Mt. Whitney and Early Lone Pine 2

Lone Pine in the early 1900s

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

Owens Valley once was lush from the waters of the Sierra Nevada. Irrigation ditches built in the late 19th century by early pioneers on both sides of the Owens River watered pastures, dairy ranches, apple, peach and pear orchards, fields of alfalfa and corn, along with grape vineyards. In the mid 19th century Lone Pine had been called El Pueblo de las Uvas or the town of grapes by its Mexican setters. Mary Austin wrote a beautiful chapter in her Land of Little Rain that tells that story. Another settlement was called Manzanar, Spanish for apple orchard. Game abounded, such as deer, bighorn sheep, rabbits, quail, pheasant and other small game animals. In the early 1900's fish, such as golden and rainbow trout, had been transplanted from the western streams of the Sierra Nevada and were flourishing in the eastern mountain lakes, Owens River and its tributaries.

(Excerpt from "Desert Padre: Life and Writings of Father John J. Crowley" by Joan Brooks)

Images of Early Lone Pine
Main street Lone Pine in 1914.	Haystacks in the Lone Pine area in 1914.	1924 - Unknown carriage riders.
Main street Lone Pine in 1936.	Camp Lone Pine in the Alabama Hills in the shadow of Mt. Whitney.	Lone Pine's "Square Deal" garage.
Summer - Main street Lone Pine in 1911.	Summer - Main street Lone Pine in 1911.	Winter - Main street Lone Pine in 1911.

"Some Sierra Superlatives"[pdf]
by Oscar Lewis

When Lone Pine and Owens Valley was still something of a pioneer area.

Stuck in the snow at the southern end of Owens Valley in 1924.	Stuck in the snow at the southern end of Owens Valley in 1924.	Stuck in the snow at the southern end of Owens Valley in 1924.
Main Street Lone Pine in the 1930s.	The Dow Hotel in the 1930s.	Main Street Lone Pine in the 1934.

"A Near View of the High Sierra"[pdf]
by John Muir

The Olivas Pack Station
This picture of the kids being packed into Monache by the Olivas'. Pictured are from left to right, George "Wimp" Woods & Marilyn "Buzzy" Woods (children of Louise Olivas Woods), center unknown, and in the pack box to the right are Joe Ruiz and Margaret Ruiz, children of Ethel Ruiz Olivas. This picture had to be taken in the late 30's.s	The Olivas Pack Station in the 1930s when it was owned by Carmen Olivas. Mounted from L to R: George Woods and Louise Olivas Woods.

Various Photo Cards courtesy of Rich McCutchan

Lone Pine in the early 1900s	Lone Pine in the early 1900s
Lone Pine in the early 1900s	Owens River in the early 1900s
Lone Pine Railroad Station	Lone Pine in the early 1900s
Tractor Biplane in Lone Pine in 1914	Lone Pine in the early 1900s
Dow's Hotel in Lone Pine in the early 1900s	Lone Pine in the 1940s
Santa Rosa Church in Lone Pine.	Lone Pine Drug Store and Post Office
Lone Pine in the 1940s	Lone Pine in the 1940s
Lone Pine in 1943	Lone Pine in the 1940s
Lone Pine in the winter of 1946	Lone Pine CCC camp.
Lone Pine in 1947	Lone Pine in 1947
Lone Pine in 1949	Lone Pine in 1949
Lone Pine railroad station	Lone Pine railroad station
Lone Pine in 1917	Smitty in Lone Pine
Welcome to Lone Pine	Lone Pine in the early 1940s
20 Mule team painting by cowboy artist Ed Thistlehaite. Painted from memory as it was in the 1880's	The Miller Ranch in 1914

	Packing & High Sierra Stories
	Mt. Whitney Packers of the 40s - 70s
	More Early Lone Pine
	Wildflowers of the High Sierra
	One Packers High Sierra Experience
	Vintage Eastern High Sierra Brochures

Sign Guest Book	The Pigmy Packer		View Guest Book
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This page was last updated on 07 September 2009