Lake Tahoe History
Take a trip through the fascinating past that built present-day
Lake Tahoe.
Lake Tahoe is a unique and beautiful national
treasure that also boasts a rich and colorful historical
past. The Washo Indians had been gathering at its shores
for centuries when American explorers Kit Carson and John
Fremont came upon it in 1844. The Lake Tahoe Basin was
a summer gathering place for three tribes of these peaceful
Indians, who considered the Lake to be a spiritual site
and conducted sacred ceremonies on the South Shore.
Even today, the ancient name for the Lake
lives on in a modern form. The Washoes named the area
"Da-ow-a-ga," or "edge of the Lake."
The explorers, however, unaccustomed to the native tongue,
interpreted the phrase as "Tahoe." The name
had staying power even though the Lake was christened
"Bonpland" after a French botanist, "Mountain
Lake" for obvious reasons and "Bigler Lake"
after California's third governor before finally receiving
Lake Tahoe as its official name in 1945.
The peaceful silence surrounding Lake
Tahoe was broken not long after the first pioneers' arrival.
By the 1860s, silver was discovered in the Sierra Nevada.
Fortunes seekers scurried to the Lake Tahoe area during
the California Gold Rush, hoping to strike it rich as
the massive Comstock Lode discovered in 1859 in nearby
Virginia City, Nevada. Would-be miners rushed to Lake
Tahoe over northerly Beckworth Pass and Donner Pass, site
of the famous wagon train tragedy, and Carson Pass to
the south to circumnavigate the Tahoe Basin.
Soon, the influx of pioneers to the region
was so great that "Bonanza Road," later to become
Highway 50, was forged across the mountains. As traffic
increased, way stations, stables and toll houses to collect
fares for traveling Bonanza Road began to spring up.
Silver wasn't the only valuable commodity
early settlers found in the area. Tahoe's timber-rich
forests became a necessary resource for the increasing
number of people needing fuel and to support the labyrinth
of mines being constructed beneath Virginia City. But
the easy availability of timber soon led to the devastation
of Tahoe's forests, which were heavily logged between
1860 and 1890. The decline of the Comstock Lode probably
rescued Tahoe's diminishing forests.
By the turn of the century, word of Lake
Tahoe's natural beauty had reached the elite families
of San Francisco. The wealthy, seeking a new scenic getaway,
flocked to Lake Tahoe to stay at the area's plush new
hotels. During this heyday of steamship transportation,
the boats delivered mail and supplies to the hotels just
as often as they hosted visitors' lavish parties.
Lady Luck arrived at the Lake and unpacked
her bags in 1944, when Harvey's Wagon Wheel Saloon and
Gambling Hall opened as one of the area's first gaming
establishments. But competition soon sprang up and so
did the need for more permanent accommodations. By the
1950s, roads began to be plowed year-round, enabling access
to permanent residences. When the 1960 Winter Olympics
came to Squaw Valley, Lake Tahoe was put firmly on the
map as the skiing center of the western United States.
Although the development of the Lake Tahoe
area has come far, modern planners today use the ancient
wisdom of the Washo Indians when building in the area.
Realizing the need to preserve the Lake's beauty in the
face of progress, California and Nevada formed the Tahoe
Regional Planning Agency in 1968 to oversee environmentally
responsible development in the Basin. The agency's balanced
approach has enabled them to limit the construction while
devising a redevelopment plan that will improve the economy,
tourist access and the environment well into the next
century.
Today, Lake Tahoe still retains its pioneer
charm while displaying an ancient respect for nature.
While hotels, casinos and ski resorts draw millions of
guests each year, the area's main attraction continues
to be the restful silence of the wilderness and the awe-inspiring
beauty of the Lake. As the Washo Indians realized centuries
ago, the "edge of the lake" is a unique and
special place
Provided by Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority
Lake Tahoe Questions & Answers
How large is Lake Tahoe?
Lake Tahoe is North America's largest alpine lake, stretching
22 miles long and 12 miles wide. It covers a surface area
of 191.6 square miles and has 72 miles of shoreline. Lake
Tahoe is two-thirds in the state of California and one -third
in the state of Nevada.
How many feet above sea level is Lake Tahoe?
The Lake's average surface is 6,226 .95 feet above sea
level and the natural rim is 6,223 feet above sea level,
making it the highest lake of its size in the United States.
What is the highest mountain in Lake Tahoe?
Mount Tallac, located on the Lake's South Shore, stands
at 9,735 feet, and is the highest peak rising from the
shoreline. The highest point in the Tahoe Basin is Freel
Peak at 10,881 feet.
How deep is Lake Tahoe?
Lake Tahoe is the third deepest lake in North America
and the tenth deepest in the world. Tahoe's deepest point
is 1,645 feet near Crystal Bay, meaning the Face at Heavenly
is 55 feet higher than the Lake at 1,700 vertical feet.
The average depth of the Lake is 989 feet.
How much water does Lake Tahoe hold?
There is an estimated 38.75 trillion gallons of water
contained in the Lake and it is 99.9 percent pure, with
visibility to 75 feet below the surface!
How old is Lake Tahoe?
Lake Tahoe is said to be a "young lake," having
formed 10,000 to 11,000 years ago during the last ice
age. Glaciations occurred, carving out valleys during
their downward movement creating Donner, Emerald Bay and
Fallen Leaf Lakes. The maximum lake level during glaciations
approached 800 feet higher than its present level. Large
sedimentary terraces perched above the Lake remain as
evidence of its old shoreline.
How many streams flow in and out of Lake Tahoe?
There are sixty-three streams flowing into Lake Tahoe,
and only one that flows out of the Basin and that's the
Truckee River. The Truckee River flows from the North
Shore in Tahoe City, through the Truckee Valley and into
the lowlands of Reno.
Does Lake Tahoe ever freeze?
Lake Tahoe never freezes during the winter! Due to its
constant temperature of 39 degrees Fahrenheit maintained
at depths below 700 feet, and because of the Lake's constant
movement and volume of water, Lake Tahoe never freezes.
|
