Hotels Mile Markers Boats

1. You know you’re
a Tahoe Local if: You have
gone off-
roading in
a vehicle
that was
never
intended
for such
activities.

2. Week 5
 Today’s date is October 29, 1846 where
was the Donner Party?

3. Week #5
 Mile Markers on
Highway 50 from
Placerville
 Early Hotels and
Luxury Resorts
 Sail Boats and
Steamers

4. “By the end of the 1860’s
granite markers marking each
mile had been erected.”Landauer pg 70
“The current markers date to 1907” Highway 50 Corridor.com

5. Granite Markers on Highway 50
 Right side of the road going towards
Tahoe from Placerville.
 All mile numbers are estimates from
Placerville.
 To be safe let the passenger find them on
the trip to or from Placerville.
 Some were constructed by Folsom
prisoners. A large number made prior to
the depression were stacked at Riverton.

6. Placerville Court House

11.  1853 the 3 Mile House was built in Smith
Flat over the Deep Blue Lead Mining
Channel. 3 Mile House became Home Ranch,
now called the Smith Flat House Center for
Health. Deep Blue Lead Mine was the best
known and one of the richest in Placerville
area.

13. Five Mile House

16. Cal Trans Camino Station Mile 10

17. MILE MARKER 13 is
on Pony Express Trail.

20. Fresh Pond Old sign.
 A house and ranch were built here in 1861 where several wagon
roads converged, including the popular Gold Rush-era Johnson’s
Cutoff route, which dropped from here into the canyon of the
South Fork of the American River. www.fs.fed.us/r5/eldorado/documents/rogs/rog_highway50.pdf
 The Fresh Pond stop dates back to the 1950's. 1966 a Chevron gas
station and a Greyhound Bus station. In 1983, everything but the
sign was demolished. Since 2005 there is a new Chevron gas
station/convenience store and restoration of the Fresh Pond sign.

23. Pacific House 1910

24. 1859 Pacific House was a
roadside hotel. Horace
Greeley and Mark Twain
were visitors.

25. Bridal Veil Falls

26. 1915 Bridal Veil Falls

31. 1901 Riverton
Bridge Construction

42. Sugar Loaf

49. 36

54. `

57. Old Strawberry

58. 1859 – The name Strawberry,
came from Berry's alleged
practice of feeding travelers'
horses with straw, while the
owners had paid for hay. Yet
another story indicates that
Berry’s lodge featured thin
straw mattresses. Visitors
would call for “More straw,
Berry!” Hence the name –
Strawberry.

60. Swan Henry
Toll Road

61. There is a bowling
alley in the
basement

62. Slippery Ford
Those who traveled on their own were at peril from many
hazards like the killings at Slippery Ford in 1875. Laundauer
pg 69

63. Slippery Ford Bridge

71. Phillips
 Established in 1862 as a stage stop and
way station. Located at the turn off for
Sierra at Tahoe Ski Resort.

78. Echo Summit

79. 51

82. Approximating Mile Maker 55

87. Early Hotel and Luxury Resorts
1850’s (+) in the Upper Lake Valley
 1861 Yank Clement- “Yanks” three story
14 room house. For passengers and Pony
Express. Two saloons eventually became
a small village on the Great Bonanza
Road.
 1873 Yank sold to George Meyers and
moved to Tallac Point.

88. Ephraim “Yank” Clement
 In 1861 Yank
purchased from
Martin Smith and
developed into a
complex
(boomtown).
 Stables, 14 room
hotel, barn livestock
corral, Pony Express
riders, blacksmith,
stockyard, slaughter
house, wagon repair
saloons, stop for
stagecoaches.
 1873 sold to George
Meyers.
 Ceilo family had the
hotel open into the
1920’s.

90. Barton House

91. The First Tahoe Hotel on the Lake
Highway 50
 1859 Lake House
– 8 room house.
Judge Seneca
Dean, nephew and
William Lapham
east of the
Truckee Marsh.
After 1868 fire
rebuilt by Tom
Rowland.
 Judge Dean, W.
VanWagner and
R.G.Dean
proposed the
name Lake Tahoe
and Tahoe City.
Lekisch pg 127

92. *Lapham’s Hotel Highway 50
 Stateline ran through the hotel

93. Lapham’s
Stateline
prior to 1899

94. .
To
Reno
To
Carson
City
8989
89
28
28
431
50
207
Lake Tahoe
1860 Fridays Station
Friday Burke and James
Small
1860 Augustus Pray
(Glenbrook) Lake Shore
House and saw mills.
1863 Lou Colbarth and Joe
Winters Glen Brook House
1865 Zephyr Cove House
1867 Pomin’s Tahoe House
1864 M.L. King built Kings Hotel
1869 Tahoe City Hotel 1871
Grand Central Hotel.
Chambers Landing
Sugar Pine Point
Emerald Bay
Idlewild
1859 Lake House
1860 Lapham’s

95. Is Tahoe City a City?
 1864 Tahoe City William Pomin built
home.
 1864 M.L. King King’s Hotel.
 1867 William Pomine Tahoe Hotel.
 1869 M.L. King remodeled and called
it the Tahoe City Hotel.
 1871 M.L. King (A.J. Bayley was the owner according to
Saga I pg 29) remodeled and called it the
Grand Central Hotel. By 1875 up to
200 guests were dinning.

96. M.L. King’s
Grand Central Hotel
Grand Central
Meat Market
Pomin’s
Tahoe
House
Cardwell’s
Bowling
Alley
J. A. Toulman

97. By 1863
 Over 24 establishments were in operation
around the lake. The shore line was linked
by the steamer Governor Blasdel
belonging to Augustus Pray (Glenbrook).
 A resort could make a profit if it had a pier
and was connected to the rest of the lake
resorts.
 1864 Nevada joins the Union (during the
Civil War) and the United States residents
have come to stay.

98. One Minute Review
 What was the most useful or
meaningful thing you learned during
this session?
 What question(s) remain upper-most
in your mind as we end this session?

99. Tahoe Sailboats and Steamers

100. You know you’re
a Tahoe Local if:
You design
your child's
Halloween
costume to
fit over a
snow suit.

101. Irene Mayn waves good bye 1915 c. Lady in the gold
suit mural is located at Government building near Fox
Gas Station.

102. Sailboats
 Cargo Carrying sail boats
 1860 Fish and Ferguson’s Iron Duke (Duke
of Wellington) could handle up to 125 tons,
60 feet long 50 feet tall masts. Would work
with the wind.
 In 1862 hay brought 240 tons at $250/ton
on the south shore. *Hauled Tahoe City and
Squaw Valley hay from North Shore to
South Shore for the animals used to haul
equipment to Virginia City. Saga I pg 26.
Unpredictable schedule. In service for 24
years, burned in 1884.

103. .
To
Reno
To
Carson
City
8989
89
28
28
431
50
207
Lake Tahoe
1860 Iron Duke Route
1859 Lake House
1860 Augustus Pray
(Glenbrook) saw mill supply
house.
1860 Laphams1861 Taylor’s Landing Bijou pier
1864 Tahoe City
Chambers
Landing

104. Steamers
 1863 Augustus Pray (developer of
Glenbrook) launched the steamer
H.G. Blaisdel (the name of the
future first governor of Nevada)
 42 feet long 24 feet beam - paddle.
Towed log booms and some
passengers.
 The first steamer on the lake with
daily cruises on Lake Tahoe.
 After 13 years of service its boiler
exploded.
 In 1877, it was beached and sold
for firewood.
First Nevada
Governor
H.G. Blaisdel

105. Emerald I
 1870 Ben Holladay’s Emerald
55 feet long 12 feet beam.
 The first Emerald, arrived in
Truckee by flatcar, carried by
the new Central Pacific Railroad.
 Powered by an underwater
propeller, rather than paddle
wheels.
 Made daily cruises around Lake
Tahoe.
 1874 purchased by D.L. Bliss for
towing. It could make 12 miles
an hour and in addition to
hauling freight and towing log
booms, often carried
passengers. It continued in
service until 1881. 11 years

106. 1863 - 1872
 Governor Blasdel
 Emerald
 Truckee
 There were many sail boats but they
were the only steamers on the lake.

107. 1872 Governor Stanford
Governor Stanford at McKinneysGovernor Stanford at Custom House
Tahoe City
W.W. Laphams (Lapham’s Fish Market
and Landing) wooden hull, 92 length, 16
feet beam, 125 passenger, 75 horse
power, 7 knots side-wheeler, demolished
1883 winter storm. Daily cruises around
Lake Tahoe. 11 years in service.

108. Niagara
 1875 Niagara was launched by J. A.
Todman. It was 83 feet long and had a
10-foot beam. 50-horsepower steam
engine, propeller and could barely
make four knots.
 “The Niagara held the all time record
of slowness in marine transportation
on Lake Tahoe.”
 1876 sold to Fish and Ferguson, the
owners of the sailboat the Iron Duke,
used to slow but steadily. It hauled
freight and up to 35 passengers.
 It was fully outfitted with every
modern convenience, including life
preservers, and suited tourists who
were more used to sailboats, and
therefore not in a hurry.
 1880 sold to Hobart and towed logs to
the mill at Incline Village NV.
 In 1905, 30 years of service it became
firewood.

110. Baldwin’s Tallac –
D.L. Bliss’ Nevada
 1890 Lucky Baldwin’s
Tallac 60 feet long, 11
foot hull, carried 40
people. E. J. “Lucky”
Baldwin, wanted a luxury
steamer to serve the
patrons at his hotel.
 The second year, while
tied up at the hotel's pier,
it caught fire and burned
to the steel hull. It was
towed to Tahoe City and
25 feet was added. 12
knots
 1896 Sold to Bliss and
was renamed Nevada.
 Lasted 50 years, scuttled

111. Nevada

113. Steamer Tahoe
 6/24/1896 D.L. Bliss Steamer Tahoe, 169 feet steel,
two boilers, two - 4’10” diameter props, 18½ knots,
1200 horse power, 200 passengers mail and cargo.
 Daily trips around Lake Tahoe until 1934. EB Scott Saga
Tahoe I pg 433
 Docked in Tahoe City until 1940.
 August 29, 1940 towed by the Captian Saxton and
son Jerry Saxton Quic Cha Kiddin and scuttled near
Glenbrook. Mr. Ham opened the petcocks.
 The Bliss family scuttled the Meteor 4/1940, SS
Tahoe 8/1940 and Tallac / Nevada 10/1940 and
scrapped the Emerald II and sold the parts to a boat
builder in San Diego in 1940. 1940 was the last year
for the commercial steamers on Tahoe. Lyndall Baker
Landauer Ph.D Steamboats of Lake Tahoe 1996 Lake Tahoe Historical Society pg
19
 Quic Cha Kiddin can be seen in the boat house next
to the Boat House Theater near Camp Richardson.

114. Fremont’s Cannon (replica) Firing at
the SS Tahoe’s 1896 Launch

117. .

120. August 29, 1940 Going to Glenbrook
Quic Cha Kidin
SS Tahoe

121. Steamer Tahoe Life
Boat. The other is
said to be in the
Carson City Rail
Museum.

122. 1936 Quic Chakidn

124. Tevis’ Consuelo”William Saunders Tevis, Sr's magnificent 72 foot, $60,000 twin screw
Consuelo, a product of the Twigg's yards in 1909, purchased by
George Newhall in 1915, and burning in Newhall's Rubicon Bay
boathouse five years later.” Saga I pg 436
Pope’s Sheik
Mfg Elco
Tallant purchased land in 1894 from Baldwin, then sold to Tevis in
1899, who sold to Pope in 1923.

125. Boat House in Tallac Estate

126. .
The Highest Lighthouse in the
World is at Lake Tahoe.
Where is it?
 Sugar Pine Point

129. Where is the Old Light House
Located?
.
Rubicon
Point near
D.L. Bliss
State Park

135. Faster Boats
 1925 Lucky Strike II 85 mph
 1927 Mercury “Worlds Fastest”
 Thunderbird: Whittell’s and Harrah’s
 Tahoe Miss Bill Harrah’s Hydroplane
150+ mph at Tahoe, 200 mph at sea
level.

137. L. Gordon Hamersley 1925
 The V-12 produced 625 horsepower.
 First all aluminum race boat ever built. At
speeds of 67 mph the boat wanted to ride up
on its chine and threatened to roll-over.
Clarke determined the Allison was unsafe .

138. R. Stanley Jr. 1937
 R. Stanley Jr. acquired the aluminum racer from Hammersley in
1937 and brought her to Lake Tahoe.
 Seventy-five years after her first victory, the boat would go back in
the water under her own power. A Mercury Marine, V-8, 420 hp.
Subsequent operation has proved the weight to power ratio of the
new configuration to be the best ever. Running on Tahoe at 6,226
feet above sea-level, at about 90% of throttle, she was recently
clocked by a follow boat at 55 mph.
 August of 2003, Mercury made her debut at the Concourse
d'elegance, Tahoe's annual antique boat show.
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=23085

146. Whittells’
Thunderbird
 Purchased in 1939 for $87,000
 55-foot Hacker – art deco-era
designed
 Honduran mahogany wood
 Two Allison Aircraft V-1710 engines.
1936, 1000 horsepower, V-12 was
WWII aircraft.
 Recent applications; tractor pull
competitions have tuned the V-1710
to 4,000 horsepower.
 Gallon consumed for fuel on average
- ½ mile per gallon.
 Bill Harrah, “70 mph cocktail lounge.”
 2007 operations and maintenance
$200,000 per year. Tahoe Daily Tribune August
10-12, 2007 Julie Brown
Lockheed -
P38 Lightening
Bell – P39
Aracobra
Curtiss - P40K
Shark mouth

147. DC-3
Duisenberg

148. Thunderbird prior to
Bill Harrah

151.  George Whittell’s Thunderbird.
 Refinished by Bill Harrah

154. US Coast Guard on Lake Tahoe ?
 Coast Guard
started 1916.
 Closed in 1988.
 Reopened in 1989.
.
To
Reno
To
Carson
City
8989
89
28
28
431
50
207
Lake Tahoe

155. One Minute Review
 What was the most useful or
meaningful thing you learned during
this session?
 What question(s) remain upper-most
in your mind as we end this session?

156. Next Week #6
 This week
 Early Hotels
 Mile Markers
 Boats
 Next week
 Tahoe Natural
Wonders second hour
 Railroads
 Lure of Lake Tahoe