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Olivas Tack Shed-Olivas Pack Station operated out of the yard in Lone Pine, CA, other stations used by
Olivas Packers were Olancha and Sage Flats. The shed was bought from the Carrasco family in 1915. Stock for the venture
was purchased by Petra, Carmen's wife. Originally the name of the packing business was Pioneer, and was started prior
to 1900. Olivas Pakcers packed freight to mines all around Owens Valley. They packed with mule trains of 8-10 mules for groceries,
lumber, rails, machinery, explosives, and water to dry mines. Additionally they supplied the food to the store at Golden Trout
Lake and wood in for the mine smelts at Darwin, CA. From 1912 to 1923 Carmen decided that he didn't want his mules to pack
one way so he would hire a man to cut pinon firewood in the Inyo Mountains above Long John Mine. If there wasn't ore to be
packed out, he'd pack wood, 5 mules for 1 cord. They packed hunters into the Sierra Nevadas in the fall, boats into Lone Pine
Lake, and salt into the mountains for the big cattlemen, Templeton, Big Whitney, Little Whitney and the Kern River area. Note
the Alabama Hills and Sierra Nevadas in background.
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Carmen was born in San Pedro, Sonora, Mexico. On the trip to California his traveling party had been captured
by Indians who tortured them before they escaped. He bore scars on his back from the Indians. They came to CA, passing through
San Diego, in 1874, finally moving to Lone Pine, CA in 1889. Carmen was a member of the Inyo Riders Association
from it's inception until 1936.
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Olivas Ranch on east side of Lone Pine Peak. White rock is a sacred place for the local Piute Indians. Homesteaded by Carmen
and Petra Olivas who had a family of ten children.
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Louisa Olivas Woods leaving an abandoned cabin at the Spainhower cow-camp in Monache Meadows, Sierra Nevada Mts. We had traveled
to the camp to check out how a horse was doing after being caught up in a barbed wire fence. Horse had to be put down and
had been burned. We went by the old cabin then onto the rock formations to have a packed lunch and hunt for arrowheads and
Indian beads.
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The foundation is all that is left of the Olivas Family homestead. Fire took it all and left only melted
glass and rock. Carmen Olivas homesteaded this land, the recording date is Nov. 16, 1919. The dirt road to the Olivas Ranch has
been officially named after the family and is off the road to Mt. Whitney Portals.
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A very small representation of the Olivas clan. L-R Peter, Charlotte, Marguerita, Laura, Carmelita, Marilyn
and kneeling, Yvonne.
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