Mono County Historical Society 2002 Newsletter


Our 2001 newsletter was devoted to the history of the Mono County Historical Society and the Mono County Museum.  This 
year the topic is Bridgeport, accompanied by a number of old photos from the museum.  We hope to offer some new 
information and answer some questions that you may have.

The legendary trapper and guide Jedediah Smith was the first white man to cross the Sierra Nevada in 1827 from 
California into the Topaz area.  The Joseph Walker expedition traveled through the Bridgeport Valley and the Mono 
Basin in 1833.  In 1841 the Bidwell-Bartleson party was the first emigrant train to cross the Sierra near the Sonora 
Pass.  John C. Fremont and his guide Kit Carson explored the region in 1844 and camped in or about the Bridgeport 
Valley.  In 1857, gold was discovered at Dogtown, about seven miles south of Bridgeport.  This led to a mining boom, 
which brought thousands of fortune seekers to the Eastern Sierra.

Bridgeport was settled in 1859 and was first known as Big Meadows.  It was recognized for its agricultural and 
livestock potential.  As mining activity increased in the area, sawmills were established in nearby foothills and 
canyons, making Bridgeport the main supply hub for the boom.

Prior to the arrival of the white man, Mono County was home solely to the Native American Paiute Indians, who lived 
mainly near the various hot springs, such as Big Hot, Travertine, Fales, and Buckeye.  They also lived near the 
shores of Mono Lake, where they were known as the Monos or the Monachi [see 2003 newsletter for correction], the fly 
people, because of their custom of collecting fly larvae for food.  Relations between the friendly Paiutes and the 
new settlers were generally peaceful, especially after a treaty was agreed upon in the early 1860's between leader 
Captain Jim and the early ranchers.

The first white men to settle Big Meadows in 1859-1860 were brothers William T.  and G. A. Whitney, on what later 
became the Upper Day Ranch on the west side of the Valley.  Other early settlers included George Byron "By" Day, who 
brought the first wagons up the West Walker River into Bridgeport, when there was only an Indian trail through the 
canyon.  Day was one of the first white men to spend a winter in the valley and legend has it that his horses 
survived the winter by eating tree bark.  Napoleon Bonaparte Hunewill started a ranch on the south end of the valley, 
which is still being operated by the Hunewill Family as a successful working dude ranch.  (MCHS Board member Al 
Annett is "By" Day's great-grandson)

After the discovery of gold at Dogtown, another strike was made in 1859 at Monoville on the south face of Conway 
Summit.  Miners from Monoville established the Bodie mining district in 1859 and Aurora followed in 1860.  At one 
time Mono County was second only to Nevada County in gold and silver production.  The mining activity made early 
Bridgeport an important "wagon port" for the heavy freighters passing through from the Comstock Lode on their way to 
the Mono County mining towns.

The East Walker River flows directly through the town and the wagons were forced to ford the river.  The "stop" or 
"port" was known as "the port with a ford".  The heavy freight wagons soon churned the ford and the road, until they 
became known as "the port with a bridge".  It did not take long for this description to evolve into "Bridgeport".  
Most of the original townsite was located near the bridge.

Mono County was formed in April 1861.  Aurora at the time was believed to be inside the California border.  It had a 
population of about 5000, was experiencing their peak mining production and therefore became the county seat.  At the 
same time, Esmeralda County, Nevada Territory, believed Aurora was in their jurisdiction and also claimed it as their 
county seat.  Both entities were governing the town at the same time, until a survey was completed in September of 
1863, which determined that Aurora was situated about three miles inside Nevada Territory.  Mono County records were 
moved to Bodie and eventually to Bridgeport.  An election was held in June of 1864 and Bridgeport became the new 
county seat.

The original Mono County courthouse in Bridgeport was located in the old American Hotel on Court Street until 1881, 
when construction of the current courthouse on Main Street was completed on land donated by Amasa F. Bryant.
The total cost of the new building was $39,000. The structure was built in the form of a Greek cross and sits on a 
foundation of cut rock, two feet deep.  This building is still being used and is the second oldest operating 
courthouse in California.

Businesses on Main Street included hotels: the Leavitt House (built in 1877, now the Bridgeport Inn), the Allen 
House (across the street from the Leavitt House, built in 1877, burned in 1914, also known as the Rickey House), and 
the DeChambeau Hotel (now the Victorian Hotel).

Groceries and dry goods were purchased from stores run by the Hays Brothers, Frank L. Wedertz, Clarence Wedertz and 
Amasa Bryant.  The Hays Store was located next to the brick building on the south side of Main at Hays Street.  Frank 
Wedertz' store is now the General Store.  L.E. Wedertz used what is now the Community Church, which was moved in 1901 
from Bridge Street to Emigrant Street.  Amasa Bryant built his first store on Court Street in 1863 and then constructed 
a two-story building on the current site of the Jolly Cone and the Eastern Sierra Community Bank.  It stayed in the 
Bryant family and later became the Sierra Cash Grocery.  It remained in business until it burned in 1963.  (MCHS Board 
member Lynda Bryant Pemberton owns the Jolly Cone and is Amasa Bryant's great-granddaughter)

In the 1880's there were three saloons downtown side-by-side.  The Courthouse Corner Saloon was situated in what is now 
Ken's Sporting Goods.  "The Brick", a brick building constructed in 1886 and now housing the Ken's sporting Goods gift 
store, was in the middle.  On the east side was the Travertine Saloon, now the General Store.  The Stanton Saloon was on 
Bridge Street and was one of the first buildings in town.

The Bridgeport Union Newspaper was established in 1880 by brothers Robert and Alex Folger and was printed in a building 
on School Street at Bryant, where the County Building is now located.  The paper had been printed in Bodie between 
1878-80 as the Bodie Chronicle.  In 1881 it became the Bridgeport Chronicle-Union, published in town until the early 
1950's.  Many of the issues are available for viewing at the Mono County Museum.

In the 1800's, the local blacksmith shop was an important fixture in any community.  The first Bridgeport blacksmith was 
T. B. Severance.  His shop was reportedly the first structure built in town on the east end of Main Street near the 
bridge.  Patrick Hughes acquired the shop in 1867.  In addition, local ranchers usually maintained their own blacksmiths.

Clark Sinclair was the only doctor in Bridgeport for many years.  In 1889 he had a leg amputated after being shot by a 
drunk cowboy.  He discontinued his practice in 1890 and was replaced by T. B. Keebles of Bodie.  The County Hospital was 
established in Bodie in 1879.  The County Hospital was established in Bodie in 1879.  As Bodie went into an economic 
decline, a hospital was established on a site opposite the intersection of Highway 395 and the Green Creek Road.  It was 
later known as the Poor Farm and became a refuge for the aged, ill and penniless.  Eventually a new hospital was built on 
Emigrant Street (now the County Welfare Office next to the museum).  In 1970 a more modern facility was dedicated on the 
Twin Lakes Road.

In 1891 a Paiute uprising was imminent after the Indians discovered that one of their men had been murdered.  An 
investigation determined that the killer was Ah Quong Tai, a local Chinese merchant.  The Paiutes demanded that Tai be 
turned over to them; otherwise they would burn the town.  Tensions continued to mount during Tai's trail.  He was 
acquitted of the charge due to lack of sufficient evidence.  The Paiutes immediately took custody of Tai and took him to 
the west side of town, where he was killed and dismembered.  The matter was closed and no further action was taken.

Bridgeport thrived as a business complex until the national recession of the 1880's, which caused a drastic decline in 
the mining industry.  Bridgeport remained the county seat and relied mainly on ranching and farming for their economy.  
Sporadic mining activity continue into the 1930's, including the strikes at Masonic, the Patterson Mining District in 
the nearby Sweetwater Mountains, as well as a resurgence in Bodie, Aurora and Lundy prior to World War I.  Travertine 
marble was mined at Travertine Hot Springs, which was used inside many large San Francisco buildings prior to the 1906 
earthquake.

In 1892, the world's first hydroelectric transmission plant was built on Green Creek in the foothills about seven miles 
south of Bridgeport and thirteen miles west of Bodie.  The plant supplied electricity to the Standard Consolidated Mine, 
providing by wire the first long distance transmission of electricity ever attempted.  The power line was made as 
straight as possible, because at the time it was believed that electrical current would fly off the wires if angles or 
curves were present.  The original Green Creek dynamo is displayed outside the Mono County Museum.

A number of motion pictures have been filmed in the Bridgeport area over the years.  The film noir "Out of the Past" 
starring Robert Mitchum was shot here in 1947.  The gas station they used has since been replaced by the fire station.  
The old schoolhouse, now the museum, is clearly visible in several scenes and Ken's Sporting Goods was then a diner.  
In 1927 Paramount Pictures made "Jesse James" in Bridgeport, featuring silent cowboy star Fred Thomson.  Tim Holt 
filmed at the Hunewill Ranch during the 1940's.

Nevada ranchers and farmers located downstream on the East Walker River depend on the waters flowing out of the 
Bridgeport Valley.  Between1923-24 a dam was built north of town, creating the Bridgeport Reservoir.  The East Walker 
River and the reservoir are well known for some of the best trophy fishing in California.  The land under the waters of 
the reservoir was once the Charles Stewart Ranch.

Bridgeport has many seasonal activities, which attract visitors each.  It has the distinction of hosting the oldest 
continuing July 4th parade in the continental United States.  The daytime celebration includes a circuit rodeo, street 
venders, a concert at the courthouse, and a fireworks display at night.  Thousands of visitors enjoy hunting, fishing, 
camping and hiking.  Many soak up the pioneer spirit and history of the region by exploring the various old gold camps, 
especially Bodie, which became a State Park in 1962.  Winter provides excellent cross-country skiing and snow-mobiling.

A new Founder's Day celebration will be held this year on August 31, sponsored by the Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce and 
the Mono County Historical Society.  The event is being organized to recognize the early pioneers and the settling of 
the Bridgeport Valley.  Included in the exhibits and demonstrations are a blacksmith, pack outfit, fly fishing expert, 
gold panning and a booth manned by U.S. Marine Corps personnel from the Mountain Warfare Training Center 17n miles north 
of Bridgeport.  Various children's activities are also planned.  The day will culminate with a dinner at the Memorial 
Hall.  Local rancher Stan Hunewill will speak and present a historical photo slide show.  We hope to make this an annual 
event that visitors will want to experience more than once.

In 2001, the Mono County Department of Public Works obtained a grant to renovate Bridgeport Park, where the Mono County 
Museum is situated.  The project included the relocation of the outside museum artifacts (wagons, farm implements, 
mining stamp mill, dynamo) onto cement pads for better visual display.  State-of-the-art playground equipment is being 
installed and should be ready for summer.  This activity has helped the Mono County Historical Society to continue an
 upgrade of the museum complex, which began in 1999.

The Society is non-profit, organized exclusively for charitable purposes under Section 501c3 of the Internal Revenue 
Code.  All contributions are tax deductible.  The Society is not funded by Mono County or any other entity.  The Board 
of Trustee members are strictly volunteer and the only paid employees are the attendants.  Money received for 2001 
memberships greatly increased over the year 2000.  The Board wants to thank all of you who have given your support.

The Mono County Historical Society consists of:
Kent Stoddard, President & Curator
Ed Oliver, Vice-President
Al Annett, Secretary
John Reid, Treasurer
Lynda Pemberton, Member-at-large


Transcribed by Pat Houser for Mono County GenWeb, June 26, 2005