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
Bill Kingman, That was, as always, very good. I had no idea how Al Tahoe got it’s name. I just took it for granted as it had always been called that since I was a kid. Cool stuff Bill! Hope to see you tuesday evening out at the Camp Richardson Lodge for another ” Do you remember? ” event put on by The Lake Tahoe Historical Society. Take care, OLS
This is very cool. Since they are doing so much work at the Lakeview commons, wonder if there would be an opportunity to resurrect signage of this nature there. I think it is cool and would definitely create a visual connection to the Al Tahoe neighborhood and significance in Tahoe.
Chantlelgram, You bring up an interesting idea!Signs explainging at each area of Tahoe describing how they were named. Bijou? why is it named that?
Might be fun to learn, OLS
OLS- Capturing and posting our history is a great idea. Stop down at Lakeside Beach one day, parking is free again, and read the signs on the side of the bathroom building. One is a history of Lakeside Beach and Marina going back to Billy Lapham in the 1860s when he built the Stateline House and Lapham’s Landing. The surveyed stateline was believed to be located roughly where Park Ave. is today until the 1890s.
The other sign is a copy of a 1920s newspaper ad which brought people to the South Shore on a steamboat to Lakeside Pier to buy campsites in this subdivision which had been established in 1909.
Historical information signage should be created for a number of our neigborhoods- Al Tahoe, Bijou, Ski Run, Lakeside, Stateline, etc. to demonstrate to our tourists how historical South Shore is and it’s connections to the gold rush, Virginia City, Pony Express, etc.
The city needs to find a way to fund the Historical Museum to do this.
OLS, Here ya go.
BIJOU: This early post office was established at this town on the south end of Lake Tahoe on September 11, 1888, when it was moved here from Rowland, about one and one-half miles to the west. The Rowland Post Office had been established on June 26, 1874, and was named for Bernard F. Rowland who developed this vacation and recreation resort and it’s first postmaster was Sophonia Rowland.
Bijou was named for the French word for “jewel” and was originally a lumber center, before becoming a vacation resort. The Bijou Post Office was discontinued on March 24, 1967, when mail service was taken over by South Lake Tahoe Post Office. Bijou’s first postmaster was Anthony W. Ransey.
Kenny and Tahoeadvocate, Thank you for your filling me in on some Tahoe history! I love this stuff! Any old Tahoe history,well?… I’m definitely paying attention as I always like to learn more of Tahoe’s past. I’ve always been interested in Tahoe history so any little nugget thrown out there is greatly appreciated! Thank you!!!! OLS
Resurrect the Al Tahoe sign! It is a authentic piece of history.
To add to Kenny’s thoughts: Bijou is French for ‘jewel’, leading inevitably to the term “Jewel of the Sierras”: Lake Tahoe !
We could & should have better quality license plate frames than those available though. . .
As to historical signage: I agree as tahoe advocate goes back a ways, but in more recent times Judge Buchanan (he owned the Quonset hut theater roughly where Applebee’s is now, used to bring the movie reels down to Stateline Marina & take them by boat across the lake to their other theatre at Meeks Bay. . .the visitors eat this stuff up. . .and gives perspective to our concerns about preservation. . .
Al-Tahoe, four miles east of Tallac, is one of the newer, better and more fashionable and pretentious resorts recently established at the south end of the Lake. Its projectors saw the increasing demand for summer residences on the Lake, and realizing to the full the superior advantages of this location, they divided their large holding into suitable villa and bungalow sites, and other lots, and readily disposed of a number of them to those who were ready to build. To further the colonizing plans of these chosen and selected purchasers a fine, modern, well-equipped hotel was erected, replete with every convenience and luxury that progressive Americans now expect and demand in their chosen resorts. The result is quite a settlement has grown up, and Al-Tahoe sees ahead an era of rapid growth and prosperity. Its homes are substantial and beautiful and indicate that John LeConte’s prophecy, elsewhere quoted, is already coming to pass. Pasadena capitalists are behind the hotel and town project.
Being advantageously located on the State and National automobile boulevard, and near to all the choice mountain, lake and other resorts of the southern end of Tahoe, it appeals to those who wish to combine equally ready access to civilization with the wild ruggedness and infinite variety of many-featured Nature.
It is situated on a high plateau, gently sloping from the bluff, with a Lake-frontage of about three quarters of a mile. The land rises with a gentle slope to the edge of the terrace facing the stream, meadow, and mountains on the south.
With no stagnant water, there are practically no mosquitoes, and it is confessedly one of the most healthful spots of all this health giving region. Being on a lea shore, the cold air from the snowy summits of the mountains tempered by the warm soil of the foothills and level area, there is no place on the Lake better adapted for bathing and boating, especially as the beach is sandy and shallow, sloping off for some distance from the shore.
The accompanying photographs give some idea of the hotel and its cottages, together with some Al-Tahoe homes. The water supply for the town and hotel is gained from beautiful and pure Star Lake, 3000 feet higher than Lake Tahoe, and where snow may be seen during the entire year. The Al-Tahoe Company owns its own electric generating plant and supplies all the cottages with electric light.
The hotel itself is conducted on the American plan, and in every modern way meets the requirements of the most exacting patrons. Amusements of every kind are provided, and there is a good livery stable and automobile garage.
The town itself is being built up with a select class of summer residents. No saloons are allowed. There are still desirable lots for sale, and the Al-Tahoe Company, or L.H. Bannister, the Postmaster, will be glad to correspond with any who contemplate purchasing or building. Letters may be addressed to either at Al-Tahoe, Lake Tahoe, Calif.
al tahoe got incorporated an the sign would now be considered misleading