1. Tahoe City Marina
2. Commons Beach
3. Watson Cabin
4. Tahoe Inn
5. Tahoe City Jail
6. Tahoe City Dam
7. Gatekeeper's Museum
Watson Cabin 1912
Historic Walking Tour
of Tahoe City
Washoe people or Wá∙šiw Were Here First
The history of Lake Tahoe begins rightfully with its first inhabitants, the Washoe people or Wá∙šiw. For over 5,000 years the Wá∙šiw, called Lake Tahoe “dáɁaw” (pronounced “da ow a ga”). The Washoe peoples’ lives revolved around their environment. With the influx of western people from both the gold and silver rush, the balance of the environment was disrupted, and much of the natural resources the Wá∙šiw relied on were depleted. During the summer, the Washoe Tribe would travel from Carson City to Lake Tahoe. Among them, Dat So La Lee, a renowned basket maker, would weave baskets at the mouth of the Truckee River. Tourists would gather to witness Dat So La Lee’s artistry, some of her baskets can be seen on display in the Gatekeeper’s Museum. Tourists flock to Lake Tahoe to take the natural beauty of the basin, but it’s important to remember the first inhabitants of the land and where the lake’s history began.
1. Tahoe City Marina
The Tahoe City Marina is one of the oldest marinas on Lake Tahoe. Built by Norman Mayfield and Fred Mein in 1940, the marina was formerly known as the Tahoe Boat Company. The harbor and the Marina Mall, formerly known as “Roundhouse”, were the northernmost stop for Lake Tahoe’s railway and Transportation Company.
2. Commons Beach and
The Lake Tahoe Railway & Transportation Company
When D.L. Bliss’ lumber and cordwood supply industry in Glenbrook was beginning to fade in the late 1800’s due to regulations prohibiting logging in the basin, he turned his attention and resources to tourism. The Bliss family developed the Lake Tahoe Railway & Transportation Co. in 1899, connecting Truckee and Tahoe City. The train ran along the Truckee River (where HWY 89 is currently located) and into two locations in Tahoe City. One stop was at the current Tahoe City Marina and the other at the Tahoe Tavern (a large luxury hotel built by D.L. Bliss). As you walk along the trail to Commons Beach from the Tahoe City Marina, you are walking either on top of or next to exactly where the train track ran at the turn of the century. The Gatekeeper’s Museum currently displays a model of Tahoe City in 1920 where you can view the precise location of where the train tracks ran along Commons Beach.
Tahoe City pier 1900
Lake Tahoe Railway & Transportaion Co.
Current Commons Beach
Courtesty Placer County
3. Watson Cabin
560 North Lake Blvd., Tahoe City
The Watson Cabin was built in 1908 by Robert Montgomery Watson and his third son Robert Howard Watson. The Watson Cabin is the oldest log cabin structure in Tahoe City built on its original site. The cabin was finished in 1909 and was presented as a honeymoon gift for Rob and his wife Stella Tong Watson, with their daughter Mildred Watson later calling it home. The first floor contains the original two rooms, the living room and the kitchen. Upstairs are two bedrooms, a sewing room, and a bathroom. Today the cabin is owned by the North Lake Tahoe Historical Society (NLTHS) and the Tahoe City Public Utilities District. In 2023 & 2024, thanks to the TOT TBID dollars program through the North Tahoe Community Alliance, a local resource assigned to assisting with community enhancement projects putting local tourist dollars to work, NLTHS obtained grants to retore the cabin. Visit the NLTHS’s gift shop and history museum at the Watson Cabin and take a step back in time.
4. The Tahoe Inn, now The Sierra Surf Club & Evo Hotel
425 North Lake Blvd., Tahoe City
The Tahoe Inn was built in the mid-1800s to serve as a local hotel and restaurant for guests. The Tahoe Inn also doubled as a town hall and became home to many local service organizations. The Inn served many visitors being one of the few cheap places to stay on the lake. The Tahoe Inn also served as a prohibition-era speakeasy. In 1936 the Tahoe Inn burned to the ground only to be rebuilt 3 months later by the owner Carol “Pop” Bechdolt. In 1974 Peter Topol bought the building with the hopes of developing a retail center and steakhouse, and from 1974-1985 the steakhouse Victoria Station was open. The building later became Blue Agave, a Mexican restaurant, owned by Steve Topol, Peter Topol’s brother. The building was then bought by Evolution Projects, a Seattle-based real estate developer, in 2022. The building over the years has housed several iconic businesses and is full of rich history. Visit the Gatekeeper’s Museum to learn more about the Tahoe Inn and one of its famous guests, Baby Face Nelson.
Tahoe Inn 1937
Current Sierra Surf Club & Evo Hotel
5. Jail at Commons Beach
The Jail at Commons Beach is a dark concrete bunker, which allegedly saw NO prisoners! In 1901 Tahoe City received its first constable, Robert Montgomery Watson, builder of the Watson cabin. The need for a constable was evident as an influx of workers and summer visitors increased in Tahoe. Watson built the jail in case he needed to use it. However, instead of using it, he usually offered people who deserved a night’s stay in the jail, a place to stay on his kitchen floor. Watson often knew those who needed a “break” for the night. With the passing of Robert M Watson in 1932, two acting constables took over till 1935 when Harry Edward Johanson, Harry Jo, became the second constable. Harry Jo besides being a former Royal Canadian Mounted Police Officer was also a Hollywood stunt double, trained architect, and accomplished amateur athlete. Johanson was responsible for the new jail set design along Commons Beach, featuring stunning views. After serving for 37 years, Johanson retired in 1967, and his jail became storage for the TCPUD and there was a new County Sheriff’s office.
Old Jail at Commons Beach today
Tahoe City Jail 1942
Tahoe City Jail 1904
6. Tahoe City Dam
Lake Tahoe has 63 tributaries, but only one river that runs out, the Truckee River. The Tahoe Dam, helps control the top six feet of water in the lake and has 17 operating gates two of which are electronic. The water in the river provides a crucial habitat to wildlife and brings life to thousands of cropland acres in Nevada. While other dams had been built at varying locations along the river starting in the 1870s, the Newland Project began negotiations in 1909 to obtain rights to the Tahoe Dam from the Truckee River General Electric Company (TRGEC). An agreement wasn’t reached until 1913 by the TRGEC and the United States Bureau of Reclamation. In 1981 the dam was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The dam usually releases a foot to a foot and a half of water each year, however, the lake loses more water to evaporation, about 39 inches.
7. The Gatekeeper’s Museum
130 West Lake Blvd., Tahoe City
The Gatekeeper’s Cabin was built next to the Lake Tahoe Dam in order to house the Gatekeeper who was responsible for controlling the water flow. The cabin was used by many families over the years untill 1968, eventually being slated for demolition in 1970. However, thanks to years of hard work from the community and the North Lake Tahoe Historical Society (NLTHS) they were able to negotiate with the Sierra Pacific Power Company to own the cabin and surrounding land to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the intention of opening to the public as a museum. Unfortunately, in 1978, right before the deed was signed, a group of kids playing in the abandoned building set fire to it, burning it down to the ground in minutes. NLTHS, with the help of the community, was able to rebuild the cabin. It was faithfully reconstructed by hand, with the exception of tree felling. The roof and beams were raised with block and tackle, sitting on the original foundation. The cabin was able to reopen in July 1981.
Rebuild in 1981.
Current Gatekeeper's Museum