| Laws | |
|---|---|
| — Unincorporated community — | |
|
Laws
|
|
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Inyo County |
| Elevation[1] | 4,117 ft (1,255 m) |
Laws (formerly, Station and Bishop Depot)[2] is an unincorporated community in Inyo County, California.[1]
Laws is located 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of Bishop on U.S. Route 6, towards the Nevada state line.[2]
Contents |
The U.S. Geological Survey shows official coordinates for the town as . The town is in ZIP code 93514 and area code 760. . The official elevation is 4,117 feet (1,255 m) AMSL.[1] The town is bordered by the White Mountains to the east and the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the "Eastern Sierras," to the west. It is located near the Owens River in upper Owens Valley.
The settlement of Station was formed in 1883 as a depot on the Carson and Colorado Railroad.[2] The name was changed to Laws in honor of R.J. Laws, a railroad official.[2] A post office operated at Laws from 1887 to 1963.[2] The town of Laws was a railroad station along a Narrow gauge railway portion of the Southern Pacific Railroad.
Today the town of Laws exists as a museum of Owens Valley and Eastern Sierra Nevada history. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Laws Railroad Museum and Historic Site includes static displays of a train consisting of an oil-fired steam engine Steam locomotive and several freight cars from the narrow gauge Southern Pacific Railroad. The museum's display explains that the railroad was relied on by many Eastern Sierra communities before modern roads were built during the 1950s and 1960s.
A station agent's home is located south of the railroad station. Docents portray the station agent on most days, helping visitors understand the period culture.
The Museum includes several historic buildings moved to the museum site from downtown Bishop. There is a church and school house. There is a wooden Western Electric 11-type telephone booth. A vehicle on display was a 1949 ambulance, which was later painted black, stripped of emergency lighting, and used as a hearse. Medical implements from a historic local doctor's office are on display.
Owens Valley history, including construction and impact of the Los Angeles Aqueduct project, or "Owens Valley Aqueduct," is described in Museum displays. Today, land on all sides of the museum is property of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, of the City of Los Angeles. Photographs and docents show and explain that the Valley included large tracts of agricultural land; from the Paiute Native American era, through pioneer days, to the Aqueduct 'water wars era' that began diversions of water in the early 20th century to Los Angeles. A tour docent, sharing a vintage black-and-white photograph, explained "This is a picture of my mom's apple orchard."
In the state legislature Laws is located in the 18th Senate District, represented by Republican Roy Ashburn, and in the 18th Assembly District, represented by Republican Bill Maze. Federally, Laws is located in California's 25th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of R +7[3] and is represented by Republican Buck McKeon.