Life is hard in the high deserts of the American west, especially 150 or more years ago. The plains are vast and the mountains huge, towns are few and far between. The weather is extreme and resources are limited, but the spirits of the pioneers were bigger and bolder than anything that stood in their way.
The railroad has long been the symbol of expansion into the American West and it's depots were the hub of commerce and community life. In California the railroad represented the speed and efficiency for the gold mining rush in the late 1800's. Laws Station, 6 miles (9.6km) from Bishop was built in 1883 to serve as the largest depot along the railway line known as the Slim Princess.
Today it is a museum that marks the place where life was filled with dreams and determination. 50 authentic structures house objects of antiquity and relics of a forgotten era, with original tools used by townspeople of the period; blacksmiths, dentists, newspaper publishers, gold miners, ranchers and homemakers.
The Laws Museum and Historical Site safeguards the memories and experiences of a not so long ago era of railway magnates, miners, farmers, fortune seekers, high Sierra adventurers and travelers who rode the Slim Princess.