Choo-Choo! All Aboard the Laws History Train!

Laws Railroad Museum is located on the site of the village of Laws, named after R.J. Laws, a railroad official. Founded in 1883, Laws existed for approximately 80 years along a narrow-gauge railway portion of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Southern Pacific donated the train depot and other buildings, as well as the last train, to Inyo County and the City of Bishop in 1960, and a local post office, which had operated at Laws since 1887, finally closed in 1963. The museum opened one year later.

The section of the Southern Pacific Railroad that passed through Laws was called the Carson and Colorado Railroad, as it was originally intended to run from Mound House in Carson City, Nevada, to the Colorado River. However, it only ended up stretching as far south as Keeler (72 miles south of Bishop on Highway 395), on the east side of Owens Lake. Because of the narrow tracks, one type of engine that powered the narrow-gauge trains was affectionately dubbed the “Slim Princess,” and one can be viewed at Laws.

Although most of the buildings at Laws now are not original, the feel of the village has been recreated by bringing in historic buildings and an extensive collection of late-19th/early-20th-century artifacts from around the Owens Valley to grace our beautiful museum grounds, which lie near the base of the postcard-worthy White Mountains to the east.

 

Locomotive No.9: The Challenge Ahead

Engine No.9

 

Laws Railroad Museum and Historical Site has started the process of the renovation of locomotive No. 9. This Baldwin 10-wheeler has been a static outdoor exhibit at the museum since 1960. Renovation and preservation are big commitments, and our plan is eventually to assess the feasibility of steam operation.

Whether #9 is stabilized to resume static display status at the museum or is made operational remains to be seen. Either way, this undertaking will be a multi-year effort, requiring public support: donations, and volunteer fundraising and labor hours.   We are excited to undertake this challenge and privileged to become a part of the history of this 1909 locomotive.

Bottle House

Whisky, Tea, and Snake Oil...and Fine Dining Too!

The newly opened Bottle House at LAWS is a must-see addition to Inyo County’s Western History. The exhibit in its present form is much more than a collection of colorful glass bottles. The current presentation displays shape, color, and form in the evolution of glass bottles of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Changes in the techniques of bottle- making: blown, molded, or combined approaches, are also evident if one knows what to look for.

Support the Conway Ranch House

In 1983, with generous citizen donations from the public as well as support from the private sector of the community, the “Conway House” was ceremoniously escorted to its present location at the Laws Museum, where, for the past forty years, it has given tens of thousands of visitors a glimpse into Owens Valley pioneer life.

But...after forty years at the museum, the Conway House is in need of help from the community once more. A generous grant from Inyo County allows us to begin the process of upkeep of this historic home. However, we are still a bit short of the needed funds for reroofing , exterior patch and painting of this old ranch house.

Thanks for your support.