Then and now: Corner of Hwy. 50-Park Ave. changes
Here’s a pairing of Highway 50 at Park Avenue — 1965 compared to 2012.
Notice the 1965 stoplight islands in the center of the roadway, and all the ugly overhead wires.
— Bill Kingman
Home » Grab Bag » Then and now: Corner of Hwy. 50-Park Ave. changes
Previous post : Tahoe company takes the mystery out of backpacking Next_post : Opinion: South Lake Tahoe on the right track
What a great photo comparison. My first trip to Tahoe was in 1965 and my family stayed at the Tacalac Lodge which appears in the far left of the 1965 photo.
My, how things have changed.
Not shown are all the “no vacancy” signs when all the motels were filled every night and, of course, there were no “for lease” signs on Highway 50.
Off to the left of this photo would be the ‘Qounset hut’ local theater owned by Judge Rudy (and his wife Jeannie) Buchanan – the first SLT Mayor, Brad Murphy (a CPA) had his office in the front corner – until moving into the new Buchanan building across the street from the Al Tahoe post office (where Denny’s is now).
In the background of this photo can be seen the original Cecil’s Market, at that time run by the Milovich family. On the corner on the left, Tahoe Tom’s is still owned by a contemporary of mine (he lives in Oregon now), although continually leased to others. . .
Didn’t remember the traffic islands, though. . .
Garry Bowen,
Didn’t think anyone but me rememberd the “Quonset hut ” theater! As I recall, dirt floor and wooden benches.Fred Johnston , yes our motel in the early sixties was full every night during the summer, but winter was a different matter entirely, not much ski traffic back then.
Glad I’m not the only old timer that reads Lake Tahoe News!
Take Care, Old Long Skiis
I think the Quonset hut was gone when I moved here in 1965.. But I remember my mom parking me in it in the summer of 1957 while she played the slots in pre-tower Harvey’s Wagon Wheel. Does anyone have a photo of the Quonset hut movie theater?
Yes, I have photos. It was the Lakeside Theatre quonset built about 1950 and which I attended, located about where Applebee’s is now. It collapsed under snowload 1962-63, but was rebuilt and relocated as a new theatre near the “Y” in 1963. That building was razed about 2000, rebuilt and opened as “Office Depot” very briefly, and now is CVS. The pix I have of the quonset hut theatre came from private collections and I’m pursuing copyright clearance to release them for publication here. Thanks for writing!
I remember the quonset theater well. You needed to dress warm and maybe even take a blanket. There was probably very little, if any insulation.
After the movie, my girlfriends and I would “count the cars” on our way home to the “Y” area.
Sometimes we would see less than a half a dozen in either direction.
Since it was the only stage in town the high school presented a production of “South Pacific”-a very big event.
Thanks to some who actually remember the Quonset hut – I was a little confused on the ‘timeline’, as the photo of the street front of the Crescent V was, I believe, a little later than the ‘1965’ attributed to it. . .
The hallmark for my memory was the introduction of the film “The Time Machine” (1960), starring Rod Taylor and the incomparable Yvette Mimieux, the subject of many a guy’s crush. . .that would sort of corroborate the 1962 comment, although I don’t remember anything of a roof collapse, which surely I would have, as that was the year of STHS graduation for me. . .I do, however remember the theater next to McDonald’s, but that seemed later, as some of us were off to college.
The Buchanan’s also owned the theater in Meeks Bay, and used to shuttle the movies over there via boat from the Lakeside Marina just down Park Avenue.
As to all the “No Vacancy” signs, that would go along with the story the other day about “50 gas stations”, as locals didn’t much worry about the loss of traffic after Labor Day – that was when the locals relaxed and enjoyed where we live. . .that is still sort of the culture here, but most now do not understand just how busy summers were then, and are left to “rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic”. . .
Maybe these reminiscent reminders will make them want to get a clue. . .
Good news: The Lake Tahoe Historical Society today graciously permitted me to submit photos of the original Lakeside Theatre for publication in LakeTahoeNews.net. The LTHS Museum on Hwy 50 has a wealth of historic photos, open Wednesdays through Sundays.
Thank you for your interest & input!
Thank you Bill! Would love to see a whole series of then and now photos! Mabye some other long time Tahoe folks could submit photos also–Kae what do you think?
The plan is to have them run on Sundays until there are no more to run!
Kathryn Reed, LTN publisher
Thank you Kae…love looking at the old pictures of how we used to be. And Bill is right, the museum is a great treasure! I take a walking tour group there every weekend and they are so surprised that we have a museum that they weren’t aware of, and that it is so full of information (and a great selection of Tahoe books).