Then and now: Ads reveal bygone businesses
These ads were culled from mid-1960s issues of the Tahoe Daily Tribune saved by “Old Long Skiis” who comments frequently here on Lake Tahoe News.
These were popular long-time local businesses we probably thought we’d always see:
The Outdoorsman (now the Grocery Outlet building in South Lake Tahoe) ultimately expanded to Round Hill, Truckee, Carson City, and (do I recall correctly?) Reno. All stores closed in the 1980s.
Tahoe Valley Texaco site, until the 1970s, was near where the recently-moved Grass Roots now stands at the Y (It was built as a Blockbuster Video location.) We have no Texaco station in the region now; Texaco merged with Chevron in 2001.
Tahoe TV Cable was locally owned and operated in the block building still standing on Bal Bijou Road behind Pyramid Peak. Charter now has the cable TV franchise for South Shore.
The Tahoe Drive-In Theater (second edition after original 1940s Stateline site) had a long dirt driveway which was the origin of Glenwood Way in Bijou. It was open every summer. It closed in 1984.
The two Cornet stores — Bijou and the Y — closed about 1970.
(In most cases, a left-click on each image will enlarge it.)
— Bill Kingman
Outdoorsman might of had a store (maybe under another name) at Incline Village around 83.
Bill, these ads are a glimpse of Tahoe’s history, told in such a unique way. I wish the Drive-in was still around. I know the knolls that cars would parked on are still visible. Thank you for helping us newcomers grasp what we have unfortunately missed.
I love this!
i loved the drive-n, it had to coolest snack shack with i think it was hops growing over it. good times, thanks bill & OLS
Great feature. Loved it.
The Outdoorsman actually opened a big store down in Roseville just before they went under.
Also, I used to help a friend of mine change the marquee for the drive-in in the early 70s.
Thanks Bill!
Wow; the old Outdoorsman: Ron Koepp, Reggie Donatelli, Bill Tisher and one or two others that I won’t mention. Wouldn’t Bill be amazed at his old home?
I skied and climbed a bit with Reggie and his partner; Reggie was getting a bit absent minded and, while trying to demonstrate a high altitude rescue, got the ropes all snarled. No one would volunteer to be lowered down “Pie Shop” riding in his makeshift lash-up. But he was a wonderful guy, and a great friend to anyone who wanted to venture outdoors.
But I always assumed that the “Outdoorsmans” I saw in other towns were simply using what was likely a generic name. Not worth the trouble to research, but did they all really connect?