A Brief History of Tahoe and its People
The Washoe Trive of Nevada & California
Lake Tahoe history is fascinating. When John C. Fremont “discovered” Lake Tahoe in 1844, he was really a bit late to the party. Native Americans, specifically ancestors of the Washoe Tribe, had him beat by close to 10,000 years, and probably more. The lake was the center of the Washoe world for millennia, providing a bounty of food to last the winter. The Washoe camped, hunted, fished, and cherished Lake Tahoe, which they considered sacred life-sustaining water.
Even the name ‘Lake Tahoe’ is from the Washoe, or at least it’s origin is before we garbled it up. The word ‘Tahoe’ is a mispronunciation of the first two syllables of the Washoe’s word – Da ow a ga – which translates to “edge of the lake.” They are the original Tahoe locals, and like us, they treasured this place. Meanwhile, Fremont’s crew largely ignored what they had stumbled upon for years.
The Mining Era Begins
Around 1859, explorers returned to Tahoe as the Comstock Lode was discovered in Virginia City, NV. As a result, Tahoe became a hub of thriving commerce between the silver mines of Virginia City and the Central Pacific Railroad (out toward Truckee). This influx of jobs, people and money brought many good things with it, but some were less favorable. For the duration of the 1860s and the Comstock era, Tahoe experienced large-scale deforestation. At this point, it is estimated that 80% of the basin's forests were clear-cut, and times were changing rapidly.
Virginia City's Chollar Mine (later the Chollar-Potosi) was one of the leading producers on the Comstock. Over the next 80 years, miners blasted and carted out some $17 million in gold and silver. Photo credit: Virginia City Tourism Commission
Business was booming, which brought in many different investors, and everyone wanted a piece of the pie. The quest for silver was on, and timber was needed to build mine shafts, hotels, and other developments throughout the state. It wasn’t just silver either; the 1850s marked the height of the California Gold Rush. During this period, around 300,000 prospectors came to the American River, San Francisco, and the surrounding areas.
The Tahoe Boom
Between mining, stocks, real estate and other enticing new business opportunities, many average men were made into comfortable millionaires. If you weren’t trying to cash in you were crazy, and California was the place to be. In the midst of it all, this hidden gem of a lake town had completely transformed from the undisturbed natural treasure it once was. A new era was born, and many Californians were enjoying the flourishing economy, including Lake Tahoe.
Elias "Lucky" Baldwin
With the arrival of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, the lake became a popular retreat for the elite from San Francisco, Sacramento, and Virginia City. Hotels were built to host this clientele, and what we now know as the Tallac Historic Site was among the first. In 1880, an incredibly successful entrepreneur named Elias “Lucky” Baldwin assumed ownership of the Tallac Point House. He turned it into a luxurious resort, which also happened to be Lake Tahoe’s first casino. He built up an additional hotel, numerous outbuildings accommodating over 250 guests, a ballroom, string orchestra, croquet & tennis courts, an opulent promenade, and even steamer rides. Lucky enjoyed gaming, hosting friends and throwing lavish parties.
Lucky's spirit for business and gaming had a monumental impact on this town, and greater California in general. Whether you believe he lived up to his nickname “Lucky” and was particularly fortunate or believe he was a calculated businessman, a combination of the two lead him to great success and ultimately pioneering the development of Lake Tahoe during the late 1800’s.
George Whittell Jr.
Right around this time, a man named George Whittell Jr. had also taken a liking to Tahoe. Whittell was a very wealthy entrepreneur who inherited an incredible fortune. During the roaring 1920s, Whittell was also known to be over-the-top with his hobbies and his partying. He was deeply fascinated by the new technology of the day: automobiles, airplanes and boats. He also collected various exotic animals for his own little zoo. Whittell didn’t inherit his fortune until 1922, at which point he made wise investments and began plans which led to acquiring land at Lake Tahoe.
Through business ventures in Nevada in the early 1930s (to avoid the rapidly increasing California taxes), Whittell heard of some property at Lake Tahoe being offered for sale by the Carson & Tahoe Lumber and Fluming Company. With dreams of building casinos at Sand Harbor and Zephyr Cove, Whittell acquired from them over 40,000 acres of land, including more than 25 miles of shoreline. Fast forward to 1939, his magnificent Thunderbird Lodge home was built.
Whittell's Tahoe Legacy
For many years, Whittell enjoyed playing with his toys, partying in privacy and high-stakes gambling, but as he got older and experienced Tahoe more, his ideals for extravagant summer properties and casino resorts faded away. He enjoyed his privacy and the beauty of Lake Tahoe so much that he abandoned his business plans. For years after, he refused to sell or build on his land. He found that the miles of secluded forest and shoreline were too precious to develop. This viewpoint preserved the land he owned for three crucial decades. Whittell greatly aided in and slowed down development efforts on the Lake. His land still has some of the least developed shorelines today because of that.
Originally, Whittell was drawn to Lake Tahoe for business in the natural beauty of the alpine basin, in the end that’s what made him too stubborn to tamper with it, and we thank him greatly for that.