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Occupation of the Alabama Gates, Los Angeles Aqueduct, Owens Valley, California

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Occupation of the Alabama Gates, Los Angeles Aqueduct, Owens Valley, California

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Identifier	ov058
Title	Occupation of the Alabama Gates, Los Angeles Aqueduct, Owens Valley, California
Creator	Detrick Studio (Bishop, Calif.);
Date Created	1924
Description	Owens Valley residents, including men and women, during their occupation of the Alabama Gates, of the Los Angeles Aqueduct. Bridge over canal. Shack by bridge. Photographer's inscription in lower left corner: "Army of Occupation L. A. Aqueduct." In lower right corner is recorded name of photographer: "Detrick Bishop." Title supplied by cataloger.
Historical Background	To meet the need for water of its growing population, the City of Los Angeles began buying land and corresponding water rights in the Owens Valley in 1905. In 1913, the great Los Angeles Aqueduct was completed to bring Owens Valley water to the city. In 1923, the City of Los Angeles began acquiring more land in the Owens Valley to gain further sources of water. In protest, on 16 November 1924, Owens Valley ranchers and farmers under the leadership of Bishop, California banker Mark Watterson seized the Alabama Gates, the place at which the Owens River is diverted into the aqueduct. Water was then let from the aqueduct into the old Owens River bed, now dry. After townspeople from Bishop joined the occupation, the number of occupiers reached seven hundred. It lasted until 20 November, and brought both national and international press coverage to the plight of the Owens Valley residents, although the occupation and resulting favorable publicity did nothing to halt the City of Los Angeles' continued acquisition and subsequent control of land in the valley.
Type	image;
Physical Description	1 postcard : b&w ; 8 x 13 cm
Institution	Center for the Study of Los Angeles Research Collection, Loyola Marymount University
Collection Identifier	http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt3w1022nb
Country of Creation	US
Copyright Status	Public Domain
Copyright Statement	http://library.lmu.edu/generalinformation/departments/digitallibraryprogram/copyrightandreproductionpolicy/
Language	eng;
Subject (Name)	Los Angeles Department of Water and Power;
Subject (Place)	Los Angeles Aqueduct (Calif.); Owens Valley (Calif.); Owens River (Calif.)--Water rights; Bishop (Calif.);
Subject (Topic)	Water rights--California--Owens Valley; Water rights--California--Los Angeles; Canals--California--Owens Valley; Protest movements--California--Owens Valley;
Form/Genre	Photographs; Postcards;
Metacollection Identifier	http://digitalcollections.lmu.edu/
Item/Call Number	J. D. Black Papers, CSLA-15, Series 3: Photographs, Box 16, Sleeve 9