Camp Richardson: then and now

Survey photo vs 2014 · Tahoe Classics

NowThen

Then, Survey photoA survey photo of the entrance to Camp Richardson Resort and Highway 89.Photo: Historic American Buildings Survey (U.S. government) · Public domain · Source · resized

Today, 2014The beach at Camp Richardson with the Sierra across the water. Photo taken on February 17, 2014.Photo: Blake Everett · CC0 · Source · resized

The story

The resort is named after Captain Alonzo L. Richardson, who started a stage service from Placerville to South Lake Tahoe in 1921. He was also the first postmaster in the area.

An 1891 U.S. Geological Survey map shows the site as Yanks. The Camp Richardson post office ran from 1927 to 1973, with a closure in 1964 and 1965.

Today the resort has a marina, cabins, hotel rooms and a bar and grill, at about 6,250 feet above sea level.

Did you know? The Camp Richardson post office operated for almost half a century, from 1927 to 1973.

Historians argue about this. Accounts differ on who gets credit for the resort's start. Richardson leased the land in 1921, but a later figure, Ray Kinsley, helped keep the area from being over-commercialized.

Fact or tall tale?

SolidCamp Richardson began in 1921.
Wikipedia says the camp was established in 1921 by Captain Alonzo Richardson.
Not trueThe site was always called Camp Richardson.
An 1891 USGS map labels it Yanks.

Sources

More: Look for historic photos at the Lake Tahoe Historical Society

Stamp it in person

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

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Next: Emerald Bay. Written from the cited sources, not yet walked on site unless noted.