Truckee and Tahoe Donner Real Estate - Keller Williams Boice Realty

The Donner Party of 1846-1847 is the most famous of the emigrant parties to cross the Sierra Nevada along the 'Truckee Route'. The party was badly demoralized before they ever reached the Sierra. Due to a miscalculated 'short cut' they arrived at the Sierra late, out of provisions, and faced with an early snow. They did not have the strength to ascend through the snow to the summit and most of the party returned to winter over at what was known as Truckee Lake. They were forced to endure the winter in tents at Alder Creek. Apparently none of them had the will or perhaps the skill and knowledge to hunt or fish in the harsh Sierra environment. They had lost all their stock and were essentially without food. The stories of survival by boiling hides and even cannibalism are legendary.

The tragic story has been pieced together from diaries and interviews of party members and told and retold, with many different interpretations over the years. The most popular book, Ordeal by Hunger was written by historian George Stewart. For more information please visit the Donner Party page from Truckee Donner Historical Society web site

As the Central Pacific Railroad was being built across Donner Summit in 1867, E.J. Brickell and George Geisendorfer founded the Truckee Lumber Company. For four decades it would be one of the town's most important employers. In the company's first year of operation this new mill supplied 10,000 railroad ties and 2 million feet of bridge timbers to the Central Pacific Railroad.

Winter sports consistently included all-night dances at the Masonic Hall, and winter carnivals increased in popularity into the 1930's when statewide and national ski tournaments were held in Truckee and at Tahoe City. The popularity of winter sports brought many visitors then and has continued on to do so now.


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