USA > California > Los Angeles County > Los Angeles > A history of California and an extended history of Los Angeles and environs : also containing biographies of well-known citizens of the past and present, Volume I > Part 49
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On the second of August, 1845, he had ar- rived at Bent's Fort on the Arkansas river, which was to be the point of departure on his exploring journey. Although Fremont had with him Alexis Godey, one of his most trusted guides and Indian fighters, the expedition was not complete without Kit Carson and Dick Owens. Fremont says : "From the Fort I sent an express to Carson at a rancho, or stock farm, which with his friend Richard Owens he had established on the Cimarron, a tributary to the Arkansas river. But he had promised that in the event I should need him, he would join me. And I knew that he would not fail to come. My messenger found him busy starting the congenial work of making up a stock ranch. There was no time to be lost, and he did not hesitate. He sold everything at a sacrifice, farm and cattle; and not only came himself, but brought his friend Owens to join the party. This was like Carson, prompt, self-sacrificing, and true. I received them both with great sat- isfaction.
"That Owens was a good man it is enough to say that he and Carson were friends. Cool, brave, and of good judgment; a good hunter and good shot ; experienced in mountain life ; he was an acquisition, and proved valuable throughout the campaign.
"Godey had proved himself during the pre- ceding journey, which had brought out his dis- tinguishing qualities of resolute and aggres- sive courage. Quick in deciding and prompt in acting he had also the French élan and their gayety of courage. I mention him here be- cause the three men came fitly together, and because of the peculiar qualities which gave
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them in the highest degree efficiency for the service in which they were engaged.
"The three, under Napoleon, might have be- come marshals, chosen as he chose men. Car- son, of great courage ; quick and complete per- ception, taking in at a glance the advantages as well as the chances for defeat; Godey, in- sensible to danger, of perfect coolness and stubborn resolution; Owens, equal in courage to the others, and in coolness equal to Godey, had the coup-d'-œil of a chess player, covering the whole field with a glance that sees the best move. His dark hazel eye was the marked fea- ture of his face, large and flat and farsighted."
On the 27th of October, 1845, the exploring expedition had reached Walker's lake. Here it was divided into two bodies. Fremont with fifteen men started for Sutter's Fort for sup- plies. The main body of the explorers under command of Theodore Talbot (there were sixty men in the expedition) after remaining at the Lake two weeks to recruit their horses, under the guidance of Walker resumed their march southward. Following along the eastern base of the mountains, on the 18th of December, 1845, they reached the head of a river and fol- lowing it down they came to a lake, of which Fremont later, when the two parties came to- gether, says: "To one of the lakes I gave Owens' name." He gave the names of several of his band to rivers, creeks and lakes, but only Kern and Owens remain.
Owens was senior captain of Fremont's bat- talion when in 1846 it marched down the coast to assist Stockton in the Conquest of Los An- geles. When Fremont was made governor of California by Stockton, Capt. Richard Owens was given command of the battalion. During the quarrel between General Kearny and Fre- mont the battalion was moved to San Gabriel mission, where on the 19th of April, 1847, it was mustered out of service. Of the subsequent career of the man whose name was given to the river and lake by Fremont I know noth- ing. The aqueduct has made his name as fa- miliar to Californians as that of Fremont.
Owens river valley remained almost a terra incognita for nearly two decades after Fre- mont's explorers passed through it. The In- dians who lived on the head waters of the tribu- taries of the San Joaquin river and ranged over
the desert to the settlements of Los Angeles county, were inveterate horse thieves. After the secularization of the missions many of the mission Indians became renegades and joined the mountain Indians. The renegades knew the country well and were expert vaqueros. They led raids upon the rancheros' bands of horses, and ran them off not for riding, but to kill them for food.
Fremont on his journey to Sutter's Fort ran into one of their strongholds where the ground for acres was whitened with the bones of the horses they had slaughtered. His party was attacked by them. Owens with his long range rifle brought down their chief. The Indians stole horses because cattle could not be driven fast enough to escape the pursuit.
Fremont says the Horse Thief Indians were far more daring and braver than those who remained in fixed villages. These horse thief tribes ranged through the country between Los Angeles and Owens River Valley. The gov- ernment in 1854 established Fort Tejôn at the head of the San Joaquin valley in the Tehachapi range to check the raids of these Indian horse thieves. The Sebastian Indian reservation had been established in the valley in 1853, and it was part of the duty of the sol- diers of the Fort to keep them on the reserva- tion, but they would stray away and go back to their old tricks. The depredations of these Indians caused great loss to the rancheros. The Santa Barbara Gazette in an editorial on the government control of these Indians esti- mates the loss of stock to the farmers of the Southern counties in the years 1850, '51, '52 and '53 at $600,000. Their raids on the ranch- eros' stock decreased to a considerable extent after the establishment of the Sebastian reser- vation.
The following account of a military expe- dition to Owens lake and valley made in July and Angust, 1859, is taken from the Los An- geles Star of August 27, 1859. The letter from a correspondent signing himself "Quis," who accompanied the expedition, is perhaps the only description extant of the valley and the Indians who inhabited it before the white man took possession of the land and killed off the Indians. I quote the account of the expe- dition and the correspondent's letter in full.
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EXPEDITION TO OWENS LAKE
In consequence of the extensive depredations committed in the San Fernando valley, Lt. Col. Beall, commanding at Fort Tejon, determined to send a detachment of the First Dragoons into the Indian country, to explore its recesses, and find if the missing stock were there. The ex- pedition has returned, having made a full and careful investigation into the affairs of the Indians-also of the general features of the country, its topography, etc.
Captain Davidson, in command of the ex- pedition, has made a map of his explorations, and has discovered a pass through the moun- tains to the Salt Lake road, which will greatly shorten the distance from this point-avoid the journey over the desert, besides opening up a route on which wood, water and grass are abundant.
As the reports of the officers on such expe- ditions are made to the head of their respective departments, we were consequently unable to obtain any information from Captain Davidson, while in town this week, regarding his opera- tions, further than that we may assure the public the Owens Lake Indians did not take the stock, that they are quiet, industrious, friendly, and altogether reliable. Further than this, Captain Davidson did not feel himself at liberty to disclose.
We are, however, owing to the kindness of a gentleman who accompanied the expedition, enabled to lay before the public today a very interesting letter on the subject. We have felt great interest in this expedition, and hoped to be able to lay before our readers a detailed ac- count of its labors and discoveries, but being temporarily disappointed in our expectations the pleasure of laying the following very inter- esting communication before our readers is proportionately enhanced. Our correspondent has our warmest thanks for his kindness; we shall be glad to hear further from him.
Military expedition to Owens Lake-No stock in the valley-Indians peaceable and re- liable-Discovery of a new route to Salt Lake.
Tejon, August, 1859.
Sir :- I had the pleasure of accompanying the expedition dispatched from Fort Tejon by the commandant, Lt. Col. Beall, consisting of Company B and a detachment of Company K,
First Dragoons, in command of Captain David- son, assisted by Lieutenant Chapman, to visit the country and Indians in the vicinity of Owens lake and river. The officers and sol- diers of the expedition were supplied with thirty days rations, and commenced their march on the 21st of July, with instructions to proceed to the country in the vicinity of Owens Lake, and recover certain parcels of stock that had been stolen from the vicinity of Los Angeles from time to time, if found in possession of the Indians of that valley ; meting out proper pun- ishment for their offenses; making a map of the route and country, with notes of the recon- noissance. One wagon and a howitzer were the only incumbrances, in addition to the pack train, to retard their movements.
The route selected was through Walker's basin and the Kern river mines; up the south fork of Kern river, through Walker's Pass; thence along the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada to Owens Lake. The distance from Fort Tejon to the desert, by way of Walker's Pass, is about one hundred and seventeen miles, with good camps at convenient distances, and with the exception of the ascent into Walker's basin, the road is quite good for the use of wagons. Along the edge of the desert, to the lake, with the exception of the first thirty miles, water and grass exist at convenient distances.
Arriving at the foot of the lake, we found a fine meadow of eight hundred or one thousand acres, well supplied with fine water. This con- stitutes the only desirable spot on the confines of the lake, as there are not five acres of grass at any one other spot on its borders.
This lake is emphatically a "saline lake," as its waters contain salts to near the point of saturation, producing a density sufficient to support the human body on its surface. From a casual examination, I am of opinion that those salts consist principally of the bi-borate of soda (borax) and the chloride of sodium (common salt). Upon the surface of this lake swam myriads of small flies, of a species with which I am not familiar, where they deposit their eggs, the larvae of which constitute an important part of the food of the Indians of that region. The constant winds from the des- ert drive the larvae in large quantities upon the shore of the lake, where they are easily col- lected by the squaws. Besides Owens (or as
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the Indians call it Wokopee) river, there are some four small brooks emptying their waters into the lake.
For some distance along the river, after leav- ing the lake, but little desirable land is found, except that supplied with water by little rivu- lets flowing from the mountains. Twenty- seven miles from the head of the lake is Pine creek, with a large body of meadow land and the first timber we encountered growing in the valley, save a few small cottonwoods. Beau- tiful streams of clear cold water come gushing fresh from the snows of the Sierras, at intervals of from one to ten miles, irrigating beautiful and fertile portions of the valley, for the fol- lowing sixty-two miles from Pine creek, prin- cipal among which are Clark's and Dragoon forks, either of which supply nearly as much water, at this season of the year, as does the Kern river.
Large tracts of land are here irrigated by the natives to secure the growth of the grass seeds and grass nuts-a small tuberous root of fine taste and nutritious qualities, which grows here in abundance. Their ditches for irrigation are in some cases carried for miles, displaying as much accuracy and judgment as if laid out by an engineer, and distributing the water with great regularity over their grounds, and this, too, without the aid of a single agricultural implement. They are totally ignorant of agri- culture, and depend entirely on the natural re- sources of the country for food and clothing.
One of the greatest aqueous curiosities of the trip was a single spring, to which was given the name of "mammoth," from which runs a stream of water, with a fair current, fifteen or twenty feet wide and about two and a half feet deep.
Although from some distance below the lake we encountered the temporary abodes of the Indians, yet in no instance were the troops enabled to get sight of a single one, they having fled before our approach, as we afterwards learned, having been told that they would be killed, until we reached Pine creek, when the interpreter found a poor woman attempting to escape with her crippled child. She having been assured that the people would not be in- jured, soon became the means of reassuring the Indians, after which there was but little diffi- culty in communicating with them.
To our surprise we saw but very few horses among them, and that, too, on the upper portion of Owens river, and evidently ob- tained from the Walker river Indians. They informed Captain Davidson that some four or five Indians, in years past, were in the habit of stealing horses for the purpose of eating them, but esteeming it wrong, they some five years since punished some of the party with death, and the rest had died from natural causes; since when none had been stolen by their people. They told us where we could find the bones of the animals thus de- stroyed, and most certainly the appearances corroborated their statement, for there were no bones of more recent date than four or five years, judging from appearances.
The Wokopee or Owens river Indians ap- pear to be both morally and physically superior to any of their race in California, for in point of probity and honesty I certainly have never met their equal, and as to their physical sani- tary condition, I saw none sick or infirm save the child already alluded to-although they will number twelve hundred or fifteen hundred souls.
To illustrate their ideas of truthfulness: An Indian boy who was anxious to return with Captain Davidson, after descending the river fifty or sixty miles, encountered his elder brother, and being somewhat unwell, and per- haps a little homesick, asked his advice in re- gard to turning back. "Have you promised to go?" said he. "Yes." "Well, then, do not ask me ; if you have promised to go, you shall go."
Whilst talking to their head men, who had assembled for that purpose, Captain Davidson informed them that so long as they were peace- ful and honest, the government would protect them in the enjoyment of their rights. Their reply was, that such had always been their con- duct and should ever be-that they had de- pended on their own unaided resources-that they had at all times treated the whites in a friendly manner, and intended to do so in the future. He further informed them, that should they become dishonest and resort to murder and robbery, they would be punished with the sword. The old captain or head man turned with a smile to the interpreter, and said: "Tell him that we fear it not, that what I have said,
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I have said. I have lain my heart at his feet, let him look at it."
Unsophisticated, and uncontaminated by free intercourse with whites or vicious Indians, a lack of chastity is said to be a thing almost unheard of among them. The limited oppor- tunities for observation, certainly favored the opinion that such was the fact.
The untiring energy and industry exhibited by Captain Davidson in carrying out his in- structions is certainly worthy of all commen- dation ; and if courteous and gentlemanly con- duct towards those who accompanied the ex- pedition, and untiring attention to, and solici- tude for, the well-being and comfort of the sol- diers of the command, be marks of the true sol- dier, then the First Dragoons may well be proud of the officers of this command.
Although the primary and important object of the expedition was not achieved, yet I am of the opinion that one has been initiated, of permanent importance to the country by the labors of Captain Davidson, which is no less than establishing a direct route between Salt Lake and all parts of California-avoiding en- tirely the Mojave Desert, and securing to the traveler those important items to a comfort- able journey-a good and direct road, and grass and water at proper distances. This Captain Davidson is of the opinion can be done, by car- rying the road along the rim of the Great Ba- sin, and entering the Wokopee or Owens Val- ley at its head, by a very excellent pass.
In a conversation with L. Anderson, the com- panion of the old guide and traveler, Captain Walker, this opinion is fully confirmed. There are many and important and interesting items connected with this expedition, which I would be pleased to note, but am compelled to pass over.
QUIS.
In less than three years from the time our correspondent visited the valley this Arcadian vale of primitive contentment had become the theater of savage warfare and massacre. Gold and silver mines had been discovered in the Mona Lake and Owens Valley country and the usual "miners rush" had followed. Settlers had taken possession of the Indians' land and the red men, who a few years before had pun- ished their own people with death for stealing
from the white men, were killed for resisting the theft of their lands by the white men.
The Los Angeles Star of April 26, 1862, un- der the head of "Indian Depredations-Battle with the Indians-Nine lives lost," gives this among other items: "A party of citizens (sixty men), had a fight with the Indians of Owens River Valley on the 5th instant, in which they were defeated with the loss of three men killed viz-Mr. Pleasant, Mr. Morrison and Mr. Scott-the last-named sheriff of Mono county. They made good their retreat under cover of the night, going down the valley, and joined Lt. Col. Evans' command the following day.
"On the 9th instant Lt. Col. Evans' com- mand with fifty dragoons from Fort Churchill and some thirty citizens, attacked the In- dians, who were posted in a very strong po- sition on top of a very steep hill and were re- pulsed with the loss of Colonel Mayfield, who commanded the company of citizens, Sergeant Mckenzie of Lt. Col. Evans' command and a private, name unknown.
"Previous to the first fight the bodies of two men were found on the road near the scenes of the fight, murdered, and four men who were on the road coming south were at- tacked and barely escaped with their lives to Aurora, two of the party being badly wounded." * * *
"The whole of Owens valley with the differ- ent mining camps in that vicinity, together with the improvements of the settlers of the Owens valley and the valuable machinery in the mines, is entirely exposed to the attacks of the Indians. Within sixty or eighty miles of Owens lake there is an immigration of about fifty large wagons-going to Aurora, Mono county, loaded with valuable goods and ma- chinery which can reach their destination by no other road than through Owens Valley; besides these there are on the road a great many thousand head of cattle, sheep and hogs for the same destination." A military camp was es- tablished in the valley and troops stationed there until Indian depredations ceased, which they did with the extermination of the Indian.
One of the most violent earthquakes known in the history of California had its center of action a few miles from Owens lake. It oc- curred at two o'clock in the morning of March 26, 1872. In proportion to the population of
20
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the valley at that time the loss of life was as great as in the San Francisco earthquake. The greatest loss of life was at the town of Lone Pine, situated five miles north of Owens lake; about three-fourths of the buildings were of stone and adobe and every one of these was dashed into a heap of ruins at the first crash of the earthquake. More than sixty persons were killed or wounded, several were killed in other settlements.
The earthquake performed some queer freaks in the valley. At a point twenty-eight miles north of Lone Pine the bed of the Owens river sank, forming a lake of several hundred acres. At another point the ground sank and the river leaving its old channel made a new one about two miles west of its former channel. A row of trees stood in a straight line at right angles with the road. The earthquake moved a part of this row about sixteen feet north from where it formerly stood, thus breaking the line. The trees were not injured and continued to grow as if they had never been disturbed.
The occurrence of another such freakish earthquake in the Owens River Valley might very seriously affect our aqueduct.
I have digressed at considerable length from the story of the aqueduct. My excuse is that we are so intimately connected with the Owens valley that it is almost a part of our munici- pality. On the waters that will come from that valley we depend largely for our future growth and progress. In the legal contests that are on and those that will come the early history of the valley may be of value.
THE BEGINNINGS OF THE AQUEDUCT
The inception of the project to bring the waters of Owens river to Los Angeles is due to Fred Eaton, an engineer and former mayor of Los Angeles city. Eaton had acquired landed interests in Owens River Valley. He had noted during his residence there the floods of sur- plus water pouring into Owens lake-a dead sea without any outlet-there to be lost by evaporation.
He had passed over the road between the valley and Los Angeles many times; his knowledge of engineering and his experience in building conduits and pipe lines while in charge of the water system of Los Angeles convinced him it would be possible to conduct
the surplus waters of Owens River Valley to Los Angeles.
For years the water problem had confronted successive city councils and boards of water commissioners. Every year the solution of the problem was becoming more difficult. Dur- ing the two successive dry years 1898 and 1899 the season's rainfall was respectively five and seven inches. The water famine in some parts of the city was acute. During ten days in July, 1904, the outflow from the city reser- voirs exceeded the inflow by nearly four mil- lion gallons. These conditions convinced the people of the city that something must be done and that very soon or the inflow of popula- tion would cease.
In 1905 Eaton outlined his project to Wil- liam Mulholland, superintendent of the Los Angeles City Water System. It looked feasible to Mulholland. He knew nothing, however, of the water resources of Owens River Valley or of the country between it and Los Angeles over which a conduit must be built, and, there- fore, could not figure up the expense of the undertaking. He made a trip with Eaton over the route to the valley. A hydrographic sur- vey of the valley and its water resources con- vinced him that the water was there, but the most difficult problems to be solved were, can the water be piped to Los Angeles and will the people stand the great expense?
Mulholland made a careful survey of the line which he believed would be the best location on which to build the proposed aqueduct. He figured out the length, the canals, the covered conduits, the tunnels, the flumes and the siphons that would have to be constructed. He computed the cost of material, the expense of construction and the approximate expendi- ture to secure water rights. The total amount of $25,000,000 was appalling. Would the peo- ple of the city mortgage their homes for a pro- ject that might be a failure ?
He submitted his scheme to the board of water commissioners. The board was then composed of J. M. Elliott, John J. Fay, Fred L. Baker, W. H. Sherman, and William Mead.
In April, 1905, Messrs. Elliott and Fay of the water commission, Mayor McAleer, City At- torney Mathew, City Water Superintendent Mulholland and Mr. Eaton visited Owens River Valley to examine into the water conditions ex-
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isting there and if found satisfactory to recom- mend the purchase of the options and contracts for the land and water rights held by Eaton. Convinced that water sufficient could be se- cured the board of water commissioners author- ized the purchase of the lands on which Eaton held options. These lands which had water rights extended along Owens river for forty miles above Owens lake. The purchase money, $700,000, was taken from the funds of the water department of the city.
Mr. Mulholland now took up the question with the Chamber of Commerce. J. O. Koepfli, then the president, took an active interest in the project. At a meeting of the chamber it was decided in conjunction with other commercial bodies to appoint a special committee to make a thorough investigation of the scheme. Messrs. H. C. Witmer, Meyer Lissner and Fred A. Hines were sent to the valley. Their report was entirely satisfactory both in regard to the quantity and quality of the water of the river.
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