Then and now: The Grove was bustling in its heyday
The Grove at Camp Richardson
(B+W photos/Lake Tahoe Historical Society Collection, Frasher-Putnam-Valentine)
Until the 1930s, “The Grove” on Lake Tahoe’s South Shore consisted of a pier, dance hall, saloon, tents, cabins and other structures.
Some imported from various other locations.
Part of The Grove location included what is today’s privately-owned Camp Richardson Marina, adjacent to the U.S. Forest Service-owned Camp Richardson Resort.
This view (#5) from the Camp Richardson Marina pier essentially shows the shoreline of what was The Grove from the pier into Jameson Beach. The Grove’s old pier was near the dock seen at left.
Local historian Dave Wakeman observes that the tallest trees viewed on the south shoreline are between Camp Richardson and Kiva Beach because early landowner Lucky Baldwin would not allow tree harvesting on his property.
The Grove today. Photo/Bill Kingman
— Bill Kingman
Bill K, I didn’t know about “The Grove” out at Camp Richardson! Looked like it was pretty nice place back in the day. I wonder if those old cabins to the left as you’re driving down to the Beacon are from that same time or came later. The dining hall looked like a grand place, I also liked the building at the end of the pier. From that same photo of the pier it looks like it was a pretty good winter. Look at all that snow on the west shore! Good one Bill, OLS
I also didn’t know of “The Grove”, but I do know that the building that houses the Beacon restaurant held dances every Friday night in the late ’50’s/early ”60’s – (a jukebox – with an early form of a DJ: someone who picked the next song & pushed the number/letter button). . .
This is all new information to me, and very interesting. Thank you, Bill!!