Then and now: Pioneer Trail dates to Pony Express era
Pioneer Trail wasn’t always paved. Photo/Special Collections Department UNR
In 1963, Pioneer Trail was paved only from Highway 50 near Stateline to just south of the Glenwood Way junction.
It was a very bumpy dirt trail beyond that, an original portion of which still exists parallel with today’s paved road, running alongside STPUD’s black-lined holding ponds and the KTHO radio towers. It serves now as a gated STPUD access road at Black Bart Avenue just behind the closed postal neighborhood delivery center building).
Today Pioneer Trail is an alternative to Highway 50. Photo/Bill Kingman
Pioneer Trail was also once the Pony Express route.
The construction and joining of Al Tahoe Boulevard circa 1965 resulted in paving all of Pioneer Trail.
The pictures look north toward Black Bart Avenue comparing approximately 1965 with 2013.
–– Bill Kingman
Thank you for sharing the pictures. 1965 was my first year in Tahoe and it is great seeing the picture.
Mr. Kingman, Thanks so much for bringing history to life at the South Shore.
I interviewed a woman who started coming to South Tahoe in 1927. One of her comments was that at that time the road called Pioneer trail was just used as the dirt road to the dump.
From a advertisement for property in Lakeside Park at that time, they made the point that all but the last 61 miles of road from the Bay Area were paved.
Thank you, Bill!! Always love your Sunday posts!! Have a great weekend! Love, Christy
Yes Bill, I remember all too well the unpaved section of Pioneer Trail. My dad would fire up the Willys pick up with a couple of garbage cans in the back and off we’d head to the landfill. Good times!
Speaking of unpaved roads and the landfill, did you know South Tahoe Refuse started out with the name
“Serv-U-Garbage”?(Sorry Jeff and Jon D, just had to get that in there.) Thanks for the memories Bill!!!
Take care, Old(garbageman)Long Skiis