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Big Pine, school house ruins

 
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Title
Big Pine, school house ruins
Date
1939
Description
View of the ruined foundation of a demolished house. Inscription by J. D. Black on the back of photograph: "School house."
Format Extent
1 black-and-white photograph; 7 x 12 cm
Subject
Ruins--California--Owens Valley; Abandoned buildings--California--Big Pine; Land use; Water rights--California--Owens Valley; Water rights--California--Los Angeles; Photographs
Note
It is likely that the land was formerly used for school houses, but later purchased and torn down by the City of Los Angeles. To meet the need for water of its growing population, the City of Los Angeles began acquiring water rights in the Owens Valley in 1905. The Los Angeles Aqueduct was completed in 1913 to bring Owens Valley water to the city. During the 1920s, the City of Los Angeles began additional large-scale purchases of land in the Owens Valley to increase its supply of water from the valley, resulting in the city's almost complete control of the valley's agricultural land. This led to a decline in the valley's agricultural infrastructure and economy. A resident of Big Pine and leader of resistance against Los Angeles, J. D. Black (1893-1960) used such photographs as these to document the deterioration of the Owens Valley.
Collection
J. D. Black Papers, CSLA-15, Series 3. Photographs; Box No. 17; Folder No. 17
Type
Keywords
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