Mt. Baldwin The White Fang Mt. Morrison South Mt. Morrison Tue, Aug 10, 2010 With: Bob Jones Adam Jantz Laura Molnar Vitaliy Musiyenko Sean O'Rourke Karl Fieberling Phil Donehower Ron Hudson Darija Malinauskas Faith Powell Evan Rasmussen Carol Petrelli Bob Ankeney Jeff Moffat		Etymology Mt. Baldwin Mt. Morrison South Mt. Morrison	Story	Photos / Slideshow	Map	Profile
		Mt. Baldwin previously climbed Mon, Jul 5, 1999 Mt. Morrison previously climbed Fri, May 7, 2004

Twenty-nine convicts escaped from prison at Carson City, Nevada, on September 17, 1871. Six of them headed south, and murdered a mail rider from Aurora. Posses from Aurora and Benton caught up to the convicts near 'Monte Diable Creek' -- now Convict Creek. Robert Morrison, a Benton merchant and leader of the posse, was killed in the encounter. The convicts escaped, but three of them were captured a few days later. Two of those were lynched while being returned to the jail at Carson City. (Chalfant, Inyo, 251-55.)"
- Peter Browning, Place Names of the Sierra Nevada

"The year was 1871. The most famous prison break to affect Mono County has just taken place. Twenty-nine desperate prisoners had over-powered the guards and escaped from the Nevada Territorial prison in Carson City. A group of 6 headed south toward the Owens Valley. These murders, train and stage robbers in their flight, overtook Billy Poor, mail carrier, near the town of Aurora and summarily murdered him in cold blood.

Immediately the people of Aurora organized a posse and followed the convicts south. Another posse from Benton trailed the fugitives into Long Valley. The convicts were eventually sighted at a camp on the shore of Monte Diablo Lake. This lake soon became known as Convict Lake.

Gunfire broke out. Two of the posse were killed. One killed was Robert Morrison for whom Mt. Morrison (elev. 12,268) on the lakes south shore was named. The convicts escaped but two were caught later in Round Valley near Bishop. These two were hanged by a group of local citizens who took them (apparently without too much trouble) from the officers and posse.

Of the rest, all but one were returned to the Nevada Territorial Prison to serve life terms. The remaining escapee disappeared and was never heard of again.

This beautiful lake, surrounded by rugged mountains and green trees, is thus identified with the historic west. It is the Eastern Sierra's Convict Lake."
- Convict Lake Resort online