Existing comment:
Lee Vining:
From Alfalfa Field to International Waystation
A Young Town Above An Old Lake:
Just across the creek to the north lies the little town of Lee Vining. As towns go in this country, Lee Vining is a youngster, subdivided in 1926 from Chris Mattley's alfalfa field. Today tens of thousands of visitors from every state in the United States and over a hundred different countries visit the Mono Basin each year.
The Search for a Name:
At first the little town was called "Lakeview." When the townspeople applied for a post office they were told that another town beat them to the name. On second try, they chose a name that nobody else would have -- Lee Vining.
Leroy Vining was one of the first settlers in the Mono Basin. He arrived around 1852 and established himself about two miles upstream from here on what became known as "Vining's Creek." Lee Vining built a sawmill and sold lumber in the mining town of Aurora. He came to an untimely end when he accidentally shot himself with his own revolver while exiting an Aurora saloon. |