mono Lake Committee and become part of the solution.
I care. This is why I'm donating 50% of the proceeds from the sales of my photos to support the work of these and other local non-profit organizations that care enough about the environment to educate others and get people involved in working towards solutions.
Recommended Reading
Deepest Valley: Guide to Owens Valley, Its roadsides and mountain trails - edited by Jeff Putman & Genny Smith
Geology of the Sierra Nevada by Mary Hill
Geology Underfoot in Death Valley and Owens Valley by Robert P. Sharp and Allen F. Glazner
History of the Sierra Nevada by Francis P. Farquhar
Old Mammoth - Text & Historic Photo Collection by Adele Reed - edited by Genny Smith
The Story of Inyo by W. A. Chalfant
Story of Laws by Clarabelle E. Hawkins
The Water Seekers by Remi Nadeau
Video Tapes
Cadillac Desert/Water and the Transformation of Nature - Program 1: Mulholland's Dream (4 parts)
Chinatown - the movie starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston
Article
Righting a wrong of last century
L.A. returns water to Owens Valley
By Michael Gardner
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE
December 18, 2006LONE PINE - Water once again flows down the Lower Owens River, but it can never wash away the past.
For it was there nearly a century ago that Los Angeles covertly pulled off the West's most infamous water grab, drying up much of the southern Owens Valley to build one of the world's great cities.
Now, Los Angeles has agreed to make some amends, yielding to millions of dollars in court-imposed fines and increasing political pressure. The city will gradually bring a 62-mile stretch of the lower stream back to life by releasing water from its aqueduct and into the dry channel, in what is considered one of the most ambitious river projects in U.S. history.
Mary Nichols, a Los Angeles water commissioner, called it "restoring justice."
And perhaps it will energize small, tourist-dependent towns such as Lone Pine, where hikers pondering their challenge of Mount Whitney sip lattes at the Espresso Parlor while next door, ranchers drown the dust with a cold one at Jake's Saloon.
Righting this historic wrong also could help build momentum for settling lingering river disputes across the state, notably along the Klamath near the Oregon border and the San Joaquin outside Fresno, some officials say.
How growth-hungry Los Angeles civic leaders orchestrated the draining of the Lower Owens River is both legend and lesson.
"It was and still is a good tale," said author Norris Hundley Jr., who chronicled the "caper" in his book,"The Great Thirst."
Impostors secretly scooped up farms and homes to secure water for the city. Los Angeles officials faked a drought to scare residents into approving construction of an aqueduct. President Teddy Roosevelt's top aides were enlisted to clear federal barriers.
Frustrated residents retaliated by dynamiting the city's siphon, resulting in armed patrols with orders to shoot to kill. Even the Ku Klux Klan was rumored to have capitalized on the acrimony to recruit members.
The plot proved irresistible to Hollywood, which used the skulduggery as the back story for the Oscar-winning movie "Chinatown," starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway.
In real life, the story provided an immortal line delivered by the city's engineering mastermind, William Mulholland, in 1913. As he celebrated the first release of the water into the San Fernando Valley, 235 miles south of its headwaters in the Sierra, a smug Mulholland told a cheering throng:
"There it is. Take it."
This month, as Los Angeles returned some water to its natural course, a much-humblerDavid Nahai, president of the Los Angeles water commission, tried to exorcise Mulholland's ghost by telling a clapping Owens Valley crowd:
"There it is. Take it - back."
And they will, gladly.
"It's a whole new era," said Mark Bagley, a Bishop botanist. "No one's blowing up the aqueduct. The (Department of Water and Power) doesn't hire Pinkerton detectives to deal with their critics."
The atonement will cost the DWP's 680,000 customers a little more than $5 million a year, which works out to about a 25-cent increase in monthly household water bills. Replacement water will most likely be bought from the Metropolitan Water District, a wholesaler.
The city will relinquish just 16,000 acre-feet of the 320,000 acre-feet it siphons from the river every year. Of that, 9,000 acre-feet will flow down the natural channel, where it's usually dry bed for about 22 miles and then dotted with trickles and ponds for 40 more miles. The remaining 7,000 acre-feet will go to restore four off-stream wetlands.
These steady sips of water are expected to nourish the environment and the economy, luring more anglers, bird-watchers and hikers.
"They can come up here and fish a genuine river year-round," said Gwen Gardner, who operates a one-stop hardware and sporting-goods shop on Lone Pine's Main Street.
Since 1913, Los Angeles has been flogged for what it did to the Owens Valley, strung along Highway 395 in the shadows of the Sierra and Inyo Mountains. Compounding the controversy, the city subsequently over-pumped the groundwater, robbing residents and the landscape of precious supplies, critics say.
"The pumping has turned it into a dust bowl," said rancher Stan Mitlick, whose grandfather stood up to the city and refused to sell.
But there are contrary views of history locally. As Keith Bright, a retired Inyo County supervisor, described it, Inyo has a "love-hate" relationship with Los Angeles.
Some believe that the city paid good money during bad times, saving some from losing their land to the banks. Many more are convinced that Los Angeles, synonymous with sprawl and smog, spared the Owens Valley the same fate by locking away more than 250,000 acres in Inyo County.
"If the water doesn't flow to the people, the people will flow to the water," said Howard Grice of Bishop.
By secretly buying so many farms and homes for the water, the city now holds deeds to nearly 4 percent of Inyo County - twice as much as what is in private hands. The federal government is the largest land baron, with 92 percent of the property. The state owns the remainder.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is a major employer in this county of just 18,000 people. The jobless rate is 3.9 percent; the median annual household income is about $37,000.
"We'd almost be a ghost town without (the) DWP," said Jimi Goff, manager of Valley Market Chevron in Independence, the county seat.
The city also is considered by some to be a good neighbor, donating to causes and lending cherry pickers to put up Christmas lights.
Nevertheless, 1913 will never be forgotten, nor will all forgive. "I would say 5 percent of the people here wake up every day hating (the) DWP," Grice said.
Carla Scheidlinger, a local activist, said there appears to be a new attitude at the city and water department.
"I don't think we're in the evil-empire days anymore," she said. "But they have to deliver on their promises."
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa insists the city will - and more.
"There's been a lot of bad feelings over the decades, and rightfully so. L.A. hasn't been a good neighbor, but we're going to change that," he said. "This is a part of the state that helped make L.A. L.A. owes a commitment to this part of the state and these people."
Activists remain wary. "You know, our message is, 'We watch the water,' " said Betty Gilchrist of Lone Pine. "We are still going to keep watching.
For good reason. Los Angeles has made and delayed promises since the administration of Mayor Tom Bradley. It took years to force the city to slow its drawdown of Mono Lake, known worldwide for its tufa spires. The water grab is also blamed for sickening dust storms swirling from the dry Owens Lake.
Many in the Owens Valley are convinced that money, not environmental sensitivities, drove the city to act. A $5,000-a-day, court-imposed fine for failing to honor its litigated agreement to restore the lower river had surpassed $2 million.
"They were just dragging their feet until the judge set the hammer down," rancher Mitlick said.
The Owens Valley long has been the California farmer's Alamo, from Calexico to Chico. The cry to remember what happened to farms in the Owens Valley still echoes in the Imperial Valley, several years after the irrigation district agreed to send up to 200,000 acre-feet a year to the San Diego region.
But the admission of guilt by Los Angeles and its bid to make some restitution mark a milestone in California's water wars and could serve as a blueprint to settle other disputes.
"It suggests that in the future we won't have these winner-take-all battles where the other side gets destroyed," said Kevin Starr, a University of Southern California history professor and the former official California librarian.
