Abandoned town of Laws, California & its Railroad near Bishop
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ก.ค. 2024
- Jeff and Sarah take you on a fascinating look at the former town of Laws, California, and the abandoned railroad with a visit to the Laws Railroad Museum and pioneer village.
This video will make you feel like you're right there!
#historyhunters #railroad #bishop
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The railroad never ran to Carson City. The Carson and Colorado Railroad went over Montgomery Pass and reached Mound House, Nevada. It was narrow guage. After the line to Mina was standard guaged, at Mina it met up with the standard guage railroad (originally Central Paciic, then Southern Pacific,). The Carson and Colorado Railroad abandoned the route over Montgomery Pass and was renamed Southern Pacific Railroad (still narrow guage with 3 foot between the rails). They continued to interchange with the standard guage Southern Pacific at nearby Ownyo. The narrow guage continued to run south to Keeler and transported minerals - including Talc and Perlite. The turntable, oil and water tanks are original (and original location)
I lived in Mia & liked hearing about when the railroad first went thru there
Mina
Absolutely correct. Lots of history there. I've taken my Jeep from Mina to Candelabra, which follows the RR. Then it branches off at Tonopah Jct, towards Montgomery Pass.
Candelaria
Someone needs to tell Spell✅ that they're Clueless!
the Southern Pacific Railroad closed their branch to Mina in 1985, which destroyed what little remained of the local economy. The railroad faciities were razed and the rails pulled up. I was through there several times since. The motel is closed as are most of the shops. (Motel would have subsisted greatly on overnighting railroad crews from Sparks. Heck, even the brothels that used to advertise their wares on the south end of town seemed to have closed down with the advertising falling into disrepair. Still its an interesting bit of history in this town. When the elder residents pass, its likely the town will disappear. No reason for youngsters to move in. Nearest work would be in Hawthorne but thats a ways away. Mina might make an interesting stop for the History Hunters!
That place is a goldmine. So many places to go, and be given glimpses of the past. Thank you so much, Jeff and Sarah. I totally enjoyed this from start to finish. I think I could spend an entire day there.👏🏻🤠🤗👏🏻
Our pleasure! It definitely is a place where we could have spent more time but we did a fair job of seeing most of it!
I could spend months there ànd never see all that amazing history!
@@michaelgmoore5708
me, too🤠👏🏻
Fond memories of driving through these towns and places during my growing up years. Thank you for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for spending time with us!
Great history of the area. For an out-of-the-way museum it certainly has lots to see and learn about. Always nice to see some old things preserved for future appreciation.
I was pleasantly surprised that it was such a nice facility even about 10 minutes out of Bishop towards the northeast. It certainly is a beautiful area.
Those mules I think are part of the borax 20 mule team wagon. I used to live in Ridgecrest and have been through Bishop hundreds of times. Thanks for the memories
Hi.... the two of you really know how to make history come alive. I only faithfully follow 3 youtube vloggers. Yours is my favorite! Please continue to make these fantastic vlogs
Wow, thank you! That puts a smile on our faces! Such an honor to hear you say that we are your favorite. Just curious though who your other two channels are.
Your son’s picture of Hamilton is very good. I’ve always wanted to travel to some of these ghost towns but I’m always working.
Taking a dump and bath with the option of clean water made me laugh. 😂
It’s fantastic!
Thanks for sharing about the laugh! 😂
I can't recall the movie, but there is a western out there where the cowpoke says he's paying for CLEAN water, for that very reason!
I live in Bishop and glad you made it to Laws! It’s got so many pieces history!
You have a nice little town! Wish we could have staying longer it explore. Maybe in the future.!
I was stationed at Norton AFB, San Bernardino (87’-93’). A bunch of us would travel up the 395 to Mammoth to ski every year passing through Bishop. Being young and foolish, we never “stopped to smell the roses” such as the Laws, CA. Thank you so much for this! God bless you two and have a Merry Christmas! By the way… LOVED your imitation of my favorite president Ronald Reagan!
I spent 2 years (1970-72) at the Naval Weapons Center, China Lake in the US of N. Spent many days roaming around the area and, in the winter/ski season, would frequent one of the diners in Lone Pine and just watch the snow bunnies take a break from their trips to Mammoth...solid headlights on 395 on Fridays, and solid red taillights on Sundays! Played in a couple of basketball tournaments in Lone Pine...the "gym" had herringbone oak floors so there was absolutely no "give" and we all suffered from shin splints. I believe Hopalong Cassidy (William Boyd) either lived in Lone Pine or had relatives, there. Cute little town...probably much larger, these days./
Take Sarah back in May for Bishop Mule Days, she will love it! Great video Sarah & Jeff!
I agree with taking Sarah there and doing another Episode of History Hunters!
I would love to visit this place! Thank you for taking us along for the tour! I worked for a jeweler back in the mid 90’s. He collected Lionel trains. He had a full village with trains set up in his basement. I could watch that for hours. There was a blacksmith shop next to my grandparents house. When I would go stay there on vacation in the early 60’s my cousin and I would go in it. There was old parts and equipment in there from who knows when. My cousin and I would say it smelled old in there. 😊A young craftsman bought my grandparents house in the 80’s. He cleared out the old equipment but kept the building intact. He uses it as his wood shop. It is still half moon shaped with the old red wood. Those horses were there to say hi to Sarah for her birthday! 🎂🎈🎉
Thanks Jeff and Sarah for a lovely step back in time at Bishop. History is so much better when you see it first hand, see how people lived and worked.
It’s definitely a great place to get a sense of simpler times!
Hamilton’s portrait is beautiful!!
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I have been through that area a thousand times, and never new that place ever existed. I will have to stop there the next time through. Thanks for the video on this place Jeff and Sarah. Travel safe!
Please do! I think you’d like it! Wish we could have explored the Bishop area more!
Hi Jeff and Sarah that is so cool that little museum is the neatest little museum it's great to see you little places like that still exists I love the view of the mountains driving into it hard to imagine though that they film Nevada Smith their how many years ago was that seems like a hundred years I've seen about a Smith I really liked it it was good that is a cool place those little items there for the kitty was cute too ❤️ that you were at I love it thanks for this video I really enjoyed it have a safe day and thanks for taking us with you along the trip. ♥️👍🙋
Jeff , Sarah ,good morning guys , the quality of your work gets better. On every one of your video's ! I look forward to every Sunday to watch your new video .. THANK YOU FRANK FROM MONTANA. PS.. Nevada Smith was a great movie, but then again EVERY movie he made was great also tv. Series " wanted dead or alive ......
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Frank! Much appreciated!
@@jbenziggy anytime Jeff , you Earned it with all your work. Frank
Jeff, thanks to you and Sara for putting in the time and expense to travel to these different points in time. Although this was a simpler time, these were hard times. Very interesting. I love history!
I grew up in bishop and spent my childhood summers riding my bike to laws almost every weekend. It’s the first place I fell in love with history.
There was talks years ago about restoring the train and creating a tourist line (along the old route) similar to the ones in Colorado, or the Verde Valley in Arizona. A few years back they got the Death Valley rail car running for trips up and down the functional track.
The library at laws is the original Presbyterian church from in town.
The current 20 mule team is almost a staple of the Rose Parade down in Pasadena.
I’m so happy to see that laws is still an area attraction. It’s tan solely by volunteers and there’s an entire community of railroad enthusiasts who raise money to keep it open.
It is fun to visit, that’s for sure! Thanks for sharing your experiences!
I grew up in Bishop. My dad used to tell me when he was a kid he used to ride on the train once in a while. Every time I go back to Laws, they’ve added something new!
Interesting to hear they keep adding things! It's probably the repository for all things historical in that region! Thanks for the view and comment!
🎉🎉🎉🎉 Happy Birthday Sarah 🎉🎉🎉
Jeff was quite obviously on a "mission." I've always been fascinated by trains. This is another excursion that kept me riveted for thirty minutes.
Wonderful show once again.
Looking forward to visiting Laws.
Sarah, hope you had a. Wonderful 🎉birthday weekend.
🫂🙏🏽
Thank you! We had as great time over there. So beautiful!
My wife drew my granddaughter’s cat very similar to that one except’n her cat is a Tabby. I remember grandma using Rinso. For some reason TH-cam just sent me this video today. Great episode Jeff and Sarah!
Fascinating place. Happy birthday Sarah!
Thank you!
Enjoyed again, Jeff, HAPPY birthday, SARAH
Thanks very much!
U have brought back many memories again😊 thanks😅
My pleasure 😊
I am from L.A. and that place looks cool.
I love the horses.
enjoyable, and informative, as always. I loved Sarah with the horses!
I was staying in Bishop in 1954 to 1956 off and on the way to Sierra Nevada Twin Lakes to fish for brown trout. I caught a 16 inch one when I was 10 years old, it really fought hard too. Do they have guards in Bishop now? Kids will vandalize and steal everything if they don't! We need the DRAFT again! One of your greatest episodes Jeff & Sarah! I will watch it over & over again. I love horses like Sarah does! Amazing things to see and I don't remember very much at all. I met the Indian chief who was a little boy right after the battle with the 7th Cavalry with Lt. Colonel George A. Custer. The Chief liked American Flyer train that I bought when I met him, amazing old gentleman.
My grandma Moss was administer for laws for many years! Spent a lot of time there when we would come to visit my grandparents. Cool to see this thru your eyes!
GOOD 1 ENJOYED.
Thanks , Jeff
Central California watching
I love museums and especially ones about California ❤
Glad to hear that you enjoyed this!
What a cool place! Thanks for sharing!
Our pleasure! What was your favorite part of the video or this location?
@@jbenziggy I love seeing how parts are stuck in time. Nothing has been touched.
I love those historic sites, I cant pass up the gift shops with the replica Victorian knick knacks.😊 Such a beautiful place in California, glad you guys stopped there. Iam just like Sarah, I see animals I have to try to get near them. The horses are adorable.
OMG...The Siamese Lamb... and the stuffed dog head... O.o And here I am watching this at 4am. 😅 The amount of old artifacts at this place is amazing though!
Loved seeing Sarah with the horses! As a fellow animal lover, I would have broke the rules to go see the horses as well!
Very interesting episode. Loved Sarah and the horses. Thank you both for taking us back to yesteryear.
Our pleasure! Glad you liked what you saw!
Always enjoy your vids....thanks for your hard work putting these together.
Nice to hear! Thank you so much, Bob!
Bishop,Calif famous as the hometown of Jill Kinmont Boothe (February 16, 1936 - February 9, 2012) was a notable American alpine ski racer. Her life story was turned into two major Hollywood movies The Other Side of the Mountain and its sequel The Other Side of the Mountain Part 2. Thanks for the Tour of Laws,Calif and Happy New Years to You both.
Exactly the comment I was looking for! Jill Kinmont and Bishop, my mom used to talk about both! Jeff I wonder where she is buried?
Your wife cracks me up. Lol. She's a hoot!
What an interesting place. Thank you. Your son is immensely talented.
Thank you very much! He did that all digitally which requires about the same amount of talent, if not more! It is highly detailed too!
Hey Sarah and Jeff nice history👍👍
Hi Jeff, Bishop is on our bucket list! We want to drive all of 395 someday! Hope all is well with you and Sarah
I love horses too, Sarah! ♥️
This was an amazing town. I would love to visit such a location.
I visited Laws last May. What a fantastic place to visit. So many things to explore. You guy did a great job showing Laws
Glad you enjoyed it! It’s a very interesting place!
I love Laws, it’s a great museum ❤
What fun! My favorite was the 20 Mule Team wagons and the Shaw house.
Another great episode, Jeff!! Love Bishop and the surrounding area!! ❤
It is a beautiful area!
A couple of thumbs up on this vlog and definitely love more like them. I'm with Sarah heading for the horses.
Happy to hear that you enjoyed this adventure with us ... as well as the four-legged friends we found, and I'm not talking about the decayed dog. LOL
Awesome
Thanks for sharing with us yet again. I'm always learning and enjoying the videos.
The Rinso is powered soap I think, as I've heard the commercials on the radio detective series " Boston Blackie" that you can also find on TH-cam. I really enjoy the things from the 30s, 40s, and 50s era. I believe I was born 40 decades to late
Thanks Jeff
It was nice to see Sarah make a cameo appearance as well
That was a great walking tour. Enjoyed it!
I've been through the area numerous time but never stopped at Laws. After watching I surely will next time.
I’m just here for the music…and Jeff’s hair !
as always very good, if you would like another head over to Newhall and visit eternal valley memorial you can find Cliffie Stone he helped start a lot of singers such as Tennessee Ernie Ford. Keep up the fun things you do. we enjoy each one and look forward to the next one, Art and Kimmy
I’d love to stay there for a few days! Thankyou for showing us this
X
the 395 drive up to Gardnerville is my favorite drive. Another great video,thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I really enjoyed your excellent commentary and the extremely interesting exhibits in this video. I was amazed at how professionally laid out and authentic the exhibits are, reflecting a really great job done by the curators!
Thank you very much! It was a very pleasant place to visit. If you get the chance, try to see it in person!
Hello Jeff and Sarah, Thanks for another great Sunday video and for sharing your road trip. Have a wonderful day 😊
Thank you so much, Chuck! We appreciate your comments each week! Blessings to you and yours! May your Christmas be merry and your new year a great one filled with fun and new things to look forward to!
I spent a summer at my uncles Mt Tom motel next to the fair grounds in 1964, so i was in Laws every minute i had free or fishing at sabina or Owen's river north of town by the bluff. Uncle moved there in the 30's so i got my ears full of local history . Loved your video!
Thanks! We appreciate the good feedback!
Thnx Jeff & Sarah for my weekly HH "fix"!!! Bishop, the great get away! LOL
Our pleasure! So happy that you liked it!!!
THE BORAX 20 MULE TEAM! Ultra cool. And good impression of Reagan, Jeff. Cheers 🍻
I love doing Reagan. I say all the time in his voice, “Well … eh, well.” 😂
My wife and I come to Bishop a few times a year. Owen's Valley is our number one vacation place. Thanks for the video.
Thank you for watching!
Wonderful video you guys, I have been back and forth on Hwy 395 many times and never knew this was here, now I'm too old. So glad to see it, so much history
It’s a little off the beaten path but not very far at all, maybe 5-10 minutes out of bishop. Thanks for watching, Lorna!
Thanks all ways. Had not seen you for awhile. Searched, and found you were unsuscribed. This has happen to me with others. Glad i got you back!
Wow, how did you lose us? Glad you found us again! Thanks for watching! Merry Christmas!
Thank you Jeff and Sarah for my weekly history lesson. A history lesson of a bygone Era. I look forward to your next video. Thanks again.
Happy to hear that you enjoyed (and learned) from this trip! We appreciate it and thank you!
@@jbenziggy, your very welcome.
I knew of the Laws Museum because it is the home for the reproduction 20-mule team Borax ore wagons and water tank wagon that come out for Bishop Mule Days and other public parade events. They participated once in the Rose Parade in Pasadena. The wagons were built by Dave Engel of Engels Coach Shop in Joliet, Montana and he maintains a TH-cam channel where you can see the construction of these wagons and their subsequent use in parades, etc. This museum is a worthy stopover for anyone traveling highway 395 on the backsides of the Sierras.
I’ve driven through Bishop but didn’t have time to stop, now Jeff and Sarah have done a great job checking it out.
Looks like a fun place to visit. Thanks for sharing.
"Ghost writer" 😂 I'm glad you edited out Sarah and the horses to keep her out of trouble 🤣🤣 Sarah and her animals 😂 love hwy 395 such a good ride. Thanks for sharing Jeff and Sarah 👍
We weren’t told we couldn’t be there, really. He just advised us to not walk in there because some kind of wasps were inhabiting the ground and came out to sting folks. Glad that you joined us on this journey!
A great video Jeff. I really enjoyed the tour of that wonderful Law, California museum. Please tell Sarah Happy Birthday.
Thank you! Will do! We appreciate you, Joel!
@@jbenziggy Thank you 😊
This was a great video. The Eastern Sierra has always been our favorite! I’m so homesick! Such a beautiful area. One sticking point with me is I never agreed with LA buying up all the water rights of the Owens Valley. That’s a sad point in history. They used to have steamboats on the river in the Owens Valley back in the 1800’s. Can you imagine??? Thanks Jeff & Sarah!♥️ Your biggest Tennessee (formerly California) fans!
Yes, we’re still here even after yesterday’s devastating fatal tornadoes…
Glad to hear you are alright! I have some family left in Tennessee! My grandfather's brother moved there and his daughter is still living in the Nashville region. My dad is in Huntsville, Alabama and I saw the weather last night showing lots of storms moving through his area. Gosh, I never worried about tornadoes for him but now I have to rethink that one. No, I can't imagine steamboats on the Owens Lake but this year was so wet that there was water in that dry bed once again! Hopefully we can have another wet year in California!
So happy that our biggest fans in Tennessee enjoyed our Laws tour! Bless you all! Jeff & Sarah
@@jbenziggy ♥️always
Great tour of laws enjoyed it. Was here oct 2019 for 5 hrs looking around and there mining artifacts on mining was educational thank you for filling in on some ⛏️🚂🤔
My friends daughter lives in Bishop. How cool. Thanks for showing this awesome town. I have been there before, but I did not get to do any sight seeing at all. I was just passing through.
Next time you’re there maybe you can see what the area has to offer!
Surprising good. Thanks for the tour!
Our pleasure! Thank you, Chris!
Jeff I have travelled through bishop for 30 years and have always wanted to see the museum . Thank you for sharing your trip and I will definitely stop there this April/May on my annual trip to the June Lake Loop for the Eastern Sierra Trout Opener.
I envy you getting to go there! Thanks for being inspired to travel there after seeing my video!
Very cool. A movie set built. For the movie staring Steve Mc Queen Nevada Smith. Jeff need to get Sarah a gift for I believe you said Birthday 🎂. It’s sad I remember post office boxes like those shown. This is place never seen before.This Railroad that was before its time. Great Museum. Thank you for sharing Jeff !
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Great job as usual Jeff, more of that area please. Thank you.
Thanks, will do!
Out rambling around on a beautiful day . No big or intensive subject. Thank you Jeff and Sarah.
My dad and I went to the Laws Railroad Museum in the early to mid 2000s. I bought a Book there called Mine in the Sky about the famous Pine Creek Tungsten Mine outside of Bishop. Beautiful area there, Love Bishop.
Very cool! We love the 395 corridor. So unspoiled and beautiful!
That was really fun! Thanks to both of you
Glad you had fun with us, Connie! We appreciate you coming along!
Absolutely love this episode! Just the place I’d like to see.
Thank you for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it!
There's so much great history at the Laws Railroad Museum. It's on the outskirts of Bishop just off US 6, not off US 395 as you mentioned in your video. This museum commemorates the "Slim Princess" - Southern Pacific's only narrow gauge rail line operated from Keeler, California, on the east side of Owen's Lake to Tonopah Junction, a few milew south of Mina, Nevada.
The origins of the "Slim Princess" dates back to the Carson and Colorado Railway incorporated May 10, 1880 to build a narrow gauge rail line from Mound House on the Virginia and Truckee Railroad along the Carson River in Nevada to a point on the Colorado River, hence Carson & Colorado. Construction started May 31, 1880 and reached Keeler on Owens Lake July 12, 1883. The first train arrived at Keeler August 1, 1883. The railroad was purchased by the Southern Pacific Railroad in March 1900 which continued to operate it as the Carson and Colorado. In October 1904, the Hazen Cut-off was started as standard gauge and the narrow gauge track was changed to standard gauge south to Tonopah Jct., a few miles south of Mina. The new track was finished in August 1905. The name of the railroad was changed to Nevada and California Railway on May 11, 1905. In 1912 the name was again changed to Southern Pacific. The narrow gauge line from Mina to Benton was abandoned in 1938, and from Benton to Laws in 1942. The rest of the line from Laws to Keeler was abandoned April 30, 1959.
The Southern Pacific standard gauge line from Mojave to Lone Pine was built between May 1908 and October 1910. Lone Pine is where the standard gauge line intersected with the narrow gauge line. The standard gauge line from Lone Pine to Searles was abandoned in 1982.
The narrow gauge line was called the "Slim Princess" by the local population. Until Hwy. 395 was paved and improved along the west side of the Owens Valley, the Slim Princess was a major transportation resource. However, it was built to service mineral resources and it ran down the less habitable east side of the valley. All the "major" population centers of the Owens Valley are spread out along Hwy. 395 so that it was a long trip just to get to the railroad.
-from Thomas Lincoln Pilling
Wouldn't kids have a ball playing in that town? My sisters and I could have played for days at that place! Wonderful!
Hello Jeff & Sarah. Jeff, you have never heard of Rinso? 🙂 Another great video. Thanks for sharing with us all a location we probably would never have heard of, let alone see. I just love railway history. So much hard work went into building the railroads in many countries, only to last less than 100 years. We have many such cases in Australia.
What an interesting place.
Thank you from Lodi, California.
Thank you too!
Really impressed with that museum. I didn't expect to see that much. I liked the sound effects they had at the mine. The 20-mule team display was excellent. Thanks for taking us along!
We were really impressed, George! Didn’t expect much but it was nice. I especially liked the old house toward the end!
So many wonderful places to stop and explore on 395! Most inspirational highway in the US. Thanks for another fun adventure!
It’s one of my favorite places in California.
Thanks you guys for checking Laws out. I have not been to the museum for 50 years, it has changed a lot.
Wow, you beat us to it by a half century! I’ve been a lifelong resident of California but didn’t know about this place until this year and started researching things to see around Bishop!
Thanks for a great visit. How strange that Death Valley Scotty’s hat would end up there! Maybe sometime you could check out the latest status of Scotty’s Castle.
Hope to get to Death Valley!
Hi Jeff and Sarah thank you for another great video. We really enjoyed watching this video. That looks like a really interesting place to see. I have been to bishop on our way to Arizona but was at night and the only place we went to was a danish bakery 🧁 the next time I am in bishop I would like to visit there. I really enjoyed seeing stuff like that. Happy birthday 🎂 Sarah and may the good Lord bless you with many more years to come. Love ❤️ and blessings Larry June and Laurie ps enjoy your visit with the horses 🐎
I sure love California History, thanks for sharing Jeff and Sarah 👍
Our pleasure!
Always better when you two are together, love her humour.
Thank you, Rod! We are having fun!
Cheers to you both.
@@rodkukuraThank you! 😊
Wonderful episode! Thank you for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it!
A whole town full of old fun interesting stuff! I love that the places are open, so you can roam and enjoy.
I totally agree! It was a fun one. I didn’t expect it to be that interesting!
I love your videos! You and Sarah are a treasure!
Thank you so much! That’s a very sweet thing for you to say about us. We really appreciate it.
Very much liked the video Jeff and Sarah Loved it Thankyou
Fantastic! A lot of folks watched in our first day posted and the response has been phenomenal!
This is an interesting video. I drove through Bishop 50 years ago, always wanted to go back, but never had the chance. Thinking about doing a highway 395 tour next fall. I