Gem of the Sierra

Gary Noy has taught history at Sierra Community College in Rocklin, California, for more than three decades. He is the editor of Distant Horizon: Documents from the Nineteenth-Century American West (Nebraska, 1999) and Nature’s Mountain Mansion: Wonder, Wrangles, Bloodshed, and Bellyaching from Nineteenth-Century Yosemite (Bison Books, 2022), among other books.

"Gary Noy's history of Lake Tahoe during the 19th Century offers fascinating reading. . . . If you have not seen Lake Tahoe, you will put it on your bucket list after reading Noy's book."-Robert Lee Murphy, Roundup Magazine “Gem of the Sierra seamlessly reveals the arc of Tahoe Basin’s cultural and environmental history, from precontact to the dawn of the twentieth century. It’s a fascinating journey fraught with peril but rich with promise.”-Mark McLaughlin, author of Snowbound: Legendary Winters of the Tahoe Sierra “A treasure trove of entertaining, irresistible information framed by wise and witty introductions, Gem of the Sierra is required reading for anyone interested in America’s largest mountain lake.”-Scott Lankford, author of Tahoe beneath the Surface: The Hidden Stories of America’s Largest Mountain Lake “A fascinating anthology of articles and excerpts pertaining to Lake Tahoe in the latter half of the nineteenth century. This collection, accompanied by Gary Noy’s insightful commentary, will delight anyone interested in Tahoe’s early history.”-Peter B. Mires, author of Lake Tahoe’s Rustic Architecture “Noted California historian Gary Noy has fashioned a dynamic anthology of writings created by the American West’s preeminent nineteenth-century authors devoted to ‘The Lake of Sky’ (Lake Tahoe), highlighting its colorful history, featuring its storied past and environmental struggles.”-Gary F. Kurutz, principal librarian emeritus for Special Collections and the California History Section at the California State Library, Sacramento

• List of Illustrations Preface Acknowledgments 1. Roots and Reconnaissance: Precontact to 1860 2. Development and Disquiet: 1860–1869 3. Delights and Damages: 1870–1879 4. Visitors and Vexations: 1880–1889 5. Pleasures and Protection: 1890–1900 Sources