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Description
Tape 1 Side A pp. 1-22 Carl Boyer was born in 1922 in Idaho and came to the Owens Valley in 1924. His father worked for Russell Spainhower in Lone Pine and began work with the Department of Water and Power as caretaker at Cottonwood Gates. Carl attended schools in Lone Pine and recalls the open-air dance pavilion and new paved sidewalks in the late 1920's. The Fourth of July was an all-community event. He fished and hunted with his father in the Cottonwood area and recalls deer were more plentiful before doe hunts began. Children fished in the irrigation ditches which ran through town. As a child, he watched movies being filmed on the Spainhower ranch; later he worked as an extra and describes how local people were hired. Most of the movie stars were good to local residents and participated in town events; he recounts a story of Bing Crosby singing to CCC workers. The movies were important to the economy of Lone Pine's many businesses, including several bars. The family's quality of life improved with the move to Cottonwood and a City-owned home. His father's job there was hard work and included patrolling the aqueduct on horseback during World War II. Tape 1 Side B pp. 22-44 Carl recalls the takeover of the Alabama Gates by people wearing hoods and a later dynamiting of the aqueduct. He does not believe there was animosity towards the DWP employees; his family had friends on both sides of the controversy and had a good living from the City. Many local people made moonshine during Prohibition. He recalls Claude Van Norman and Spainhower as large personalities. Peak run-off, flooding, and ice were constant problems in aqueduct maintenance and repair. Most of the family worked for the City. As a hobby, his father did rock work, including that at Crowley Monument, Tamarack Lodge, and Cottonwood. Father John Crowley is recalled as involved in all town activities; he opened the Santa Rosa Church hall to dances and organized boxing matches for young people. Businessman Rudie Henderson put on plays; there was also miniature golf as well as two movie theaters for recreation. Boyer describes the CCC camp on the Whitney Portal road and the members' participation in town activities. He recalls the Spanish Garden Cafe and the fights there. Most Mexican and Anglos got along well in town. Carl attended dedication of Father Crowley Monument and describes the valley's loss when Crowley was killed. Tape 2 Side A pp. 44-65 Carl's f ather patrolled a section of the aqueduct on horseback during World War II on horses provided by the City. He recalls his dad making a citizen's arrest of a Japanese person near the aqueduct. Carl saw the procession of cars going through the valley into the camp and felt sympathy for the internees. He worked on construction of the relocation center while in high school and recalls the dust conditions and urgency to get the camp built. He did not join a union but was not harrassed. His family frequently visited friends living at the Manzanar agricultural community; he remembers the orchards and gardens. He tells a story of finding the corpse of a tall Indian who had been seen in the Manzanar area. lnterriees helped with camp construction; they formed a fire department and planted huge gardens. He lost his job there in an incident over insults directed to an internee. He describes the early state of the camp, with rough plumbing, few barracks, and a large military presence. The Civilian Pilot Training program brought good young men to Lone Pine; some locals joined also, and the airport was expanded. Concern about wartime sabotage of the aqueduct resulted in extra patrols. After the war, Carl worked for Bill Skinner and helped move Manzanar barracks into Lone Pine locations. Tape 2 Side B pp. 66-88 His work for Bill Skinner included construction projects at Darwin and Death Valley. Later work f or Joe Bonham included projects throughout Inyo County. He recalls Lone Pine businessman Walter Dow who sold his hotel to Bonham and helped bring tule elk to the valley. He recalls mining characters at Darwin and Ballarat. Construction projects at Furnace Creek were in the summer. Several members of his family in the Owens Valley were plagued by lung illnesses. He recalls friendships with and relates anecdotes about Indian families in the Lone Pine area and describes their previous reservation area. Andrew and Mono Glen were especially colorful people. Bars in Lone Pine had slot machines in the 1930's. Fewer people climbed Mount Whitney; an observatory was at the summit. Lone Pine has become smaller with fewer businesses; petty crime has always been present, but he regrets crimes by young people. Tape 3 Side A pp. 88-94 Carl recalls Harold "Skinny" Gates, a cowboy and long-time City of Los Angeles employee, who did leather work and made skis. Huge spring run-offs from Cottonwood Creek often flooded Owens Lake and threatened to take out the aqueduct. He often went up Cottonwood Canyon and describes the old sawmill there.
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