These Are My Mountains

Some lives are too extraordinary to be forgotten.

Born in rural Oklahoma in 1893, Nellie Bly Baker O'Bryan refused to accept the limitations placed on women of her era. Intelligent, adventurous, and fiercely independent, she forged her own path that carried her from Oklahoma to the emerging motion picture studios of Hollywood, where she became one of California's first licensed female motion picture projectionists. Working alongside Charlie Chaplin during the formative years of his Hollywood studio, she appeared in numerous silent and early sound films and even established her own production company at a time when few women occupied positions of influence in filmmaking.

Yet Hollywood would become only one chapter in an extraordinary life.

In 1939, Nellie exchanged movie sets for the rugged backcountry of California's Eastern Sierra, where she embraced a new calling as a resort owner, licensed fishing and hunting guide, civic leader, and tireless promoter of the Mono Basin. Her beloved Happy Landing resort at Lundy Lake, along with the whimsical Upside Down House overlooking Mono Lake, made her a cherished and unforgettable figure throughout the region. Her passion for history, hospitality, and the Sierra Nevada left a legacy that continues to inspire generations of residents and visitors alike.

Drawing upon over two decades of meticulous archival research, family records, newspapers, journals, photographs, and previously unpublished material, Bonnie Henderson brings Nellie's remarkable story vividly to life. Richly illustrated with nearly 100 historical photographs, reproduced newspaper clippings, and archival documents, These Are My Mountains restores an overlooked pioneer to her rightful place in the histories of early Hollywood, women's achievement, and the American West.

At once a compelling biography, a work of regional history, and a celebration of an indomitable spirit, this is the story of a woman who never stopped answering the call of adventure and who ultimately found her greatest joy in the mountains she proudly called home.