Big Pine 5

Big Pine Fire House

Big Pine

All photo cards and photographs on this page courtesy of Rich McCutchan archives unless otherwise noted.

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10/21

Photographs and text courtesy of Tom Poe

My grandma, Alvena McAfee, was born in Big Pine in 1898. She’s about 25 here and then living in Los Angeles.

Big Pine Easter Egg Hunt in 1953. I’m the little guy and those are my
big brothers John and Russ.

Tom Poe

BIG PINE...a long history in our family. My grandmother, Vena, who we grandkids called Mimi, was born in Big Pine in 1898 about two years before the family moved to San Diego and shortly after to the Imperial Valley to ranch. In 1952. She and her husband, Jim Croy, moved back to Big Pine where he was the supervisor for the LA Department of Water and Power's transfer plant and lived right next to the water being sent to LA. That summer, I spent several weeks with them and had fun. Good memories with the grandparents!

BIG PINE 1952…. My brother, John, grandma, Vena Croy who was born in Big Pine in 1898, and my oldest brother, Russ.

These are my gg grand uncles who mined and ranched in Aurora and Fish Lake Valley Nevada - just across the White Mountains from Bishop and Big Pine. The first and third ones are Hales and the second and fourth are McNetts. Many of their children, nieces and nephews eventually settled in Bishop and Big Pine.

Big Pine, CA flood of 1928	Big Pine, CA flood of 1928
Big Pine, CA flood of 1928	Big Pine, CA flood of 1928
School house - Big Pine, CA	Big Pine, California
School house - Big Pine, CA	School house - Big Pine, CA
Hotel Butler - Big Pine, CA	Main Street - Big Pine, CA
Main Street - Big Pine, CA	Owens View turkey Ranch - Big Pine, CA
Main Street - Big Pine, CA - 1930	Main Street - Big Pine, CA
Main Street - Big Pine, CA - 1930	Big Pine, California
Main Street - Big Pine, CA	Big Pine, California
M. E. Church - Big Pine, CA	Eaton Chicken Ranch - Big Pine, CA
Interior of a Big Pine saloon - Big Pine, CA	Big Pine July 4th rodeo - Big Pine, CA
Big Pine July 4th rodeo - Big Pine, CA	Big Pine July 4th rodeo - Big Pine, CA
Big Pine July 4th rodeo - Big Pine, CA	Big Pine Pioneer Pageant - Big Pine, CA
Main Street - Big Pine, CA	Owens Valley Poultry Ranch - Big Pine, CA
Owens Valley Poultry Company - Big Pine, CA	Owens Valley Poultry Company - Big Pine, CA
Inyo Swimming Pool - Big Pine, CA	Inyo Swimming Pool - Big Pine, CA
Inyo Swimming Pool - Big Pine, CA	Big Pine Christmas Tree - Big Pine, CA
Crocker Avenue - Big Pine, CA	Crocker Avenue - Big Pine, CA My guess is that this Laws photo is from the 1890's and it was just behind the Big Pine Hotel, later the Butler Hotel, and much later the Hi Country Market. James C Crocker and his sons Edwin and Fred started the Big Pine Hotel and both lived on Crocker according to Census, but I forgot to look if it was the same house. Just as guess but I think it is James C. Crocker by the door who died in 1896, Edwin and his wife on the balcony, and their teenage son George on the horse. Just a guess. James Crocker died in 1917. His brother Edwin M Crocker died in 1896. Fred's brother Edwin A Crocker built his house in 1896 described as "a handsome residence." George was born in 1898. This house was near Albion Keith Eugley store house who lived on Crocker. His son Lowell Albion Eugley was a Notary Public in Big Pine in 1909. The "Crocker Ave" RPC appears to be later and has the sign "Notary Public" on the balcony. Lots of famous Big Piners lived on Crocker St. My grandmother spend a summer living with her friend Leona Jacobson around 1918 where she met my grandfather and got married, honeymooning is Laurel Creek in Mono. Crocker Street was known as the Big Pine "Lovers Lane." I will have to look through her albums to see if it appears. (Photo courtesy Pam Milligan Vaughan) (Text courtesy Hal Eaton)
Main Street - Big Pine, CA
Big Pine Hunting Club - Big Pine, CA	Main Street - Big Pine, CA
Ladies on the road camping out - Big Pine, CA	Trout Catch - Big Pine, CA
Sheep herders - Big Pine, CA	Packing lumber up Big Pine Creek - Big Pine, CA
Deep Springs Ranch - Big Pine, CA	Deep Springs Ranch - Big Pine, CA
Catch of fish at Glacier Lodge - Big Pine, CA	Glacier Lodge - Big Pine, CA
Glacier Lodge - Big Pine, CA	Pedestal Rocks at Palisade Glacier - Big Pine, CA
Pedestal Rocks at Palisade Glacier - Big Pine, CA	Pedestal Rocks at Palisade Glacier - Big Pine, CA
Burton Frasher taking pictures of the Palisade Glacier - Big Pine, CA	Burton Frasher's wife on the Palisade Glacier - Big Pine, CA
Looking into a crevass on the Palisade Glacier - Big Pine, CA	Toll House on Westgard Pass - Big Pine, CA
Sulfur mine east of - Big Pine, CA There is more than anyone would ever want to know about these two sulphur deposits in the rather-obscure California Journal of Mines and Geology, Oct. 1938. Both areas are on the west slope of the Last Chance Range: Crater Group is the biggest with 6 claims; another 12 claims are 1.5 miles east of the first group. In June 1932, various leasers worked the claims and shipped about 42,000 tons of high-grade ore to Los Angeles. Purity was 75-80%. Owners included Sanger and Albertoli of Big Pine, and the Smith Brothers of L.A., among others.	The summit of Westgard Pass - Big Pine, CA
Sulfur mine east of - Big Pine, CA Big Pine - Eureka Valley Sulphur Mines Eureka Valley Sulphur mines, near Big Pine, will resume operation in the near future, it is reported, with R. E. Ketching in charge. The product will be marketed by Dan Nord and Art Ronchausen. County road equipment has started work on the road between the sulfur mines and Oasis. Another projected road would run from Big Pine through Eureka Valley to Zurich, past the talc and sulphur mines to Sand Canyon and into Death Valley via Scotty's Castle.	Bridge crossing the Owens River to Zurich - Big Pine, CA

Photographs courtesy Loyola Marymount University, William H. Hannon Library

Top row (L/R:) Bert Ober, "Miller" George Mitchell
Bottom row (L/R): Frank Epperly, Ramon Machado

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: Bert Ober was a friend of J. D. Black and may have been related to the Ober family of Big Pine, who lived there in the 1920s. George Mitchell may have the person of that name whom voter registration lists recorded as a farmer and laborer in Big Pine in the 1920s. Ramon Machado may have been Jose Ramon Machado who farmed in the Big Pine area in the 1920s. Ramon Machado was an acquaintance of John Black, father of J. D. Black. Biographical information on Frank Epperly and "Miller" is wanting.

Illegal Big Pine Diversion Canal - cut by city of Los Angeles employees
This photograph is probably of the site where, in August 1924, Big Pine residents threatened violence against Los Angeles city employees to stop their illegal diversion of water from the Big Pine Canal for city use. This attempted, and illegal diversion of water to the city of Los Angeles, symbolized to Big Pine residents the injustice of Los Angeles' actions in their valley. These actions undermined the source of their prosperity. A resident of Big Pine and leader of resistance against Los Angeles, J. D. Black used this photograph to document the actions of Los Angeles in the Owens Valley

Building is probably the hotel and bar of Tom Callow, in Big Pine, CA - circa 1922
Back Row (L/R): Mrs. Callow, Tom Callow, Bridget, the cook

Front Row (L/R): Edwin H. Ober (game warden), Peachey Ober, and Austin Ober (young boy),
Porte Jack (Paiute) and Nettie (Paiute)

Big Pine circa 1906 - Benjamin Franklin Scott Harness Shop
Big Pine school house	Big Pine Harvest Festival - 1914
Big Pine Native American School - 1906 (Photo courtesy Inyo County Sesquencentennial)
Big Pine 8th grade commencement - 1940 (Photo courtesy Inyo County Sesquencentennial)
Big Pine school kids (For a list identifying the children click here) (Photo courtesy Inyo County Sesquencentennial)
Big Pine School - 1900 (Photo courtesy Inyo County Sesquencentennial)	Westgard Pass toll station (Photo courtesy Inyo County Sesquencentennial)
Big Pine snow - 1914 (Photo courtesy Inyo County Sesquencentennial)	Big Pine service station (Photo courtesy Inyo County Sesquencentennial)
Big Pine survey party - 1891 (Photo courtesy Inyo County Sesquencentennial)

Benjamin Franklin Scott Harness Shop - Main St., Big Pine - 1906	Mrs Raphel Rossi at door, Mrs. Murphy center, Mrs Felix Rossi far right. Photo taken at the house of Henry Freeman's and Anna Scott Mitchell in Big Pine - 1906
Sheep at Stewart Lane in Big Pine, CA	Golda Schalten (Photo courtesy of ebay)
Fourth Lake Lodge - Big Pine, CA (Photo courtesy of ebay)	Glacier Lodge - Big Pine, CA (Photo courtesy of ebay)
10/22 Movie set (1923 The Golden Princess) at 4th Lake - Big Pine, CA (Photo courtesy of Matt Schober)
12/21 Fourth Lake Lodge - Big Pine, CA (Photo courtesy of ebay)	01/22 Freighting supplies over the White Mountains at Box Canyon between the Summit and the Toll House - 1904 (Photo courtesy of The Huntington Library Digital Collection)
08/22 A Forbes photo from my aunt Dorothy Maxley's photo album. Hauling hay in Big Pine - Pre-1916 (Photo courtesy of Pam Milligan Vaughan)

	Vintage Eastern Sierra Brochures
	Cerro Gordo
	More Big Pine
	Early Bishop Residents
	Mary Austin
	The Carson & Colorado Railroad in Owens Valley

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This page was last updated on 23 April 2024