Mammoth Lakes is a town in Mono County, California, and is the county’s only incorporated community. Take a look below for 10 obscure and awesome facts about Mammoth Lake, California, United States.
1. It is located immediately to the east of Mammoth Mountain, at an elevation of 7,880 feet (2,400 m).
2. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 7,191, reflecting a 12.7% decrease from the 2010 Census.
3. The Mono people were the first settlers of the Mammoth Lakes area, thousands of years ago. They settled in the valley but traveled by foot to other lands when trading with different tribes.
4. The European history of Mammoth Lakes started in 1877, when four prospectors staked a claim on Mineral Hill, south of the current town, along Old Mammoth Road.
5. In 1878, the Mammoth Mining Company was organized to mine Mineral Hill, which caused a gold rush. By the end of 1878, 1500 people settled in the mining camp called Mammoth City. By 1880, the company had shut down, and by 1888, the population declined to less than 10 people.
6. By the early 1900s, the town of Mammoth was informally established near Mammoth Creek. The economy of the original town was based on logging and tourism.
7. The first post office at Mammoth Lakes opened in 1923.
8. In 2004, the Mammoth Ski Museum opened in town. The museum featured many vintage artifacts, photographs, and posters. A movie documenting the life of the founder of the ski resort (Dave McCoy) and those of early famous skiers in the area is shown. In 2010, photographs taken by Dave McCoy were featured in an exhibit at the museum.
9. In 2008, after a jury trial, the Mono County Superior Court entered a $43 million judgment against the Town of Mammoth Lakes for breach of a development agreement. The California Court of Appeal, Third District, affirmed the judgment in December 2010, and the California Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal on March 23, 2011.
10. On Monday July 2, 2012, Mammoth Lakes filed for bankruptcy in the face of the judgement. Later the same year, the bankruptcy was dismissed as a result of a settlement between the town and their largest creditor.
