Watson Cabin: then and now

1875 vs 1979 · Tahoe Hidden Gems

NowThen

Then, 1875A stereoview of Tahoe City from the lake, about 1875, three decades before the cabin was built.Photo: Carleton E. Watkins · Public domain · Source · resized, cropped to one frame of a stereoview

Today, 1979Listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 24, 1979. Photo taken in 2012.Photo: Almonroth · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source · resized

The story

Robert Montgomery Watson came to Tahoe City in 1875 and became its first constable. In 1908 he built a log cabin for his son and daughter-in-law. They moved in during 1909.

From 1947 until 1976 the family leased it to E. P. and Fern Hunt, who ran it as a summer gift shop.

The Tahoe City Public Utility District and the North Lake Tahoe Historical Society bought it in 1979. Today it is a museum and gift shop, restored in 2024 and 2025.

Did you know? The cabin stands at 560 N. Lake Blvd and is owned by the North Lake Tahoe Historical Society.

Historians argue about this. Wikipedia calls it the only historic log cabin in the Tahoe City area, and one local magazine says it was submitted as Tahoe's oldest home. Those are claims from the sources, not something we could check.

Fact or tall tale?

SolidWatson Cabin was built in 1908.
Wikipedia and Tahoe Magazine both give 1908.
DisputedWatson Cabin is the oldest home in all of Tahoe.
One magazine says it was submitted as Tahoe's oldest home, but we found no source that proves it.

Sources

More: Look for old photos at the North Lake Tahoe Historical Society

Stamp it in person

Go there, answer the question that only someone standing at Watson Cabin can answer, and add the stamp to your passport. Free, no sign-up.

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