Editing Lake Tahoe (section)

===Mining era===
Upon discovery of gold in the [[South Fork of the American River]] in 1848, thousands of gold seekers going west passed near the basin on their way to the gold fields. Europeans first impinged upon the Lake Tahoe basin with the 1858 discovery of the [[Comstock Lode]], a silver deposit just {{convert|15|mi|km}} to the east in [[Virginia City, Nevada]]. From 1858 until about 1890, logging in the basin supplied large timbers to shore up the underground workings of the Comstock mines.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Brown|first=Julie|date=October 30, 2020|title=Why Tahoe never became a national park|url=https://www.sfgate.com/renotahoe/article/Why-Tahoe-isn-t-a-national-park-15685996.php|access-date=December 27, 2020|work=SFGATE|language=en-US}}</ref> The logging was so extensive that loggers cut down almost all of the native forest.<ref name="usgs water"/>

Lake Tahoe became a transportation hub for the surrounding area as mining and logging commenced prior to development of railroads. The first mail delivery was via a [[sailboat]] which took a week to visit each of the lakeside communities.<ref name=ofm/> The first [[steamboat]] on Lake Tahoe was the {{convert|42|ft|m|adj=on}} [[paddle wheel]] [[tugboat]] ''Governor Blasdel'' towing log rafts to a [[sawmill]] on the south side of Glenbrook Bay from 1863 until her [[boiler]] exploded in 1877. The {{convert|40|ft|m|adj=on}} ''Truckee'' and {{convert|55|ft|m|adj=on}} [[propeller]]-driven ''Emerald'' were also towing log rafts in 1870.<ref name=dso>{{cite web |url=http://www.dougstepsout.com/2015/01/12/lake-tahoe-the-lake-of-the-sky-part-ix-the-early-steamers-on-the-lake/ |title=The Early Steamers on the Lake |last=Noble |first=Doug |date=January 12, 2015 |publisher=Doug Steps Out |access-date=September 3, 2017 }}</ref> J.A. Todman brought steam-powered passenger service to Lake Tahoe in 1872 with the {{convert|100|ft|m|adj=on}} 125-passenger [[side-wheel steamer]] ''Governor Stanford'' which reduced the mail delivery trip around Lake Tahoe to eight hours.<ref name=mmc>{{cite web |url=http://www.sierrasun.com/entertainment/the-arts/sierra-history-a-look-at-lake-tahoes-wonderful-wood-powered-steamship-past/ |title=Sierra History: a look at Lake Tahoe's wonderful wood-powered steamship past |last=McLaughlin |first=Mark |date=August 3, 2015 |publisher=Sierra Sun |access-date=September 3, 2017 }}</ref> Todman expanded service with steamboats ''Mamie'', ''Niagara'', and ''Tod Goodwin''. Lawrence & Comstock provided competition with their steel-hulled steamboat ''Tallac'' in 1890 and later purchased Todman's steamboats ''Mamie'' and ''Tod Goodwin''. The [[Carson and Tahoe Lumber and Fluming Company]] purchased the {{convert|83|ft|m|adj=on}} ''Niagara'' and built the iron-hulled steamboats ''Meteor'' in 1876 and ''Emerald (II)'' in 1887. The {{convert|75|ft|m|adj=on}} ''Meteor'' was the fastest boat on Lake Tahoe with a speed of {{convert|22|mile|km}} per hour. [[Lake Tahoe Railway and Transportation Company]] dominated the passenger and mail route after launch of their 200-passenger steamboat ''[[SS Tahoe|Tahoe]]'' on June 24, 1896. The 154-ton ''Tahoe'' was {{convert|170|ft|m}} long with a slender {{convert|18|ft|m|adj=on}} beam so her {{convert|1200|HP|kW}} engines could push her over the lake at 18.5 knots. Lake Tahoe Railway and Transportation Company purchased ''Tallac'' and rebuilt her as ''Nevada'' with length increased by {{convert|20|ft|m}} to serve as a backup steamboat when ''Tahoe'' required maintenance.<ref name=ofm>{{cite book |last=McKean |first=Owen F. |title =Railroads and Steamers of Lake Tahoe |publisher =Francis Guido |location =San Mateo, California |pages =9, 14, 15,30&31 }}</ref>

''Tod Goodwin'' burned at Tallac, and most of the other steamboats were retired as the sawmills ran out of trees and people began traveling by automobile.<ref name=ofm/> ''Niagara'' was scrapped at Tahoe City in 1900.<ref name=mmc/> ''Governor Stanford'' was beached at Glenbrook where its boiler was used until 1942 heating cottages at Glenbrook Inn and Ranch. Steamboats continued to carry a mail clerk around Lake Tahoe until 1934, when the mail contract was given to the {{convert|42|ft|m|adj=on}} motorboat ''Marian B'' powered by two [[Chevrolet]] engines. Mail delivery moved ashore after the ''Marian B'' was lost on May 17, 1941, when her owner and the mail clerk attempted mail delivery during a storm.<ref name=ofm/> The {{convert|60|ft|m|adj=on}} ''Emerald (II)'' left Lake Tahoe in 1935 to become a fishing boat in [[San Diego]].<ref name=dso/> Historic ''Tahoe'', ''Nevada'', and ''Meteor'' were purchased with hope they might be preserved; but were scuttled in deep water after deterioration made preservation impractical. The latter two lie in Glenbrook Bay, but ''Tahoe'' sank in deeper water.<ref name=ofm/>