Then and now: If Bijou house walls could talk
Bijou house in the 1870s. Photo/Courtesy Patty Olson
Patty Olson has been a South Shore resident since 1950. This above photo hangs on the wall in the area of her living room which at one time housed the Bijou Market, South Shore’s first market.
It also was C.H. Parrish’s Bijou House, offering meals for 50 cents, lodging for 30 cents, and a bar.
Olson believes the building dates back to 1865. It was part of the historic Young Brothers’ Bijou Resort which featured a long pier used by the logging industry of that time.
The one-time commercial building is now a private residence. Photo/Bill Kingman
The Bijou House today has a remodeled second story and extensions. The portion behind the large green tree housed the historic market.
An original cabin from the Bijou Resort. Photo/Bill Kingman
One of the original cabins of the resort still stands near Olson’s house, next to John’s Cleaners in the Bijou Center.
My sincere thanks to Olson for sharing her memories. After 65 years here and so much community involvement, Olson is moving on from South Lake Tahoe in February.
-Bill Kingman
Young bought the Lake Hotel in the 1870’s from Cornishman Charles H Parris who built it a decade before in the 1860’s. It was originally called the Lake Hotel. RIP OLS