50-807: The Eastern California Museum is a history and heritage museum in Independence, California . It was founded in 1928 and showcases the history of the region of Eastern California . It is operated by Inyo County . Due to the rapid development in Owens Valley in the early 20th century, many people realized that much of the area's history could be lost unless preserved. In early 1928, a group of young men consisting of Ralph Bell, Frank Parcher, Charles Forbes, and William Sanford were interested in Native American culture, locating and photographing petroglyphs and also collecting artifacts. Parcher's mother, W.C., came up with
100-485: A changing landscape throughout the foothills with hot summer yielding an arid landscape while spring and winter rains result in blossoming wildflowers and lush greens. The region is also home to abundant wildlife: bobcats , foxes , ground squirrels , rattlesnakes , and mule deer are commonly seen in this area, and more rarely, reclusive mountain lions and the Pacific fisher are seen as well. The last California grizzly
150-612: A landscape that was first cultivated by the Monache tribe, the southern Sierra Nevada before Euro-American settlement. Many park visitors enter Sequoia National Park through its southern entrance near the town of Three Rivers at Ash Mountain at 1,700 ft (520 m) elevation. The lower elevations around Ash Mountain contain the only National Park Service-protected California Foothills ecosystem, consisting of blue oak woodlands, foothills chaparral , grasslands, yucca plants, and steep, mild river valleys. Seasonal weather results in
200-716: A second one in the 1950s. The museum's current building was dedicated in 1968 to G. Walter and Maude Dow for their donations to the museum that allowed the structure to be constructed. Also starting in 1968, it went under the operation of Inyo County. The renaming of the Eastern California Museum Association to the Eastern California Historical Society and the formation of the Friends of the Eastern California Museum both occurred in
250-607: A strong work ethic into his men. Young was also a prominent figure regarding the early conservation of Sequoia National Park. He greenlighted the dedication of trees in honor of prominent figures as a means of promoting their preservation. One such example is the Redwood dedicated to the escaped slave and activist, Booker T Washington . Young also argued to the Secretary of the Interior that the lack of enforcement of forest protection laws allowed
300-538: A vertical relief of nearly 13,000 feet (4,000 m), the park contains the highest point in the contiguous United States , Mount Whitney , at 14,505 feet (4,421 m) above sea level. The park is south of, and contiguous with, Kings Canyon National Park ; both parks are administered by the National Park Service together as Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks . UNESCO designated the areas as Sequoia-Kings Canyon Biosphere Reserve in 1976. The park
350-512: Is Crystal Cave , the park's second-longest cave at over 3.4 miles (5.5 km). Crystal Cave was discovered on April 28, 1918, by Alex Medley and Cassius Webster. The cave is a constant 48 °F (9 °C), and is only accessible by guided tour. Caves are discovered frequently in the park with the most recently discovered major cave being Ursa Minor in August 2006. Sequoia National Park encompasses many classifications of ecological zones, with
400-793: Is directly west of Independence. According to the United States Census Bureau , Independence covers an area of 4.9 square miles (13 km ), over 99% of it land. The elevation of Independence is 3,925 feet (1,196 m) above sea level. Independence, as well as most of the Owens Valley, has a high cool arid climate ( Köppen BWk ) with hot summers and cool winters. January temperatures range from an average high of 54.0 °F (12.2 °C) to an average low of 27.4 °F (−2.6 °C). July temperatures range from an average high of 97.6 °F (36.4 °C) to an average low of 63.9 °F (17.7 °C). The highest recorded temperature
450-518: Is essentially limestone that was metamorphosed by the heat and pressure of the formation and uplift of the Sierra Nevada Batholith . The batholith's rapid uplift over the past 10 million years led to a rapid erosion of the metamorphic rocks in the higher elevations, exposing the granite beneath; therefore, most Sierra Nevada caves are found in the middle and lower elevations (below 7,000 ft or 2,100 m), though some caves are found in
500-606: Is in the Inyo County Courthouse. The 2010 United States Census reported that Independence had a population of 669. The population density was 137.4 inhabitants per square mile (53.1/km ). The racial makeup of Independence was 493 (73.7%) Whites , 6 (0.9%) African Americans , 98 (14.6%) Native Americans , 8 (1.2%) Asians , 1 (0.1%) Pacific Islanders , 28 (4.2%) from other races , and 35 (5.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 93 persons (13.9%). The Census reported that 603 people (90.1% of
550-833: Is notable for its giant sequoia trees, including the General Sherman tree , the largest tree on Earth by volume . The General Sherman tree grows in the Giant Forest , which contains five of the ten largest trees in the world. The Giant Forest is connected by the Generals Highway to Kings Canyon National Park's General Grant Grove , home of the General Grant tree among other giant sequoias. The park's giant sequoia forests are part of 202,430 acres (316 sq mi; 81,921 ha; 819 km ) of old-growth forests shared by Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. The parks preserve
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#1732858339504600-549: The Kaweah River . The Sierra Nevada is a young mountain range, probably not more than 10 million years old. Forces in the earth, probably associated with the development of the Great Basin , forced the mountains to rise. During the last 10 million years, at least four ice ages have coated the mountains in a thick mantle of ice. Glaciers form and develop during long periods of cool and wet weather. Glaciers move very slowly through
650-692: The United States Department of Agriculture , the Plant Hardiness zone at Giant Forest Visitor Center (6,444 ft (1,964 m)) is 8a with an average annual extreme minimum temperature of 12.0 °F (−11.1 °C). Sequoia National Park contains a significant portion of the Sierra Nevada . The park's mountainous landscape includes the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States, Mount Whitney, which rises to 14,505 feet (4,421 m) above sea level. The Great Western Divide parallels
700-451: The giant sequoia trees, the most massive living single-stem trees on earth. Between the trees, spring and summer snowmelts sometimes fan out to form lush, though delicate, meadows. In this region, visitors often see mule deer, Douglas squirrels , and American black bears , which sometimes break into unattended cars to eat food left by careless visitors. There are plans to reintroduce the bighorn sheep to this park. The vast majority of
750-554: The 1880s, white settlers seeking to create a utopian society founded the Kaweah Colony , which sought economic success in trading Sequoia timber. Giant Sequoia trees, unlike their coast redwood relatives, were later discovered to splinter easily and therefore were ill-suited to timber harvesting, though thousands of trees were felled before logging operations finally ceased. Benjamin Harrison ultimately signed legislation that established
800-757: The 1980s. In 2019, a tusk most likely coming from a species in the genus Mammuthus was loaned to the museum by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power . The tusk was found in 2015 but had to be stabilized by the Environmental Science Associates before it was ready for display. The museum contains one of the most extensive collections of Owens Valley Paiute and Timbisha baskets in California, with over 400 and 100 other related artifacts. It also has hundreds of photographs donated by former interments of Manzanar depicting everyday life in
850-508: The 1990 movie, Tremors , directed by Ron Underwood, was built and filmed in the hills above Independence. Sequoia National Park Sequoia National Park is a national park of the United States in the southern Sierra Nevada east of Visalia, California . The park was established on September 25, 1890, and today protects 404,064 acres (631 sq mi; 163,519 ha; 1,635 km ) of forested mountainous terrain. Encompassing
900-552: The Commander's House, which was built from recycled lumber from the remains of Fort Independence in the late 1880s. Independence, California Independence is a census-designated place in Inyo County, California . Independence is located 41 miles (66 km) south-southeast of Bishop , at an elevation of 3930 feet (1198 m). It is the county seat of Inyo County, California. The population of this census-designated place
950-700: The Sequoia National Park on 25 September 1890, ending logging in the area. Another consequence of the Giant Forest becoming Sequoia National Park was the shift in park employment. Prior to the incorporation by the National Park Service, the park was managed by US army troops of the 24th Regiment of Infantry and the 9th Regiment of Cavalry, better known as the Buffalo Soldiers . These segregated troops, founded in 1866, were African-American men from
1000-600: The Sierra Nevada west of the divide between the Owens Valley on the east and the rivers which drain into the San Joaquin Valley to the west. Independence is a popular resupply location for hikers trekking the 2,650 mile long Pacific Crest Trail which extends from the Mexican border to Canada along the crest of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Ranges. The highest pass along the entire trail, 13,153 foot (4009 m) Forester Pass ,
1050-645: The Sierran crest and is visible at various places in the park, for example, Mineral King , Moro Rock , and the Giant Forest . Peaks in the Great Western Divide rise to more than 12,000 feet (3,700 m). Deep canyons lie between the mountains, including Tokopah Valley above Lodgepole, Deep Canyon on the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River , and Kern Canyon in the park's backcountry, which is more than 5,000 feet (1,500 m) deep for 30 miles (50 km). Most of
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#17328583395041100-546: The South, an invaluable demographic to the military with the lowest rates of desertion. The Buffalo Soldiers completed park infrastructure projects as well as park management duties, helping to shape the role of the modern-day park ranger. The Buffalo Soldiers rose to this position due to a lack of funding for the park which led to an inability to hire civilians. The third African American West Point graduate, Captain Charles Young led
1150-699: The area was Hale Tharp , who famously built a home out of a hollowed-out fallen giant sequoia log in the Giant Forest next to Log Meadow. Tharp arrived in 1858 to the region and encountered several groups of Native Americans, the largest being around 600 with several other smaller groups found at higher elevations. After becoming friendly with the Western Mono tribe, Tharp was shown the Giant Forest Sequoia Grove. After his settlement, more settlers came around 1860. Shortly thereafter - between 1860 and 1863, epidemics of smallpox, measles, and scarlet fever killed
1200-555: The camp. Over 70 were taken by noted photographer Tōyō Miyatake . The locomotive Southern Pacific 18 is housed at the museum. There are also mining wagons from Eastern California's mining era, construction and mining equipment, and an exhibit detailing the California water wars . The museum has over 27,000 historic photographs of the Eastern California area in its collection, with many of them on display. Most of them were taken from
1250-564: The cavalries of Buffalo Soldiers in the Sequoia and General Grant Parks. Young landed this post as a result of the segregation rampant throughout the Army: as a black man, he was not permitted to head any combat units. He did demonstrate his leadership capability through his initiatives in the National Park delegating park infrastructure projects, hosting tourists and politicians, and setting a standard of
1300-559: The detrimental practices of logging and the popular tourist hobby of carving names into the redwoods to continue. An expansions occurred in 1978, when grassroots efforts, spearheaded by the Sierra Club , fought off attempts by the Walt Disney Company to purchase a high-alpine former mining site south of the park for use as a ski resort. This site known as Mineral King was annexed to the park. Its name dates back to early 1873 when
1350-610: The eastern part of the area (the Kern River drainage) as their summer hunting grounds. During this time, the Western Mono tribe would travel over the high mountain passes to trade with tribes to the East. To this day, pictographs can be found at several sites within the park, notably at Hospital Rock and Potwisha, as well as bedrock mortars used to process acorns , a staple food for the Monachee people. The first European settler to homestead in
1400-669: The highest zone consisting of alpine tundra vegetation, then followed by California conifer forests, with chaparral at the lower elevations of the park. In the early 2000s, lumber company, Sierra Pacific Industries , began creating a living gene bank of trees using seeds harvested from the park. Animals that inhabit this park are coyote , badger , black bear , bighorn sheep , deer , fox , cougar , eleven species of woodpecker , various species of turtle , three species of owl , opossum , various species of snake , wolverine , beaver , various species of frog , and muskrat . In addition to hiking, camping, fishing, and backpacking,
1450-525: The idea to have a museum to exhibit the collections the four men had gathered. Thus, the Eastern California Museum Association was born, with W.C. as the first president. It was formally organized on May 5th, 1928 at the Inyo County Library's Bishop Branch. The association was granted a room in the basement of the Inyo County Courthouse for the storage of its exhibits in 1929 and obtained
1500-674: The late 1800s to the 1950s. The exterior of the museum also has a native plant garden, named after Mary DeDecker , a botanist who worked mainly in Eastern California. It is a collaboration with the Bristlecone Chapter of the California Native Plant Society , which DeDecker founded. The museum manages two historic houses in Independence: the Edwards House, which was built by the town planner, Thomas Edwards, in 1861, and
1550-537: The majority of the Native Americans living in the area. After this, the rest of the Native Americans left with the largest campsite (Hospital Rock) abandoned by 1865. During their time in the area, the Monachee used periodic fire burning to aid in hunting and agriculture. This technique played an important role in the ecology of the region and allowed for a "natural" vegetation cover development. After they left, Tharp and other settlers allowed sheep and cattle to graze
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1600-419: The meadow, while at the same time maintaining a respect for the grandeur of the forest and led early battles against logging in the area. From time to time, Tharp received visits from John Muir , who would stay at Tharp's log cabin. Tharp's Log can still be visited today in its original location in the Giant Forest. Tharp's attempts to conserve the giant sequoias were at first met with only limited success. In
1650-1102: The miners in the area formed the Mineral King Mining District. Mineral King is the highest-elevation developed site within the park and a popular destination for backpackers. The national park was partially closed in September 2020 due to the SQF Complex Fire , and fully closed in mid-September through mid-December 2021 due to the KNP Complex Fire . According to the Köppen climate classification system, Sequoia National Park encompasses five climate types listed here from highest to lowest elevation; Tundra ( ET ), Mediterranean-influenced Subarctic climate ( Dsc ), Mediterranean-influenced warm-summer Humid continental climate ( Dsb ), Warm-summer Mediterranean climate ( Csb ), and Hot-summer Mediterranean climate ( Csa ). Precipitation also decreases with elevation. According to
1700-516: The mountains and canyons in the Sierra Nevada are composed of granitic rocks . These rocks, such as granite , diorite and monzonite , formed when molten rock cooled far beneath the surface of the earth. The molten rock was the result of a geologic process known as subduction . Powerful forces in the earth forced the landmass under the waters of the Pacific Ocean beneath and below an advancing North American Continent . Super-hot water driven from
1750-474: The mountains, carving deep valleys and craggy peaks. The extensive history of glaciation within the range and the erosion-resistant nature of the granitic rocks that make up most of the Sierra Nevada have together created a landscape of hanging valleys, waterfalls, craggy peaks, alpine lakes (such as Tulainyo Lake ) and glacial canyons. Park caves, like most caves in the Sierra Nevada of California, are mostly solutional caves dissolved from marble . Marble rock
1800-615: The park at elevations as high as 10,000 ft (3,000 m) such as the White Chief cave and Cirque Cave in Mineral King. These caves are carved out of the rock by the abundant seasonal streams in the park. Most of the larger park caves have, or have had, sinking streams running through them. The park contains more than 270 known caves, including Lilburn Cave which is California's longest cave with nearly 17 miles (27 km) of surveyed passages. The only commercial cave open to park visitors
1850-494: The park is roadless wilderness; no road crosses the Sierra Nevada within the park's boundaries. 84 percent of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks is designated wilderness and is accessible only by foot or by horseback. The majority was designated Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness in 1984 and the southwest portion was protected as John Krebs Wilderness in 2009. The area which now is Sequoia National Park shows evidence of Native American settlement as early as AD 1000. The area
1900-625: The population) lived in households, 8 (1.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 58 (8.7%) were institutionalized. There were 301 households, out of which 57 (18.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 131 (43.5%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 20 (6.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 8 (2.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 13 (4.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships , and 3 (1.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships . 122 households (40.5%) were made up of individuals, and 47 (15.6%) had someone living alone who
1950-565: The population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 193 people (28.8%) lived in rental housing units. In the state legislature , Independence is in the 8th Senate District , represented by Democrat Angelique Ashby , and the 26th Assembly District , represented by Democrat Evan Low . Independence is in California's 3rd congressional district , represented by Republican Kevin Kiley . The film set for Burt and Heather's house played by Michael Gross and Reba McEntire, in
2000-477: The street from the Inyo County Courthouse, is a California Historical Landmark # 223. Independence began as the US Army Camp Independence (two miles north of the current town) established by Lieutenant Colonel George S. Evans on July 4, 1862. Colonel Evans established the camp at the request of local settlers who feared hostilities from the local indigenous tribes. The camp was soon closed, but
2050-575: The subducting ocean floor migrated upward and melted rock as it proceeded. This process took place during the Cretaceous Period , 100 million years ago. Granitic rocks have a speckled salt-and-pepper appearance because they contain various minerals including quartz , feldspars and micas . Valhalla, or the Angel Wings, are prominent granitic cliffs that rise above the headwaters of the Middle Fork of
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2100-513: Was 10.71 inches (272.0 mm) in January 1969. The most precipitation in 24 hours was 5.27 inches (133.9 mm) on December 6, 1966. Snowfall varies greatly from year to year, averaging only 5.5 inches or 0.14 metres. Charles Putnam founded a trading post at the site in 1861. It became known as Putnam's, and later Little Pine from the Little Pine Creek. The site of Putnam's Cabin, across
2150-449: Was 115 °F (46.1 °C) in June 2017. The lowest recorded temperature was −5 °F (−20.6 °C) on January 9, 1937. There are an average of 97.7 afternoons annually with highs of 90 °F (32.2 °C) or higher and an average of 88.1 mornings with lows of 32 °F (0 °C) or less. Annual precipitation averages only 5.82 inches (148 mm). The most precipitation in one month
2200-419: Was 51.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.2 males. There were 389 housing units at an average density of 79.9 per square mile (30.8/km ), of which 301 were occupied, of which 210 (69.8%) were owner-occupied, and 91 (30.2%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 5.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.1%. 410 people (61.3% of
2250-406: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00. There were 159 families (52.8% of all households); the average family size was 2.70. The population was spread out, with 100 people (14.9%) under the age of 18, 54 people (8.1%) aged 18 to 24, 117 people (17.5%) aged 25 to 44, 259 people (38.7%) aged 45 to 64, and 139 people (20.8%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
2300-697: Was 669 at the 2010 census, up from 574 at the 2000 census. The small town of Independence is bisected by U.S. Route 395 , the main north–south highway through the Owens Valley . The Sierra Nevada mountains to the west lie within the John Muir Wilderness Area . Onion Valley, one of the principal entry routes to the John Muir Wilderness , is accessed via the Onion Valley road which heads directly west out of Independence. This trail takes hikers to Kings Canyon / Sequoia National Parks which protect
2350-498: Was established in 1866. United States Army General John K. Singlaub (1921 – 2022) was born in Independence. The Eastern California Museum with extensive collections, exhibits, and programs; is located at 155 North Grant Street in Independence. The home of author Mary Austin , the author of The Land of Little Rain , is preserved as a museum located at 235 Market Street in Independence. The Inyo County Free Library
2400-524: Was first home to "Monachee" ( Western Mono ) Native Americans , who resided mainly in the Kaweah River drainage in the Foothills region of what is now the park, though evidence of seasonal habitation exists as high as the Giant Forest. Members of this tribe were permanent residents of the park, with a population estimate of around 2,000. In the summertime the Tubatulabal Native Americans used
2450-492: Was killed in this park in 1922 (at Horse Corral Meadow). The California Black Oak is a key transition species between the chaparral and higher elevation conifer forest. At higher elevations in the front country, between 5,500 and 9,000 feet (1,700 and 2,700 m) in elevation, the landscape becomes montane forest -dominated coniferous belt. Found here are Ponderosa , Jeffrey , sugar , and lodgepole pine trees, as well as abundant white and red fir . Found here too are
2500-494: Was re-established as Fort Independence when hostilities resumed in 1865. The fort was finally abandoned in 1877, and it is currently a reservation for the Fort Independence Indian Community of Paiute Indians . Independence became the seat of Inyo County in 1866 when its chief competitor for the honor, a mining camp called Kearsarge , disappeared under an avalanche . The first post office at Independence
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