Old Salt Lake

Can you taste the salt in the air? Here at Old Salt Lake, the whispers of the Pacific mix with the ghosts of a salty past. Old Salt Lake wasn’t always a memory. It was once a thriving hub, a shallow pond stretching 600 by 1,800 feet. Long before the power plant hummed, the Tongva people, the Chowigna band, called this area Onoova-nga, “Place of Salt.” They harvested the precious mineral from the lakebed, trading it with other tribes. Imagine them here, centuries ago, under the same California sun, the salt crystals sparkling like scattered diamonds. The Spanish missionaries, too, recognized the value of Old Salt Lake, continuing the tradition of salt harvesting. In 1854, the landscape of Old Salt Lake began to change. Manuel Dominguez sold a portion of Rancho San Pedro, including the lake, for a mere $500. The Chowigna were displaced, sent to missions, their connection to this ancient salt source severed. Enterprising businessmen, Henry Allanson and William Johnson, saw an opportunity. They built evaporation ponds and a boiling house with 48 wood-fired kettles, accelerating the salt production process. Tons of salt were hauled overland to the Port of San Pedro, destined for markets far and wide. The Old Salt Lake salt operation changed hands over the years. In 1862, it was sold to Frances Mellus, who ran the Pacific Salt Works here until 1881. A U.S. government geologist, visiting in 1890, described Old Salt Lake as a curious place, a saltwater lake near the ocean, yet distinct in its mineral composition. He noted the freshwater wells dug around the lake, a stark contrast to the salty heart of the area. By 1924, the salt works were dismantled, the buildings gone. The industrial age marched on, and in 1948, Southern California Edison built a power plant on the site, later purchased by AES Corporation. Today, only markers remain, testaments to the rich history of Old Salt Lake. They stand as reminders of the Tongva who first valued this place, the entrepreneurs who industrialized it, and the geological curiosity that intrigued scientists. Here at Old Salt Lake, the past lingers, a salty echo in the air.