A Bit of History . . .
Starting in the 1860's

 

This quiet little town in the heart of the Owens Valley has been the County seat of sprawling Inyo County since 1866. The spirit of Paiute Indians, the town's first gold miners, cattle ranchers, railroad builders and movie pioneers still lives on in the shadow of the great Sierra Nevada. Stop awhile and let their memories surround you.

Independence takes its name from Camp Independence, a military outpost established on Oak Creek, July 4, 1862. In the early 1860's many of the miners en route to the gold rush town of Aurora stayed to try their luck in the Owens Valley. By 1865 water diverted from the Owens River worked stamp mills in the Inyo Mts. and "arrastras" crushed the ore of rich veins from mines at 12,000 feet in the High Sierra.

 

 

The Edwards House
Thomas Edwards built the little white "salt-box" house on Market Street, just west of the U. S. Post Office about 1863. Edwards bought the land from Charles Putnam and it is one of the oldest houses in Inyo County, and the only one of this age still standing. Its yard was once a show place garden with many beautiful shrubs and flowers. Mary Austin, local author, wrote of a 'ghost-like presence' in her book, "Lost Borders". It is said that this 'Presence' haunted the house following the death of one Emma Jeffries. It filled the house to overflowing in the daytime, and wandered in the garden at night. As the story is told, a neighbor was finally able to dispel this Presence by repeating stern quotations from the Bible. People have said that if you stand by the picket fence at twilight and gaze into the dark recesses of the yard, you will come away with a feeling that the Presence is still there.
From "Golden Discoveries, July 4, 1964"

In 1873, the town of Independence was already twelve years old and had become the County Seat of the newly organized County of Inyo. The town was rebuilding after the terrible earthquake of 1872. The second Courthouse was built and lumber was now used in most of the houses instead of the old adobe bricks that had been the case before the earthquake. The creek, now known as Independence Creek, ran through the town, flowing down across the present courthouse yard. There were several small branches of the creek, and during wet weather the town was marshy, its streets a sea of mud churned up by the sixteen and twenty-four mule teams pulling the large ore wagons.
From "Golden Discoveries, July 4, 1964"

By 1883 a narrow gauge railroad served the area. Gradually more settlers arrived, giving birth to a prosperous farming community by the turn of the century. Water wars with the city of Los Angeles and the arrival of Hollywood movie makers changed the character of the town by the 1920's. A glimpse into the exciting and rich history of the Independence can be viewed at many sites.

For more detailed information visit each of the pages in the History portion of our web site. Spending time to explore here is rewarding and enjoyable.
Welcome to Independence!

 

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Online Visitor Information Center.
For more information from our Visitor Information Center contact our friendly staff.

Make Independence Your Gateway To Discovery!