Mono Lake Committee storefront through the years

Here you see the earliest version of the Mono Lake Committee headquarters right after we rented it in 1979. We started with a card table out front. Looking back, it was fortuitous that this was the only storefront available on Highway 395. Everything else was gas stations, restaurants, or motels.

All our friends helped paint and nail up the primitive plywood signs that called attention to Mono Lake. I can name most of the people in the photo: Gary Page, Ed Vine, Elliot Burch, Stephanie Zeiler, John Harris, and I can’t remember the two by the truck. An unknown cat had to be the center of attention.

The building, which has a matching façade of its neighbor, was formerly the West Portal town dance hall for workers tunneling under the Mono Craters for exporting water out of the basin.

Our Information Center is where we had educational displays, had office space, and informed visitors about the lake. We got an official big blue roadside sign by representing the local chamber of commerce.

In the early 1980s, Lady Jill Mueller painted a lovely mural to beautify the front. When the paint needed a touch-up, we used the talents and bravery (we weren’t going up a tall ladder!) of a young man putting in his community services hours. We put him in the club of “speeders for Mono Lake.”

Later, we were able to buy the building and remodel it over the years.

The big modernization of the outside steps was accomplished due to a bequest by Grace DeLaet.

The Mono Lake Committee has come a long way from the early days, and we thank our 16,000 members for their loyal support in so many ways.

Images from the Mono Lake Committee archives.