Existing comment:
West Portal:
East of this site was located West Portal, the largest
of 4 'camps' of company towns. Built in 1934 by the Los
Angeles-Department of Water and Power for employees
and their families who worked on the Mono Basin Proj-
ect. At the height of construction, the town had over
200 residents and 26 buildings, and for its time, it had
many 'modern' conveniences -- telephones, electricity, gas,
mail service, paved roads, water and sewer systems (a
metropolis by Mono County standards). By 1941 the proj-
ect was completed and within a few years the town was
abandoned. Although its existence was brief, West Portal
made a lasting contribution to the development of Mono
County. Today, its remnants can be seen near the base of
the Mono craters.
Dedicated September 13, 1997 |