The Rich History of South Lake Tahoe's Barton Ranch

Having recently read an article about the owners of the Barton Ranch property planning to tear down all the buildings as they rot and decay for the advancement of the Tahoe Valley Plan I felt I had to reply. Although I haven't read over that plan I am aware of the rich history of the Barton family who are clearly one of Lake Valley's founding families.

Interestingly there is a historic look at this property as it led up to the Barton family obtaining the property. The original acreage that W.D. Barton acquired from Melville and Emma Lawrence and Harry O. and Adelaide Comstock in 1915 is of interest from a historical perspective having a tie to Lucky Baldwin's property at Kiva Beach.

Ephraim "Yank" Clement sold his property at Meyers around 1873 and moved over to the area around Taylor Creek on the other side of Matthew Gardner's property that was later to become Camp Richardson where Yank built a hotel. Now Yank had all of the buildings from livery stable, general store, a saloon, several barns, cabins and tents and a dance floor with springs.

When Elias "Lucky" Baldwin arrived at Yanks he fell in love with everything and bought it all. Even though Lucky owned it all he had help running things so the property was leased out to George Lord Mortimer Comstock a former Sheriff in Mineral County Nevada in the 1860s. Comstock, along with Melville Lawrence leased the property for 10 years being very involved with the property for some 30 years. George Comstock only shared in the property for about six years. After his death, Mrs. Nellie Comstock and her son Harry O. Comstock continued on. Harry's mother at some point married Frank Brockway Alverson of Brockway Hot Springs. When the Brockway Resort ran into financial difficulty around 1909. M. Lawrence and Harry O. Comstock bought in shortly before Lucky Baldwin passed away. In 1909, Lawrence and Comstock let go the Tallac property and subsequently sold a large parcel in Tahoe Valley to the Bartons in 1915.

Fascinating how so many people around the lake were connected through real estate. Even back in 1883, A.J. Bayley, proprietor of the Grand Central Hotel in Tahoe City, invested in Campbell Hot Springs for a time. Before that was the time for the steamer Niagra, considered the slowest steamer on the lake having advertised a brass band, a cruise and a dance at Campbell's Hot Springs all for $1.

So it is hoped that some how the Barton Property can be persevered or at least that last building be saved. Wouldn't it be nice if the Tahoe Valley Plan could put that building to use in some historic way. I would love to see the Lake Tahoe Historical Society have their museum in that building, I guess that is just wishful thinking and I suspect I am not alone.

(Information from Saga of Lake Tahoe I and II by Edward Scott)