Then and now: A grand old sign

The old Al Tahoe sign in South Lake Tahoe. Photo/Lake Tahoe Historical Society

Remindful of the famous Hollywood sign on the hillside overlooking Los Angeles since the 1920s, the Al Tahoe stood near the site of today’s Lakeview Commons.

Today’s Lakeview Commons. Photo/Bill Kingman

Almerin “Al” Sprague had built a hotel and named the area after himself in the early 1900s. Frank Globin bought Sprague’s Al Tahoe Inn and expanded the facilities starting in the 1920s. Aram Hartoonian bought and subdivided land in Al Tahoe in the 1940s, selling lots for $10 down and $10 a month, with many streets now bearing the names of California cities.

Here is a link to some interesting history about the Hollywood sign, which is regarded as the world’s most famous sign.

— Bill Kingman