Eastern California Museum
Current Events
The museum currently has an exhibit on barbed wire. The Inyo Good
Roads Club exhibit which covers the history of travel in Owens
Valley is also currently being displayed. The exhibit features
old license plates, road signs and photographs dating back to
the grand opening of the "El Camino Sierra" highway (now known
as Highway 395) in August 31, 1910.
For more information contact the Museum at 760-878-0258 or
by email at ecmuseum@inyocounty.us
Preserving Inyo County’s Heritage
Founded
in 1928, the Eastern California Museum features exhibits that
reflect the diverse natural and cultural heritage of Inyo County
and the Owens Valley. Unique exhibit topics include the artistry
of local Owens Valley Paiute and Shoshone Indians as demonstrated
through basketry and other crafts, and the story of Manzanar,
the Japanese American World War II Internment Center. The site
of Manzanar also was home to Indians for hundreds of years, and
of the irrigation community developed by George Chaffee in the
early 1900s.
Also
included on the museum grounds are Remnants of an Abandoned Landscape -
a collection of historic agricultural and mining implements used by
early Inyo County residents, and equipment used during construction of
the Los Angeles Aqueduct.
The
museum also manages two historic homes located in Independence. The
Edward’s House was built in 1861 by Thomas Edwards, who was responsible
for laying out the town of Independence in the 1860s. The Commander’s
House was built in the late 1880s from lumber recycled from the remains
of Camp Independence, a military outpost established in 1862. The home
is one of the few remaining examples of rural Victorian architecture in
Inyo County.
In
addition to exhibits, the Eastern California Museum offers resources
for research including an historic photograph collection, our Local
History Files, transcripts from our Community Oral History Program, and
the Frank Parcher Memorial Library. Research access is available by
appointment. The museum gift shop also offers a wide selection of
educational material regarding Inyo County and the Eastern Sierra.
The
Eastern California Museum is operated by the County of Inyo . There is
no admission charge, but donations are appreciated. It is located in
Independence three blocks west of US Highway 395 at 155 N. Grant
Street. The Museum is open Wednesday through Monday from 10 AM to 4 PM
and is closed on Tuesday and some major holidays. The museum
can be contacted at 760-878-0258 or 760-878-0364; by mail at PO Box
206, Independence, CA 93526; and by e-mail at:
ecmuseum@inyocounty.us.
Visit the Eastern California Museum web site.
We invite you to explore our Independence Chamber of Commerce
Online Visitor Information Center.
For more information from our Visitor Information Center contact our friendly staff.
Make Independence Your Gateway To Discovery!