Washoe County Library System

Lake Tahoe's natural splendor conceals its haunted history. Locals say the ghosts of the Donner Party haunt their doomed campsite in the Sierras. Wealthy recluse George Whittell is said to have never left his beloved Thunderbird Lodge, though he died in 1969. The ghosts of Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe and members of the Rat Pack are thought to gallivant in the showroom and cabins of the Cal Neva Lodge, a popular celebrity retreat. Prisoners from...

A definitive pictorial documentation of Lake Tahoe's development over the last one hundred and twenty-five years.

Organized ski racing in America started near Lake Tahoe in the 1860s when gold miners rode 15-foot boards that reached speeds near 100 miles per hour. By 1895, residents of Truckee had started the nation's first winter carnival west of the Rocky Mountains and soon built the largest ski jump in California. Today's Lake Tahoe, with significant annual snowfall, has become home to the largest concentration of ski resorts on the continent. Places like...

"Explore the rich history of the Tahoe area in a wonderful visual adventure. The Story of Tahoe Part One begins in 1844, when a lost, starving expedition discovers the native Washoe people's most precious jewel: Lake Tahoe. From there, logging industry booms at Tahoe, tourism flourishes with the railroad industry, and historic estates are built all around the lake. Part II picks up again at the turn of the century. The 1900s find Tahoe ravaged by...

“I thought it must be the fairest picture the whole earth affords,” wrote Mark Twain of Lake Tahoe. Countless other visitors have agreed, and since the turn of the century the lake’s clear, pure waters and breathtaking natural surroundings have made it a national treasure and an international vacation destination. As one of the deepest and largest of alpine lakes in the United States and the world, Lake Tahoe is said to be one of the most photographed...