The settling of Lake Tahoe came in three stages: transportation, logging, and recreation.

Transportation was first, because of the immigration to California during the years of the Gold Rush. However, while the immigration routes around the lake were lower in elevation and shorter in distance, they were more difficult because they required two mountain crossings.

Wagon trains coming west by way of these routes had to cross the Carson Range on the east side of the lake, then scale the Sierra on the west side.

When immigration into California largely ceased as gold fever gave way to the Nevada silver boom, the immigration became emigration and roads from California to Nevada’s Comstock took on greater importance. Of the several roads constructed during these early years, it was the Placerville Toll Road — often called the Bonanza Road.

The Bonanza Road was not a single road, but a system of toll roads that formed a turnpike between Placerville, Genoa, Carson City, and other Comstock settlements. The road was the primary route from California to the Comstock, and was the predecessor to the three main highways in Lake Tahoe: U.S Highway 50, California Highway 89, and Nevada Highway 19.

During the 1860s ranching, dairy-farming and logging increased in the area. The Bonanza Road and the several other routes provided the way for goods to get to and from the mines.

Soon inns that had served teamsters and miners began to accommodate seasonal visitors. This was the beginning of the resort industry in Lake Tahoe.

Among the first to use the area for escape from the summer heat and the bustle of urban life were miners from Virginia City, Gold Hill, and Silver City. In 1864 the Bailey Hotel was built in Tahoe City.

The Grand Central followed shortly afterwards. The hotels were also patronized by men from the Nevada lumber camps who returned with glowing tales of the fishing and hunting at the lake.

Lumber operations around the lake primarily supplied lumber for the Comstock and its mines. The Glenbrook logging operation, owned by the Bliss family, was the largest and most famous.

When the lumber business declined for the Bliss operation, one of the sons leveled a mill site and built a modern hotel, turning the Glenbrook Inn into a popular lakeside resort. By 1871 vacationers to Tahoe could take the train from the Bay Area to Truckee and arrive by stage at the Grand Central Hotel in Tahoe City.

In 1872 the steamer Governor Stanford met the travelers at the wharf in Tahoe City to transport them to other points on the lake. During the 1870s and 1880s, the steamer also provided recreation.

Tourists could take all-day sightseeing trips around the lake, entertained by the ship’s orchestra for dinner and dancing.

As the boom on the Comstock came to a close around 1888, the resort industry was becoming increasingly important. The Southern Pacific Railroad, formerly the Central Pacific, brought tourists to Truckee and then by stagecoach to Tahoe City, where they could travel by steamer to other lakeside sites.

During the 1880s, over-water railroad spur tracks and sawmills could be found along the lake’s shore. By the 1890s these gave way to an array of hotels and casinos.

Summer-home developments which had been fashionable since the 1880s, now bloomed into full-fledged summer-home communities. Winter vacationing at the lake began in 1908.

Horse-drawn sleighs provided transportation from the railroad town of Truckee to the Tahoe Tavern, which was also built by the Bliss family, just south of Tahoe City, while the steamer Tahoe made the cross-lake connection to the south shore. The Tahoe Tavern was by then the busiest resort at the lake, catering to the wealthy of San Francisco.

The first 20th-century railroads in the Tahoe-Truckee area was the narrow gauge Lake Tahoe Railway and Transportation Company. The miniature line ran between Truckee and Tahoe City.

The railroad was also constructed by the Bliss family. They used material from various lumber railroads in the area, abandoned because of depletion of timber.

The new line, which opened May 1, 1900, was a tourist railroad from the outset, although it also hauled some freight. It operated only during the tourist season, from May 15th to November 15th and ran four scheduled round trips daily  through 1915, but by 1920 it was cut to three.

In 1925 the LTR&TCo leased the railroad to Southern Pacific.  SP advertised the line nationwide, announcing that the old “American Canyon Route” was now the “Lake Tahoe Route” and would be converted to standard gauge.

The track conversion was completed May 1,1926. A balloon loop at the Tahoe Tavern allowed for the trains to be turned.

During the summer, a tourist could ride an overnight Pullman from the Oakland Pier to Tahoe City.  By 1926 winter vacations at Lake Tahoe had gained so much popularity that SP introduced the “Snow Ball” specials from San Francisco.

West of the Tahoe Tavern, where the Granlibakken ski area is now located, a ski jump and toboggan hill opened up new opportunities for winter sports. This line of the SP operated until November 10, 1943, put out of business by the automobile and World War II.

Passenger business on the LTR&TCo increased until better highways let tourists drive to the lake. Before 1913, when the roads became state highways, it had not been possible to drive through on the west side.

Once at the lake, 53 miles of highway went from the Nevada state line near Brockway, around the lake north-west and south.  In 1927, 14 miles of highway between Truckee and Tahoe City, and 12 miles between Tahoe City and the state line at Brockway were improved, as was the 11 mile stretch  between Tahoe City and Meeks Bay.

Tourists drove to the lake tended to stay for shorter periods and were generally looking a wilderness experience. This led to the creation of Camp Richardson, which offered small rustic cabins to tourists for weekend stays.

The improved roads and growing familiarity with the area played a large role in inspiring vacationers to build their own summer cabins at the lake.

In 1927, there arrived on the scene in north Lake Tahoe a young man by the name of Norman Biltz. He was born in Connecticut in 1902, of wealthy parents.

He left the east coast for California in about 1920, where in his first few years of residence he held a wide variety of jobs, mostly menial. In 1927 he became associated with Robert Sherman, a wealthy San Francisco real estate promoter.

As Sherman’s partner in his Brockway-Tahoe Vista Corporation, Biltz embarked on selling land in north Lake Tahoe to San Franciscans, and acted as contractor for the original Cal-Neva Lodge in Crystal Bay. Sherman built the Cal-Neva as a guest house for prospective buyers of his Lake Tahoe real estate.

But Biltz partnership with Sherman ended in 1928 when Sherman went bankrupt. Sherman gave Biltz the Cal-Neva in lieu of money Sherman owed him.

Biltz borrowed $50,000, incorporated the Crystal Bay Corporation, bought thousands of acres at north Lake Tahoe from the Blisses, and struck out on his own promotional odyssey. Understanding that the new tax laws in California and other states would tax the wealthy unduly, he saw the advantages to them in Nevada’s far more lenient laws.

He studied 200 multi-millionaires with an eye to selling them land in Nevada so they could escape the taxes in their home states. He got the support of then-governor Fred Balzar, who gave him a letter that essentially said that “he was sure [Biltz and his associates] would state the advantageous tax laws of Nevada honestly, but if [they] made a mistake, he would attempt to make [the state’s tax laws] fit [their] mistake.”

They produced and sent to each prospect a special magazine called Nevada: The Last Frontier, which they bound in leather and embossed with the prospect’s name. Biltz learned the likes and dislikes of every one of the prospective buyers and after making the sale, worked to keep them happy so they would stay in Nevada.

The first millionaire he brought to Lake Tahoe was Jim Stack, who had made his fortune in stock holdings of Quaker Oats. To get Stack to stay, Biltz lived with him for six months.

This was typical of the lengths he went to convince his buyers of the advantage of living in Nevada. He took the buyers hunting, fishing, golfing.

He spent day, weeks, even months keeping the buyers happy. He started a construction company and built their houses for them, even found them servants. The theory was that once sold on Nevada, the buyers would go back to their home states and become salesmen for the state themselves.

Among the millionaires Biltz sold Tahoe property to were Max Fleischmann, of Fleischmann’s yeast, E.L. Cord, creator of the Cord automobile, the family of E.W. Scripps, the newspaper publisher, Cornelius Vanderbilt , Rex Bell and several other Hollywood stars. All in all he sold Lake Tahoe property to approximately 75 millionaires.

In about 1930 Biltz married Esther Auchincloss, aunt to Jacqueline Kennedy. Over the years he became very influential in Nevada politics and very wealthy, with interests in numerous areas ranging from developing, to ranching, to mining and oil leasing.

When ranchers in Nevada lost their land during the depression, Biltz sold the ranches to wealthy men from out of state (including Bing Crosby), putting the land back in service and money back into Nevada’s economy.

He helped prepare and distribute the “One Sound State” program booklet, promoting Nevada nationwide, and produced a full color magazine-type publication, entitled “Nevada, The Last Frontier,” to lure the nation’s wealthy to the state.

He was close friends with many of the state’s movers and shakers, as well as with influential men at the national level. When Fortune magazine wrote a story about him, they dubbed him the “Duke of Nevada.”

“So, be patient, perseverant, and stationed,” al Qaeda Arabian Peninsula commander Tariq Dhahab said in early January. “The Islāmic Caliphate is coming, with permission from Allah, and it  will be established, even if we sacrifice our own skulls, money, children and  homes.”

Calls for limiting freedom of expression to prevent denigrating attacks on Islam are being made at the United Nations. Foreign ministers from Algeria and Malaysia say such limits are needed after the violent demonstrations provoked by a video produced in the U.S. that mocks Muslims and the Prophet Muhammad.

Some two dozen people died in the violence, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, one of his staffers and two Navy SEALS.

The head of the U.N. Organization of Islāmic Cooperation says such offenses should be equated with hate speech. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary-general of the Organization of Islāmic Cooperation, says demonstrations throughout Muslim countries this month provoked by the video “Innocence of Muslims” underscores why legislation is needed.

Ihsanoglu said that while he strongly condemns the violence, a balance had to be struck between free speech and incitement adding that considering the reverence 1.5 billion Muslims have for their religion’s founder, any offense to the Prophet Muhammad’s character should be considered with the gravity given hate speech. His call echoed the views of other Islāmic scholars and leaders, who have urged the U.N. and international bodies to define global standards on religious expression and to help prevent incitement.

As leaders called for a ban on free-speech, hundreds of Libyans converged on a main square in Benghazi and another in Tripoli in response to a call from the military to hand over their weapons, including armored personnel carriers, tanks, vehicles with mounted anti-aircraft guns and hundreds of rocket launchers. The call by the Libyan chiefs of staff was first promoted on a private TV station in August.

It gained traction however in the wake of the attack against the U.S. consulate in Benghazi. The incident has been followed by a popular uproar against armed militias which have increasingly challenged government authorities.

In response, the government called on all militias to disband or join a command center coordinating between the army and the militias. The government had relied on many militias for security during the turmoil following last year’s ouster and murder of longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi.

The government previously estimated over 200,000 people in Libya are armed.

And while Libyan’s rally, Italy’s foreign minister says the option of an Israeli attack against Iranian nuclear facilities is a concrete possibility. Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi said that added pressure on the Islāmic Republic from the European Union is expected in coming weeks, which could help jump start negotiations over Iran’s disputed nuclear program.

The card of military intervention by Israel to hit Iranian nuclear sites…is certainly a card that is still on the table,” Terzi told The Associated Press. “I consider it an option of last resort.”

European nations are seeking to agree on a new round of sanctions against Iran at a meeting next month. Meanwhile, Iran insists its program is solely for peaceful energy and scientific research purposes.

President Obama spoke to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) saying, “That is what we saw play out in the last two weeks, as a crude and disgusting video sparked outrage throughout the Muslim world. Now, I have made it clear that the United States government had nothing to do with this video, and I believe its message must be rejected by all who respect our common humanity.”

No Mr. President, it wasn’t the video – it was a terror attack perpetrated on the eleventh anniversary of the worse terror-attack committed on U.S. soil in the nation’s history. Let’s take a deeper look into the UMGA speech and the soundbites not being played by our national media.

The U.S. voted  for U.N. Resolution “16/18” against “religious intolerance,” “condemning the stereotyping, negative profiling and stigmatization of people based on their religion,” on December 19th, 2011. The U.N. “anti-blasphemy” resolution been voted on by the OIC in the Human Rights Councils every year since 1999 and in the General Assembly every year since 2005.

The Obama Administration brokered a compromise for the implementation allowing the measure to pass the U.N. General Assembly unanimously. The only example of interfaith dialogue mentioned in the resolution is in Saudi Arabia.

Said U.S. ambassador at large for international religious freedom Suzan Johnson Cook, “We must denounce offensive speech whenever we encounter it — but our commitment to universal principles makes clear that faith must never be a crime and religion must never be used as an excuse to stifle freedom of expression.”

The aim of the “anti- blasphemy” resolution is not to protect religion but to clamp down on freedom of expression.  Most Western democracies have voted against, seeing it as a threat to free speech.

Therefore. it wasn’t a surprise to hear President Obama tell the UN General Assembly, “It is time to marginalize those who — even when not directly resorting to violence — use hatred of America, or the West, or Israel, as the central organizing principle of politics. For that only gives cover, and sometimes makes an excuse, for those who do resort to violence.”

What is bothersome is the idea that he’s suddenly being hailed in the media as a defender of “free speech,” while wanting to “marginalize” those practicing free-speech, no matter how offensive, for doing so.

It’s always a good idea to be prepared ahead of time in the event of an emergency or disaster. Hopefully it is something you will never need but it’s an excellent idea to be prepared and have supplies ready ahead of time.

We see, hear or read the news daily about fires storms, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, volcanic activity, etc. Just about every part of the U.S. as well as many other countries around the world is susceptible to natural disasters of some type.

Others are prone to human-caused disasters such as fire and vehicle-related. You just may want to take heed ahead of time and keep an emergency supply or survival kit nearby or close at hand.

And the do-it-yourself kind is the way to go. Let this checklist below be a guide for you. Print it out and keep it handy.

Use it to put together a kit for yourself and family. Feel free to customize it to your families own personal needs.

It is not necessary to spend a lot of money, and I would really NOT recommend buying the ready-made or pre-packed kits from a store. You can easily put together your own kit with better quality items.

A large number of these items can be found around the house if you look for them. Another idea, if you already own a vacuum-sealer (such as a Food Saver), you can even seal clothing to make sure they stay dry.

__ Water – at least 1 gallon per day / per person for approximately 3 to 7 days

__ Food – at least enough for approximately 3 to 7 days

__ non-perishable packaged or canned food

__ non-perishable packaged or canned juices

__ specialty foods for infants or the elderly (if applicable)

__ snack foods (chips, crackers, apples, oranges, energy bars, etc)

__ Utensils

__ non-electric can opener

__ cooking tools

__ portable camping stove and fuel

__ paper plates

__ plastic utensils

__ extra ziplock or sealable bags

__ extra garbage/trash bags (medium or large)

__ aluminum foil

__ twist ties, rubber bands, etc.

__ duct tape

__ bucket(s)

__ Swiss Army Knife / multi-purpose pocket knife

__ Lighter / Matches / Flint and Steel

__ Sleeping Gear

__ Blankets

__ Pillows

__ Sleeping Bags

__ Clothing – season appropriate

__ complete change of clothing (2-3 changes per person)

__ rain gear (if applicable)

__ sturdy shoes

__ First Aid Kit (new or fully stocked)

__ Medicines / Prescription Drugs (if applicable)

__ Specialty Items – for babies and the elderly (if applicable)

__ Toiletries / Hygiene items (include dental floss for multi-purpose use)

__ dental needs

__ hand sanitizer or moisture wipes

__ towels & washcloths

__ toilet paper

__ tissue paper

__ paper towels

__ Flashlight / Batteries

__ Portable Lantern

__ Light Sticks or Glow sticks

__ Radio – Hand-cranked or Battery operated + NOAA weather radio (if possible)

__ Phones

__ fully charged cell phone with extra battery

__ traditional (not cordless) telephone set

__ Cash (with some small bills)

__ Credit Cards – Keep in mind that Banks and ATM’s may not be available for extended periods

__ Keys

__ Toys, Books and Games (age appropriate)

__ paper, drawing pads, pencils, pens, crayons, etc.

__ Important Documents – in a waterproof container or watertight resealable plastic bag

__ Insurance information

__ Medical records

__ Bank account numbers

__ Social Security card

__ Drivers License/ID Card

__ Personal phone book of family, relatives, friends, work associates, etc.

__ Tools – you should keep a set in your vehicle

__ foldable shovel, axe, hammer, pliers, wrench, screwdrivers, etc.

__ rope

__ Vehicle Fuel Tanks Filled

__ Pet care items (if applicable)

__ proper identification / immunization records / medication

__ ample supply of food and water

__ a carrier or cage

__ muzzle and leash

The most important thing is to plan ahead and start assembling these items NOW!

The FBI plans to drill outside a suburban Detroit residence  in the search for Jimmy Hoffa, the labor strongman whose disappearance is one of the most notorious and mysterious in U.S. history.  A tipster says a body was buried at the spot in Roseville, Michigan, at around the same time the Teamsters boss disappeared in 1975, but did not claim it was Hoffa’s body.

Odd how the federal government is willing to drill for a dead union guy — but won’t drill for oil.

It began with Gregory A. Prince, a Mormon author and blogger, who wrote about GOP Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney:

“His arrogant and out-of-hand dismissal of half the population of this country struck me at a visceral level, for it sullied the religion that he and I share — the religion for which five generations of my ancestry have lived and sacrificed, the religion whose official mantra is ‘to take care of the poor and needy throughout the world,’” Prince wrote. “My first impulse was to rent an airplane towing a banner: ‘Mitt Romney is Not the Face of Mormonism!’”

Prince, who claims he backed Romney in his Massachusetts gubernatorial bid and in his 2008 run for president, railed against Romney after a secretly recorded video appeared in which the candidate said 47 percent of Americans believe they are victims and entitled to government handouts.

When asked if he agreed with Prince, Senator Harry Reid, a Mormon himself, answered, “He said that Romney has sullied the religion that he, Prince and Romney share and he’s so disappointed that in his words, ‘It’s a good religion and he’s hiding from it.”

“I agree with him. Romney’s coming to a state where there are a lot of members of the LDS Church.” Reid continued, “They understand that he is not the face of Mormonism.”

Remember, facts like the truth are a tricky thing for the Democratic Senate Majority Leader.

During the 2012 Democratic National Convention the party adopted the following, “The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to make decisions regarding her pregnancy, including a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay.”

Reid has yet to denounce this platform statement which isn’t in good standing with the Mormons church. In 1973, the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released the following statement about abortion, which remains applicable today:

“The Church opposes abortion and counsels its members not to submit to or perform an abortion except in the rare cases where, in the opinion of competent medical counsel, the life or good health of the mother is seriously endangered or where the pregnancy was caused by rape and produces serious emotional trauma in the mother. Even then it should be done only after counseling with the local presiding priesthood authority and after receiving divine confirmation through prayer.”

Who is more the face of the LDS Church and who isn’t couldn’t be clearer.

“Few of Romney’s billionaire backers make actual products – most simply siphon income from ordinary workers into their Swiss bank accounts.”

That’s the latest from International Brotherhood of Teamsters president, James Hoffa, writing in the Summer 2012 issue of the union magazine, “Teamster.” He’s really nothing more than a hypocrite.

He makes nothing and yet earns $362,869 and benefits annually. Furthermore his salary comes from the membership dues paid by those who actually labor day-in and day-out.

Mind you, the average 2012 American household’s income is $63,091 per year.

William Carson situated his home in the heart of the city next to his lumber mill and the bay. From his cupola he could view commerce on the bay and check the happenings at his lumber mill to the north.

Constructed in 1884-85, for over $80,000 is a four-story, 18 room structure with a tower and basement, and one of the most photographed structures in the world.

Carson came from New Brunswick, Canada during the gold rush and tried mining along the Trinity River. By 1854 he was operating a lumber mill in Humboldt County.

In 1855 he shipped the first cargo of redwood lumber from Humboldt Bay to San Francisco, where before only spruce and fir timber had been shipped.  On April 17, 1863, Carson signed a partnership agreement with John Dolbeer which lasted for 87 years.

Dolbeer revolutionized the logging business with his mechanical talent. In 1881, he patented the “Dolbeer Steam Logging Donkey,” which modernized logging by replacing workers with machine power.

The Dolbeer and Carson Lumber Company prospered. They bought up some of the finest timberland, kept pace with the latest equipment, and they continued to prosper as logging methods and transportation improved.

By the 1890s, they owned several lumber mills, held an interest in the rail lines and in sailing vessels to insure the transport of their lumber. They incorporated the Eel River and Eureka Railroad Co. Helped build the Bucksport and Elk River Railroads and held interests in the Humboldt Northern Railroad.

The major destination for lumber was San Francisco, but they shipped all over the world. They had diverse holdings as well, including oil fields, the Humboldt Woolen Mills and Humboldt Shoe Factory.

Carson was one of the founders of Humboldt County Bank, Bank of Eureka, and the Savings Bank of Humboldt Co.  At his death, his fortune was estimated to be $20 million.

His will contained 116 beneficiaries, many company employees, as well as churches, hospitals and other community agencies.  The mansion was almost demolished when the last Carson heirs to live in the Mansion moved to San Francisco in the late 1940s.

Some Eureka businessmen decided to form a men’s club, and an option to buy the Carson property was obtained from the owners in October 1949. The deal was formally completed early in 1950 and the new club was named the Ingomar Club.

After the death of a third person exposed to the mouse-borne hantavirus, public health officials are expanding their warning to include more than 22,000 visitors to Yosemite National Park. So far, eight people who visited the 1,100-square-mile park in California this summer have been infected.

Hantavirus has been around for hundreds of years, with the first outbreak being chronicled before the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. The disease made a comeback in 1992 in the Four Corner’s area of the U.S., though it’s reappeared intermittently over the years, including 1959 and 1978.

Knowing this, one might think the National Park Service would have had an ongoing rodent abatement program in operation to protect visitors to the park. But it’s clear after so many people have turned up infected, the it didn’t.

Frightening to realize the National Park Service is run by the same folks who’ll be overseeing ObamaCare.