Mayfield Canyon is a
canyon
A canyon (; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), gorge or chasm, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tendency t ...
on the east side of the
Sierra Nevada
The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...
mountains, northwest of the town of
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
in
Inyo County, California
Inyo County () is a County (United States), county in the Eastern California, eastern central part of the U.S. state of California, located between the Sierra Nevada and the state of Nevada. In the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the po ...
.
California Historical Landmark
It was the site of the Battle of Mayfield Canyon during the
Owens Valley Indian War
The Owens Valley War was fought between 1862 and 1863 by the United States Army and American settlers against the Mono people and their Shoshone and Kawaiisu allies in the Owens Valley of California and the southwestern Nevada border region. ...
in 1862. During the battle Colonel
William Mayfield, leader of the
Owens Valley
Owens Valley (Mono language (California), Mono: ''Payahǖǖnadǖ'', meaning "place of flowing water") is an arid valley of the Owens River in eastern California in the United States. It is located to the east of the Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra ...
settler
militia
A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...
, was killed. His name was given to the canyon.
The site of the Battle of Mayfield Canyon was designated
California Historical Landmark
A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in the U.S. state of California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance.
Criteria
Historical significance is determined by meetin ...
number 211 on June 20, 1935.
[ Willie Arthur Chalfant, ''The story of Inyo'', Hammond Press, W. B. Conkey Company, Chicago, 1922]
/ref> The California Historical Landmark reads:
:''NO. 211 MAYFIELD CANYON BATTLEGROUND - On April 8, 1862, a body of troopers and settlers entered Mayfield Canyon (named for one of the settlers) to fight the Indians supposed to be there. However, the Indians had evacuated the canyon so the group made camp at its mouth. The next day they went up the canyon again, but this time they were forced to retreat to Owens Valley.'' californiahistoricallandmarks.com # 211
/ref>
See also
*California Historical Landmarks in Inyo County
This list includes properties and districts listed on the California Historical Landmark listing in Inyo County, California. Click the "Map of all coordinates" link to the right to view a Google map of all properties and districts with latitude an ...
*History of California through 1899
Human history in California began when indigenous Americans first arrived some 13,000 years ago. Coastal exploration by the Spanish began in the 16th century, with further European settlement along the coast and in the inland valleys followi ...
References
Landforms of Inyo County, California
Landforms of the Sierra Nevada (United States)
Canyons and gorges of California
{{InyoCountyCA-geo-stub