Lake Tahoe has a rich history. For years, the shores of Lake Tahoe have attracted millions of visitors. It all started with Washoe native Americans some 10,000 years ago. Each summer the Washoe migrated from the Carson Valley area seeking cooler temperatures, abundant fish and plentiful game on the shores of Lake Tahoe. The Washoe women built their reputation by making fine baskets of remarkable artistry.
"Da-ow-a-ga" was the Wahsoe Indian name for Lake Tahoe which was considered the jewel of the Sierra and the birthplace of their heritage. Sadly, the Washoe homeland nearly perished during the Comstock Lode silver and logging boom that took place from the 1860s to early 1880s. The natural resources of the region are still recovering from the mass deforestation that occurred during this short period of time.
John C. Fremont was the first non-Native American who set foot on the Lake shore in February of 1844. His exploration party was guided by the legendary scout Kit Carson. The party first viewed part of Lake Tahoe from the top of Red Lake Peak, 10,651 feet elevation, at what is now Carson Pass, located 20 miles southwest of South Lake Tahoe.
In 1848 Kit Carson carved a trail over what is now called the Carson Pass. This trail became the main East-West route from Utah to California. For many years thereafter, the area was virtually ignored. In 1859 the Comstock Lode was discovered in Virginia City, Nevada. During the 1860s Tahoe became the center of a lively commerce involving the silver mines in Virginia City and the Central Pacific Railroad, which was pushing over the Sierra toward the town of Truckee.
When the transcontinental railway opened in Truckee it was a big boom to Tahoe City, a rough lumbering camp at the lake end of the Truckee Canyon. Tourists left the train at Truckee and boarded a Concord coach for a jarring ride along the Tahoe-Truckee Toll Road to Tahoe City where they boarded steamers for destinations around the lake.
In 1928 Tahoe Tavern hired Lars Haugen to build a ski jump. It took 2 years to complete and in 1931 Olympic tryouts were held on what was then, and still is today, Olympic Hill at Granlibakken. Not until Interstate 80 crossed Donner Summit did the North Shore come into its own as a winter playground. The modern era of Lake Tahoe really began in 1931, with the completion of the highway around the lake. The highway spelled an end to the age of steamships, and by the 1940s, put the narrow-gauge railway out of business as well.
Luxurious resorts had sprung up all around the lake and while the region was a great success in summer months, it was an isolated pocket of hardy souls during winter months. In the winter of 1938, there was 12 feet of snow at lake level with 20 foot drifts. Travel was impossible and in Glenbrook, locals had to resort to killing and eating the caretaker's horse to survive. Food was later dropped from airplanes to the beleaguered residents.
The 1960 Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley put Lake Tahoe firmly on the map.
In 1949 a tree farm was started on Mt. Pluto, where Northstar is located. In 1972, the Fibreboard Corporation started the Northstar-at-Tahoe mountain resort.
Today, the Lake Tahoe region continues to offer visitors a bit of many historic eras. While hotel/casinos and ski resorts draw millions of guests each year, the main attraction continues to be the quiet beauty of the Sierra mountains and the timeless inspiration of the lake itself, little changed from the days of the Washoe Indians.
