Inyo County, California

20 Mule Team Wagon Train A Community's Living Room Aguereberry Camp Aguereberry Point Alabama Gates Amargosa Opera House An Architectural Heritage Ashford Mill Ruins "Atlas Copco Mucker" Badwater Pool Ballarat Ballarat Ballarat Bennett-Arcan Long Camp Big Pine Veterans Memorial Bishop Creek Battleground Borax Burned Wagons Point Buttermilk Road Camp Independence Cartago Boat Landing Cerro Gordo China Ranch Coso Hot Springs Cottonwood Charcoal Kilns Cottonwood Charcoal Kilns Darwin Death Valley 49ers Gateway Death Valley Junction Death Valley’s First Tourist Resort Devils Golf Course Devil’s Cornfield Disaster in 1872 Dolomite Mine Dublin Gulch Eagle Borax Works Edwards House Eichbaum Toll Road Engine #18 Fish Canyon Fossil Falls Furnace Creek Ranch, Death Valley Golden Canyon Trail "Gunga Din" Filmed Here Highway History History of "Dangerous Arrest" Inyo County Courthouse Joshua Tree Keane Wonder Mine Kearsarge Station Keeler Lake Manly Laws Station Leadfield Legacy Listen Well, For This Story Must Be Told Lone Pine Film Museum Lone Pine Pioneer Cemetery Lone Pine's 'Movie Man' Lynching of the Convicts Manzanar Mary Austin’s Home Movie Flats Native Americans in the Owens Valley Old Dinah Old Harmony Borax Works Old Stovepipe Wells Original Tecopa Town Site Owens Lake Dust Mitigation Program Owens Lake Silver-Lead Furnace Owensville Padre Crowley Point Panamint City Petroglyphs Pine Creek Mine Power for the Diggins Project Sierra Wave Putnam’s Stone Cabin Road To Adventure Sacred Space San Francis Ranch Scotty’s Castle Shorty Harris Grave Shoshone Skidoo Skidoo Mill Skidoo Pipeline Slim Princess Star Wars Canyon Stephen Tyng Mather The Adobe Wall The Duke and the Dow The Ernest Kinney Teamster Family Mural The Eureka Mine The Little Kittie Inn The Mule The Roosevelt Tree Twenty Mule Teams Ubehebe Crater Valley Wells Wagon Wheel History Weaving for the War Wedding of the Waters Pageant Westgaard Pass Toll Road Whiskey Creek History White Gold Wildrose CCC Camp Wildrose Charcoal Kilns Zabriskie Point Zurich Station
Inyo County is located in eastern California and has a rich history that stretches back thousands of years. The area was originally home to various Native American groups, including the Paiute, Shoshone, and Mono tribes, who lived off the land and utilized the region's abundant natural resources.

The first European exploration of the area occurred in the 1820s, with trappers and fur traders venturing into the region. In 1861, Inyo County was officially established as a separate entity from Mono County, as settlers began to arrive in search of gold and silver. The county's name, "Inyo," is believed to have originated from a Native American word meaning "dwelling place of a great spirit."

The discovery of silver in the Cerro Gordo Mines in the late 1800s brought a boom to Inyo County, attracting miners and entrepreneurs from all over. However, like many mining towns, the boom eventually faded, and the county experienced a decline in population and economic activity.

In the early 20th century, tourism began to take hold in Inyo County with the establishment of national parks and monuments. In 1924, Death Valley National Monument was created, becoming part of what is now known as Death Valley National Park. Other natural attractions, such as the Alabama Hills and Manzanar National Historic Site, also draw visitors to the county.

Today, Inyo County is known for its stunning natural beauty, rich history, and recreational opportunities. The area attracts outdoor enthusiasts, historians, and nature lovers who come to explore its diverse landscapes and learn about the region's past.
Brief timeline of the history of Inyo County, California:

  • Inyo County was established on March 22, 1866.
  • The First transcontinental railroad reached the county in 1883.
  • The Death Valley National Monument was established in 1933.
  • During World War II, Manzanar War Relocation Center was established in 1942.
  • Inyo County became a staging area for the construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1905.
  • Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous United States, was added to the county in 1913.
  • The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, home to some of the oldest living trees, was designated as a protected area in 1964.
  • Inyo County celebrates its sesquicentennial in 2016, marking 150 years since its establishment.
  • The County's diverse natural landscapes and outdoor recreational opportunities continue to attract visitors and residents.

This timeline provides a glimpse into the major events and milestones that have shaped the history of Inyo County, California.

Audiobooks about the history of California.