Laws Railroad Museum Bishop

On May 10, 1880, the Carson and Colorado Railroad Company was formed and incorporated by William Sharon, H. M. Yerington and Darius Mills. They planned to run the narrow gauge railroad from Mound House, Nevada, and the Carson River to the Colorado River, calling it the C&C Railroad. It never reached the Colorado River but stopped at Keeler, California. It has often been referred to as "the railroad that was built 300 miles too long or 300 years too soon" As the word was out that the railroad would run east of the Owens River, people started to arrive at what is known now as Laws. A new railroad town was built. It took 3 years for the rails to be laid from Mound House to Laws, with the first train arriving in April of 1883. The depot, agent's house, section boss's house, outhouses, water tank and turntable were all ready when it arrived. In addition to the railroad buildings other construction quickly followed which included many homes, barns, and corrals, two general stores, a rooming house, eating house, hotel, boarding house, pool hall and dance hall, blacksmith shop, post office, barber shop, powder magazine and warehouses. Several industrial buildings followed later. Many ranches surrounded Laws and used the railroad to ship their crops. The decline and demise of Laws and the railroad were the result of the local mines closing, trucking becoming cheaper than rail freight and the city of Los Angeles buying most of the valley for the water rights. By 1959 when the railroad ceased operation, there was no trace of any of the buildings at Laws as they had all been torn down for salvage. Only the depot, agent's house, oil and water tanks and the turntable survived. All the other buildings you see at the museum today were doomed for destruction locally but were saved by being moved to the museum grounds... Ford FIRE STATION GENERAL STORE GENERAL STORE Saddles, brands and Antique Hearse WESTERN DISPLAY ANTIQUE TOOL POST OFFICE POST OFFICE Antique stoves STOVE ROOM PRINT SHOP Printing equipment dating to 1880 Printing equipment dating to 1880 Printing equipment dating to 1880 Radios Telephones, Pianos Pianos Sewing machines Sewing machines Antique bathtubs Guns, Guns, Military items Military items MEDICAL BUILDING - Old medical displays Optician Office BOTTLE HOUSE - Extensive bottle display Barber shop Hair Styling Shop Sewing machines 1869 Horse hair couch Railroad Cars Caboose Railroad Caboose ORIGINAL 1883 AGENT HOUSE CARSON AND COLORADO CABOOSE #1 DEATH VALLEY CAR - 1927 DEATH VALLEY CAR - 1927 DEATH VALLEY CAR - 1927 DEATH VALLEY CAR - 1927 Oil Pump House WATER Tower WATER Tower Oil tower MINING EQUIPMENT MINING EQUIPMENT 15 Horsepower Engine ANTIQUE FARM EQUIPMENT ANTIQUE FARM EQUIPMENT 1930 All-in- One Whatchamacallit 1930 All-in- One Whatchamacallit ANTIQUE FARM EQUIPMENT ANTIQUE FARM EQUIPMENT ANTIQUE FARM EQUIPMENT ANTIQUE FARM EQUIPMENT ANTIQUE FARM EQUIPMENT RANCH HOUSE Miner Cabin Miner Cabin The Golden Dady Mine AUTO GARAGE AUTO GARAGE Ford ANTIQUE TOOL DISPLAY ANTIQUE TOOL DISPLAY BLACKSMITH SHOP BLACKSMITH SHOP Spring Wagon Oil Tank Wagon Express Wagon Large Express Wagon Freight Wagon Laws Wagon Heavy Freight Wagon Out House ENGINE #9 AND FREIGHT CARS Log Caben SCHOOL HOUSE SCHOOL HOUSE SCHOOL HOUSE SCHOOL HOUSE SCHOOL HOUSE SCHOOL HOUSE 1921 Catholic Church Bell Bishop Grammer School Bell Irving School Bell Mine Warning Bell Bells Catholic Church LIBRARY AND ARTS - Also antique musical instruments LIBRARY AND ARTS Conway Houes 1914 Conway Houes 1914 Conway Houes 1914 Conway Houes 1914 Conway Houes 1914 Conway Houes 1914 Conway Houes 1914 Conway Houes 1914 Conway Houes 1914 Conway Houes 1914 1883 Railroad Depot 1883 Railroad Depot Original 1883 Railroad Depot 1883 Railroad Depot 1883 Railroad Depot Wagon 1883 Railroad Depot 1883 Railroad Depot 1883 Railroad Depot 1883 Railroad Depot Office 1883 Railroad Depot Office Depot Office Wagon PIONEER BUILDING General Store Dentist Office RANCH HOUSE comment | share Type your message and click Add Comment It is best to login or register first but you may post as a guest. Enter an optional name and contact email address. Name Name Email help private comment Arthur Lebacq 03-Oct-2011 09:00 Beautiful and interesting collection.....well done..... Bill Taylor 04-Nov-2010 04:20 Very Nice Gallery ! You have a big collection . Type your message and click Add Comment It is best to login or register first but you may post as a guest. Enter an optional name and contact email address. Name Name Email help private comment click on thumbnails for full image