HOW LAKE TAHOE CAME TO BE

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.

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.

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-inspring beauty of the Lake. As the Washo Indians realized centuries ago, the "edge of the lake" is a unique and special place.