Inyo County, California
A stylish service station in Olancha, October 1997 photo.
	Route 6 bisects the Owens Valley North of Los Angeles and east of the Sierra. The Valley is perhaps best know as the path of the Los Angeles Aqueduct which was completed in 1913, taking water from the valley to quench the thirst of a million or so Angelinos. It was a controversial project not only because it destroyed agriculture in the valley by drawing out water, but also because of the secretive way that Los Angeles acquired property in the valley for the project The aqueduct is visible from the highway in several locations. The postcard on the left shows Lone Pine in the 1960s.
A number of landscape elements along Route 6 reflect wartime activities. Located in the Owens Valley was Manzanar, one of ten camps in which Japanese-Americans were interned during World War II. From 1942 to 1945, about 10,000 Japanese-Americans did their best to make a home in this very arid environment, after having been uprooted and separated from their possessions and property up and down the West coast. (October 1997 photo)
	North of Independence, a long and lonely stretch of old Route 6 parallels the current road. Here is a southward view of that road, taken in October 1997 from the small settlement of Aberdeen.
Russel Lee took this photograph in June 1941, about four years after Route 6 had become transcontinental. The photo can be found in the American Memory Web archives of the Library of Congress.
	Postcard view of Bishop, nestled in the Owens Valley with the Sierra in the background.
The current western beginning of Route 6 in Bishop. Next stop: Nevada (July 1998 photo)
	This sign welcomes the westward traveler to Bishop, where U. S. 6 now terminates at the intersection with US Highway 395. This, however, is not really the end because Historic Route 6 continues on to Long Beach. (October 1997 photo)
This sign located just north of Bishop, which we first saw in May 2003, reminds the traveler of Route 6's transcontinental status. Note the Grand Army of the Republic sign.
	Route 6 through the Owens Valley affords some great views of the eastern side of the Sierra. Included are numerous interesting vistas of Mount Whitney (14,494 feet), the tallest of its peaks. This is the view of Whitney from The Square Deal garage in Lone Pine, which no doubt served many Route 6 travelers. This undated postcard is probably from the 1940s.

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