Lundy, California

I received the 2009 newsletter for the Mono County Historical Society the other day. Each newsletter is based on a theme that is researched and written using their vast holdings and information from local historians. This year's newsletter was about the mining community of Lundy.

One of the things Lundy is known for is the avalanche of 1911. This avalanche killed 15 people. When Bodie lost power, which came from the Jordon Power Plant, next to Lundy, it was discovered that 4 million tons of snow slide and destroyed the concrete power plant. It took 12 hours for the rescue party to arrive from Bodie.

On a hill overlooking where the power plant once was is a small cemetery where some of the victims of the avalanche were laid to rest.

Denise Flynn, the coordinator of the Mono County US Genweb site helped solve a mystery having to do with the Jordan Power Plant. She details the search initiated by a modern day family from Sweden who wondered what happened to their relative who in 1911 lived in Mono County. His story and Denise's work in letting the family know of his demise in the avalanche is at http://www.cagenweb.com/mono/Patrik/patrikstory.htm. I love this story and the testament to how genealogists do bring families together and closure in some cases.

Information on the Mono County Historical Society, and transcriptions of past newsletters can be found at Denise's Genweb site at, http://www.cagenweb.com/mono/mchs.htm.

The Historical Society has a great museum that serves as a place to learn more about Mono County but also a treasure trove for researchers. Check it out at http://www.monocomuseum.org/. I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge their extreme kindness and help to me as I was writing my book.