The History of Convict Lake

Before I write my entry about our weekend, I wanted to post the history of how the lake got it's name.  It's pretty interesting especially if you enjoy the U.S. cowboy history.  LOL

The year was 1871. The Civil War had ended only six years before. The country was still suffering the effects of this divisive time in it's history. The Eastern Sierra was a wild and lawless place. It was populated by miners, outlaws, rustlers, gangs comprised of former Confederate and Union soldiers and wild bands of Indians. Of course, a few honest ranchers and citizens were in the area as well!  It  was a quite  Sunday on  September 17, until  29 desperate prisoners over-powered the guards of the Nevada State Penitentiary in Carson City, NV ., stole weapons and horses, and made their escape.  These  convicts  were  some  of  West's worst the characters; murderers, rapists, train and stage robbers, and horse thieves. Once the prisoners had broken out, they split up. One group of 13 headed south. Along the way they robbed several locals and stole more weapons, horses and provisions. Six of this band separated and continued south to escape the posse they were sure was following them. Their leader was a convicted 22 year old murderer named Jones. He had lived and worked in Mono and Inyo Counties for some time and was familiar with the territory. One of the other convicts was named Roberts, an 18 year old convicted stage robber. He had grown up in Long Valley, near Crowley Lake. Because Jones and Roberts knew the area, their plan was to cross over the Sierra Mountains to the western slope where they would be safe from pursuit. Hell bent for leather, they headed towards the Mammoth area, always fearful that a posse was on their tail.

Unknown to them the original posse chasing them got tired and gave up within 2 days.They were only being trailed by a resident they had robbed along the way who was set on getting his stolen horses and guns back. Of course the convicts didn't know they were almost in the clear! Sometime during the day of September 19th, a rider was catching up to the convicts. They feared it was the posse and planned an ambush. Instead of the law, they ambushed an innocent 18 year Pony Express rider named Billy Poor. It was his first time delivering the mail. Once they had him, they couldn't let him go because he would tell others about them. They couldn't hold him hostage because he would slow them down. Jones,with Morton standing by, cold bloodily shot and killed young Billy Poor just north of Bridgeport. Capturing and killing Billy Poor was a huge mistake because now the Convicts had murdered a local Mono County citizen. They had violated the community and the citizens were bent on revenge! Not realizing what they had brought down on themselves, they continued their flight south towards Benton Crossing, a settlement just east of here at the foot of the White Mountains, with plans to turn westward toward what was know as Monte Diablo Creek and Lake; then across the Sierra Nevada to safety. By Friday morning, September 22 a new posse of 10 men, lead by Sheriff Robert Morrison, and guided by an Indian deputy named Mono Jim, was hot on their trail. By Friday evening the posse caught up with the convicts camped by, what was then called, Monte Diablo Creek. They decided to spend the night at a nearby ranch and to confront the convicts in the morning.

The convicts had little to eat for some days, and awoke very early that fateful Saturday morning. Jones, the ring leader, and 2 others went toward Monte Diablo Lake, what is now Convict Lake, to look for food. All they could find were Rose Hip berries, which, if you either take a horseback ride with us or a hike, you will see them, still growing all along the North Shore of the lake.

While Jones and the two others were lookingfor food, the posse went up Monte Diablo Creek towards the eastern end of the deep cut where Convict Lake now lies. The Convicts were waiting in hiding on the south side of the creek. In the first exchange of gunfire, the convict named Roberts was shot in the both his shoulder and foot and crawled off into the undergrowth.

The other two convicts, named Morton and Black kept firing, which drove the posse, except Sheriff Morrison, back into the woods. All of a sudden, Morrison had a clear shot at Black, he pulled the trigger, the pistol cap exploded, but the gun didn't fire.  Black turned and shot Morrison in the side.  Then he walked up to Morrison and shot him in the back of the head, killing him instantly. Morton and Black then took some pistols and horses left behind by the fleeing posse and headed up the canyon to get away.

Soon they came upon the Indian Deputy Guide named Mono Jim. He mistook them for the posse and called out to them. It was a fatal mistake! They chased him down and Morton shot him through the eye, killing him straight away. Morton, Black and Roberts hooked up and fled south towards Bishop. It was never known how Jones and the other two Convicts escaped the shootout. Jones, the leader who, by killing Billy Poor, brought the local posse's hornet's nest onto them, disappeared and was never heard from again.    

 

The other two with him were eventually captured on the east side of the White Mountains, the range you can see from Convict across the Caldaria to the East, and returned to prison in Carson City. A new posse formed to track down and take revenge on Morton, Black and Roberts for killing Sheriff Morrison and Deputy Mono Jim. It was September 27th when they finally captured Morton and Brown just north of Bishop. Roberts was nowhere to be found. Black was wounded during the capture, but survived. Morton and Brown claimed Roberts had killed Morrison, which caused the posse to resume their search for Roberts. Two days later they caught up with Roberts. When heconfronted Morton, it was obvious to the posse that Morton and Black had killed Morrison and Mono Jim and that Jones, with Morton, had killed Billy Poor. On October 1st the prisoners were loaded on a wagon and started for the trip back to the jail in Carson City. All of a sudden the wagon was surrounded by a large group of vigilantes. Without any resistance, the guards turned over the prisoners to the vigilantes. They took the convicts to a nearby cabin and held a trial. After only a short deliberation, the votes were taken. The "jury" agreed that Morton and Brown should be hung at once and that Roberts, the boy stage robber, would be sent back to jail. By November 15th, 18 of the original 29 convicts had been captured, Morton and Brown were hung, and Jones and 9 others were still at large.  The  escape  had  caused a great deal of controversy and dispute throughout southern Nevada, both Inyo and Mono Counties in eastern California. Even today we can see the results from this historical event. Monte Diablo Creek and Lake were re-named to Convict Creek and Lake. The 12,000 foot plus mountain overlooking Convict Lake was re-named Mount Morrison in honor of the slain Sheriff. The smaller mountain in front of Morrison was named Mono Jim after the slain Deputy guide. There are also several other less well know, and somewhat disputed, outcomes from this momentous adventure. And as students of history know, sometimes actual events are confused with wishful thinking; hence the birth of Urban Legends.

 

The young boy, Billy Poor who was murdered in cold blood by Jones was greatly missed by his family and neighbors. In his honor, it is claimed, a sandwich was invented: The Poor Boy.

If you have the opportunity, enjoy summer lunch at the Convict Lake Restaurant to experience this fabulous sandwich in honor of one of Mono Counties' heroes. (Some locals even insist that the Hero Sandwich was also named after Billy; go figure!)


The song, "I Shot The Sheriff, I didn't Shoot the Deputy?" supposedly has its roots in the Convict Lake shootout! When the vigilantes took Morton and Brown to hang, they said anything and everything they could to save their rotten hides.

They kept pleading and whining that they were innocent. It is told that many years later when Bob Marley heard this story, it became his inspiration for this ageless song.

So you see, the name Convict Lake has some very deep roots in facts, and maybe even in a little fiction!

In cooperation with Inyo National Forest