Then and now: Tahoe Paradise never developed
A brochure touting Tahoe Paradise. Photo/Theresa and Darrell Eymann
The proposed Tahoe Paradise Inn. Photo/Theresa and Darrell Eymann
Tahoe Paradise proposed development. Photo/Theresa and Darrell Eymann
In the early 1960s, developers promoted a planned recreational community in Meyers which they named Tahoe Paradise.
A promotional brochure shows the plan included a long, covered moving walkway leading to a proposed Tahoe Paradise Inn, a riding stables, hot springs, water service, recreation club, and a new Highway 89 link toward Camp Richardson.
Today’s Pioneer Trail was proposed then as “Alternate U.S. 50” to Stateline.
Tahoe Paradise and Meyers today. Photo/Google Earth
Remaining today includes Tahoe Paradise Golf Course and the divided four-lane stretch of Lake Tahoe Boulevard between the South Lake Tahoe city limits and Sawmill Pond and Tahoe Mountain Road, which was intended to serve what the developers hoped would be a large population in Tahoe Paradise.
— Bill Kingman
Bill Kingman,
I remember when this development was proposed and seeing the illustration of Tahoe Paradise Inn. A grandiose plan indeed! There also were plans to widen Pioneer Trail to make it a 4 lane hiway.
Right around this time, early 60’s, a bridge across the entrance to Emerald bay was talked about, so folks could avoid driving thru the slide area.
Currently, another large development is being pushed on the good people of Tahoe Paradise, (does anybody other than me still call it that anymore?). So your timing was perfect for this “Then and now”. Thank you Bill for doing this and thanks to the Eymann’s for sharing a part of their collection of Tahoe history.
A good one Bill!. As always, take care, Old Long Skiis
An early promotional map even shows a ski lift next to the highway going up toward Echo Lake.
There was a fascinating and (unintentionally) funny promotional film for this same Tahoe Paradise development plan that old KMTN TV used to broadcast over and over again. Since Mr. Conway sold his TV business, I haven’t seen it again. Lots of great Tahoe and Tahoe Paradise area footage from the late 50s or early 60s.
The Person behind the Tahoe Paradise development was Jim A E Wilson. He is the one who donated the Tahoe Paradise park facility and put a large sum of money in a bank account to operate the park the park in the future. Mr Wilsons daughter was killed in a car accident at the intersection of Sawmill Road and highway 50. I was pretty disappointed to see the memorial for her removed and not replaced when the park was remodeled. I have asked numerous times about replacing it. People might not agrre with what his final vision was for the area but we cannot argue with his vision of what a great place Tahoe can be.
Like the sudden death of Walt Disney changed plans for what he was going to do on a huge scale of mountain resorts. The picture of a large river full of water on the brochure doesn’t look like it was ever taken in the basin and is part of the deception to sell lots. Proposing these tourist Disneylands in the 1950- 1960’s is what out of the area developers did, just like Walt Disney was planning north of Truckee while he was living in Florida. They are still at it consider Dyer Mountain that went bankrupt and sold for taxes. This early development had all of these drawings of things that never were built as a way to sell lots which were dirt cheap then and fooled a lot of people when nothing was ever built.
Presbyterian John, I watched that film you mentioned many times. It’s quite a kick! Watching young Bobby hold up the trout he caught and then it goes on to show all the big plans that were in the making for Tahoe Paradise. I hope that film resurfaces and is aired on local tv. Any other old films available? It would be cool as a community event to put together a film festival / photo sharing event about “old “Tahoe. I know Dave Borges does a history of Tahoe presentation from time to time and from what I hear it’s very good. I gotta get to one of those myself!
Bill Kingman, you keep at it! Old Long Skiis
The old Tahoe Paradise film has been put on CD and is available at the Lake Tahoe Museum. The Museum should also have an original of the TP blue prints. Keep in mind that Tahoe Paradise is a housing track that incorporates some sections of So & No Upper Treckee and also some sections of Elks Club. The developers decided that Meyers was not a very catchy name so therefore Tahoe Paridise and Christmas Valley.
The Museum also has LOTS of other films on CD for purchase or donation. Please support our Museum.