Laws, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Laws
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Laws station in 1998
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 Laws
Location in California
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Inyo County |
| Elevation | 4,117 ft (1,255 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific Time Zone) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1659742 |
| Official name: Laws Station | |
| Reference #: | 953 |
Laws is a small, unincorporated community in Inyo County, California. It used to be called Station and Bishop Depot. You can find Laws about 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of Bishop, right off U.S. Route 6, heading towards the Nevada state line.
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Where is Laws Located?
Laws is nestled between two big mountain ranges. To the east, you'll see the White Mountains. To the west are the "Eastern Sierras," which are part of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
The town is also close to the Owens River in the upper Owens Valley. Laws is about 4,117 feet (1,255 meters) above sea level. Its ZIP code is 93514 and its area code is 760.
A Glimpse into Laws' Past
Laws started as a railroad stop in 1883 and was first called "Station." Later, its name was changed to Laws to honor R.J. Laws, who was an important railroad official. A post office served the community from 1887 until 1963.
Laws was a busy railroad station on a special 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge railway line. This line was part of the Southern Pacific Railroad.
Today, Laws is no longer a working town in the same way. Instead, it's a special place that keeps the history of the Owens Valley and Eastern Sierra Nevada alive. It's even recognized as California Historical Landmark #953.
Laws Railroad Museum and Historic Site
The Laws Railroad Museum and Historic Site is a fascinating place to visit. In 2015, a travel website called Atlas Obscura even named it one of 160 "international gems."
Exploring the Railroad Displays
At the Laws Railroad Museum and Historic Site, you can see real trains! There's a static display of a train that includes an oil-fired steam locomotive, called Southern Pacific 9. You'll also see several freight cars that once traveled on the Southern Pacific Railroad's 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge lines.
The museum also has other locomotives that can still run on the narrow gauge tracks, though they aren't steam-powered. The displays explain how important this railroad was to many communities in the Eastern Sierra region. It was their main way to travel and transport goods before modern roads were built in the 1950s and 1960s.
You can also visit the home of the old station agent, which is located just south of the railroad station. Sometimes, friendly docents (guides) are there to act like the station agent. They help visitors imagine what life was like back then.
The museum isn't just about trains! It also features several historic buildings that were moved here from downtown Bishop. You can explore an old church and a school house. There's even a 1949 ambulance on display. This ambulance was later painted black and used as a hearse (a vehicle for funerals). You can also see old medical tools from a local doctor's office and a wooden Western Electric type 11 telephone booth.
Learning About Owens Valley History
The museum also tells the story of the Owens Valley. A big part of this history is the construction and impact of the Los Angeles Aqueduct project, sometimes called the "Owens Valley Aqueduct." Today, the land all around the museum belongs to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, which is part of the City of Los Angeles.
Through photographs and explanations from docents, you can learn that the Valley used to have huge areas of farmland. This was true from the time of the Paiute Native Americans, through the pioneer days, and up to the "water wars era" in the early 1900s. That's when water started to be sent from the Valley all the way to Los Angeles. A docent might even share a personal story, like showing a vintage photo and saying, "This is a picture of my mom's apple orchard."
Mining History Displays
The museum also has a large collection of old and rebuilt mining equipment. Recently, volunteers at the museum even recreated an arrastra. This was a simple machine used to crush ore (rock with valuable minerals) using human or animal power.
An arrastra is made from natural materials, like a log from an elm tree and chains. A long log, called a sweep arm, is rotated. This arm drags heavy stones over pieces of rock that contain ore, crushing them into smaller pieces. After many rotations, the rock breaks apart, and the valuable ore is revealed. It was very hard work, usually done by animals, before machines took over.
Images for kids
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Laws station in 1998
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Train in the historic district
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An arrastra, whose rotating sweep arm drags heavy rocks over ore-bearing rocks to crush them.
