A family in Laws

Gabi Cortez
January 31, 2017

As​ ​a​ ​young​ ​girl,​ ​our​ ​family​ ​would​ ​go​ ​and​ ​look​ ​at​ ​Laws​ ​Museum,​ ​which​ ​is​ ​located​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Owens 
Valley.​ ​Of​ ​course,​ ​being​ ​that​ ​young,​ ​I​ ​did​ ​not​ ​know​ ​why​ ​we​ ​did​ ​or​ ​what​ ​was​ ​so​ ​important​ ​about​ ​it.​ ​I 
thought​ ​it​ ​was​ ​just​ ​an​ ​old,​ ​beat​ ​up​ ​ghost​ ​town,​ ​until​ ​one​ ​day​ ​I​ ​walked​ ​into​ ​an​ ​exhibit​ ​there​ ​and​ ​say​ ​my 
great​ ​grandmother,​ ​my​ ​grandmother,​ ​my​ ​uncles,​ ​and​ ​my​ ​father’s​ ​picture​ ​up.​ ​I​ ​asked​ ​my​ ​Nana,​ ​“Why​ ​are 
you​ ​guys​ ​up​ ​there?”​ ​and​ ​she​ ​said,​ ​“Because​ ​your​ ​great​ ​grandmother​ ​married​ ​a​ ​McNally.”  
Before​ ​I​ ​jump​ ​right​ ​into​ ​my​ ​family​ ​history,​ ​let​ ​me​ ​give​ ​you​ ​a​ ​bit​ ​of​ ​background​ ​information​ ​about 
what​ ​the​ ​town​ ​of​ ​Laws​ ​was​ ​really​ ​about. 
For​ ​starters,​ ​the​ ​Carson​ ​and​ ​Colorado​ ​Railroad​ ​Company​ ​was​ ​clearly​ ​not​ ​supposed​ ​to​ ​go 
through​ ​California.​ ​So​ ​how​ ​in​ ​the​ ​world​ ​did people​ ​in​ ​up​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Owens​ ​Valley?​ ​Well,​ ​the​ ​train​ ​just​ ​so 
happened​ ​to​ ​stop​ ​in​ ​Keeler,​ ​California.​ ​Originally,​ ​the​ ​plan​ ​was​ ​to​ ​make​ ​it​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Colorado​ ​River. 
However​ ​Keeler​ ​was​ ​about​ ​350​ ​miles​ ​from​ ​Mound​ ​House,​ ​which​ ​is​ ​where​ ​the​ ​railroad​ ​started​ ​in 
Nevada,​ ​and​ ​it​ ​actually​ ​passed​ ​right​ ​through​ ​the​ ​Owens​ ​Valley.​ ​To​ ​cut​ ​a​ ​long​ ​story​ ​short,​ ​people​ ​arrived 
there​ ​because​ ​it​ ​was​ ​good​ ​the​ ​livestock​ ​and​ ​farming​ ​industry,​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​the​ ​mining​ ​center.​ ​The​ ​railroad 
was​ ​a​ ​big​ ​plus​ ​as​ ​well​ ​because​ ​it​ ​shipped​ ​certain​ ​merchandise​ ​that​ ​people​ ​needed​ ​in​ ​the​ ​small​ ​town​ ​of 
Laws.​ ​Thankfully,​ ​my​ ​great​ ​ancestors​ ​ended​ ​up​ ​there.  
The​ ​McNally’s​ ​were​ ​native​ ​Irish​ ​who​ ​traveled​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Owens​ ​Valley​ ​in​ ​the​ ​1870’s.​ ​They 
originally​ ​immigrated​ ​to​ ​the​ ​U.S.​ ​in​ ​1849​ ​to​ ​New​ ​York,​ ​but​ ​left​ ​in​ ​1851,​ ​and​ ​made​ ​their​ ​way​ ​to​ ​Nevada, 
then​ ​California.​ ​Most​ ​of​ ​the​ ​McNally’s​ ​are​ ​buried​ ​in​ ​Pioneer​ ​Cemetery​ ​or​ ​near​ ​the​ ​Owens​ ​River.​ ​The 
McNally’s​ ​built​ ​the​ ​first​ ​large​ ​ditch​ ​to​ ​take​ ​water​ ​out​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Owens​ ​River.​ ​However,​ ​the​ ​Mcnally’s​ ​didn’t 
just​ ​go​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Owens​ ​Valley.​ ​Some​ ​stayed​ ​in​ ​New​ ​York,​ ​while​ ​others​ ​stayed​ ​in​ ​Carson​ ​City,​ ​Nevada. 
James​ ​and​ ​Catherine​ ​had​ ​three​ ​sons​ ​and​ ​two​ ​daughters.​ ​My​ ​great​ ​grandmother,​ ​Thelma​ ​McNally,​ ​who 
was​ ​originally​ ​Thelma​ ​Meinke,​ ​married​ ​Joe​ ​McNally​ ​who​ ​was​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​sons​ ​from​ ​the​ ​original​ ​families 
children.​ ​My​ ​great​ ​grandma​ ​is​ ​still​ ​recognized​ ​at​ ​the​ ​Laws​ ​Museum​ ​today.​ ​She​ ​sadly​ ​passed​ ​away​ ​in 
2006​ ​at​ ​the​ ​age​ ​of​ ​95.​ ​Talk​ ​about​ ​being​ ​remembered.  
Although​ ​the​ ​town​ ​of​ ​Laws​ ​was​ ​only​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Owens​ ​Valley​ ​for​ ​a​ ​short​ ​time,​ ​the​ ​McNally​ ​name stayed​ ​in​ ​bishop.​ ​My​ ​great​ ​grandma​ ​Thelma​ ​is​ ​in​ ​an​ ​old​ ​Tennis​ ​photo​ ​that​ ​still​ ​hangs​ ​in​ ​Bishop​ ​Union High​ ​School​ ​today.​ ​​ ​My​ ​grandmother​ ​also​ ​was​ ​born​ ​and​ ​raised​ ​in​ ​Bishop​ ​California,​ ​and​ ​even graduated​ ​from​ ​Bishop​ ​Union​ ​High​ ​School.​ ​She​ ​still​ ​lives​ ​in​ ​Bishop​ ​with​ ​her​ ​husband​ ​today,​ ​where​ ​he was​ ​also​ ​born​ ​and​ ​raised.​ ​They​ ​had​ ​three​ ​lovely​ ​boys,​ ​which​ ​two​ ​happen​ ​to​ ​be​ ​my​ ​awesome​ ​uncles​ ​and my​ ​one​ ​of​ ​a​ ​kind​ ​father,​ ​which​ ​were​ ​once​ ​again​ ​born​ ​and​ ​raised​ ​in​ ​the​ ​beautiful​ ​Owens​ ​Valley.​ ​There​ ​is a​ ​house​ ​still​ ​located​ ​in​ ​Bishop​ ​California​ ​today​ ​that​ ​was​ ​originally​ ​built​ ​in​ ​1903​ ​for​ ​the​ ​McNally’s.  
So​ ​where​ ​did​ ​the​ ​name​ ​of​ ​Laws​ ​come​ ​from?​ ​Many​ ​say​ ​that​ ​the​ ​train​ ​station​ ​was​ ​named​ ​Bishop Creek,​ ​however,​ ​according​ ​to​ ​Clarabelle​ ​Hawkins,​ ​who​ ​wrote​ ​“Story​ ​of​ ​Laws”,​ ​she​ ​says​ ​that​ ​it​ ​was named​ ​“Laws”​ ​after​ ​the​ ​assistant​ ​superintendent​ ​R.J.​ ​Laws.​ ​She​ ​received​ ​this​ ​information​ ​from​ ​her father,​ ​and​ ​later​ ​got​ ​confirmation​ ​from​ ​a​ ​former Bishop​ ​resident,​ ​Gus​ ​Cashbaugh,​ ​who​ ​attended​ ​the​ ​station school​ ​at​ ​Laws.​ ​As​ ​she​ ​put​ ​in​ ​her​ ​booklet,​ ​“…his​ ​mind​ ​is​ ​as​ ​clear​ ​as​ ​a​ ​bell​ ​on​ ​the​ ​early​ ​history​ ​of​ ​Laws.” 
Another​ ​question​ ​someone​ ​might​ ​ask​ ​about​ ​Laws​ ​is,​ ​what​ ​do​ ​people​ ​do​ ​in​ ​such​ ​a​ ​small​ ​populated 
town ​and​ ​believe​ ​me,​ ​I​ ​had​ ​the​ ​same​ ​question.​ ​According​ ​to​ ​Hawkins,​ ​“There​ ​was​ ​always​ ​something 
going​ ​on​ ​in​ ​this​ ​town​ ​to​ ​entertain​ ​the​ ​home​ ​folks.”​ ​She​ ​states​ ​that​ ​they​ ​had​ ​dances,​ ​which​ ​Native 
Americans​ ​would​ ​attended​ ​as​ ​well,​ ​Farm​ ​Bureau​ ​meetings,​ ​sewing,​ ​and​ ​card​ ​parties.​ ​Laws​ ​also​ ​was 
very​ ​good​ ​at​ ​providing​ ​jobs​ ​for​ ​carpenters,​ ​painters,​ ​plumbers​ ​and​ ​so​ ​on.​ ​So​ ​even​ ​though​ ​Laws​ ​was 
small,​ ​there​ ​was​ ​definitely​ ​a​ ​plethora​ ​of​ ​things​ ​to​ ​do​ ​and​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​them​ ​busy,​ ​and​ ​those​ ​activities​ ​are 
mainly​ ​for​ ​adults.​ ​So​ ​what​ ​did​ ​the​ ​children​ ​do?​ ​Of​ ​course,​ ​they​ ​went​ ​to​ ​school!​ ​The​ ​Station​ ​school​ ​had 
about​ ​30​ ​students,​ ​and​ ​was​ ​built​ ​for​ ​children​ ​because​ ​obviously​ ​they​ ​needed​ ​an​ ​education.​ ​It​ ​started 
with​ ​one​ ​teacher,​ ​then​ ​later​ ​went​ ​up​ ​to​ ​two,​ ​then​ ​three,​ ​and​ ​so​ ​on.​ ​But​ ​school​ ​was​ ​not​ ​the​ ​only​ ​activity 
that​ ​kept​ ​them​ ​occupied.​ ​They​ ​also​ ​had​ ​Sunday​ ​baseball,​ ​which​ ​was​ ​after​ ​church​ ​with​ ​all​ ​the​ ​other 
teams​ ​in​ ​the​ ​valley. 
Sadly​ ​the​ ​excitement​ ​of​ ​Laws​ ​did​ ​not​ ​last​ ​forever.​ ​Los​ ​Angeles​ ​needed​ ​more​ ​water​ ​which 
caused​ ​ranchers​ ​to​ ​have​ ​to​ ​sell​ ​their​ ​ranches.​ ​Luckily,​ ​the​ ​workers​ ​in​ ​Los​ ​Angeles​ ​offered​ ​more​ ​than 
what​ ​they​ ​were​ ​worth​ ​so​ ​farmers​ ​were​ ​happy​ ​to​ ​sell.​ ​However,​ ​the​ ​two​ ​banks​ ​that​ ​the​ ​farmers​ ​put​ ​the 
money​ ​into​ ​failed​ ​and​ ​the​ ​people​ ​were​ not prepared to start over.​ ​In​ ​1960​ ​the​ ​“Slim​ ​Princess”​ ​was​ ​rode​ ​one 
last​ ​time. 
Thankfully​ ​we​ ​can​ ​all​ ​still​ ​visit​ ​Laws​ ​Museum​ ​today.​ ​There​ ​are​ ​still​ ​10​ ​exhibits,​ ​however​ ​one 
four​ ​stations​ ​still​ ​stand.​ ​Anyone​ ​can​ ​go​ ​visit​ ​Laws​ ​Museum​ ​with​ ​no​ ​charge​ ​unless​ ​you​ ​would​ ​like​ ​to 
make​ ​a​ ​donation,​ ​and​ ​are​ ​open​ ​from​ ​10​ ​a.m.​ ​to​ ​4​ ​p.m.​ ​When​ ​you​ ​first​ ​enter​ ​you​ ​will​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​see​ ​old 
mining​ ​displays​ ​that​ ​were​ ​used in​ ​the​ ​early​ ​days​ ​of​ ​Laws.​ ​Hopefully,​ ​you​ ​can​ ​see​ ​pictures ​of​ ​my​ ​family​ ​too. 
In​ ​all​ ​honesty,​ ​I​ ​was​ ​never​ ​interested​ ​in​ ​learning​ ​about​ ​Laws​ ​until​ ​I​ ​sat​ ​down​ ​and​ ​had​ ​a​ ​lovely​ ​discussion 
with​ ​my​ ​grandmother.​ ​After​ ​that,​ ​I​ ​had​ ​a​ ​love​ ​for​ ​family​ ​history​ ​not​ ​only​ ​here​ ​in​ ​my​ ​hometown,​ ​but​ ​all 
over​ ​the​ ​world.​ ​It​ ​is​ ​amazing​ ​to​ ​think​ ​that​ ​my​ ​father’s​ ​side​ ​of​ ​the​ ​family​ ​has​ ​been​ ​around​ ​the​ ​Inyo​ ​County 
for​ ​so​ ​long.​ ​Not​ ​only​ ​that,​ ​but​ ​to​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​have​ ​grown​ ​up​ ​in​ ​such​ ​a​ ​crazy​ ​time,​ ​and​ ​also​ ​lived​ ​in​ ​a 
beautiful​ ​place​ ​is​ ​remarkable.  
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