History Sunday: The ties between South Lake Tahoe and Indianapolis 500

As many watched the Indianapolis 500 on television Sunday, they were tuned into the excitement of the race, maybe not really reflecting on the history of the racetrack, dubbed "The Brickyard." The Brickyard and parts of South Lake Tahoe have a lot in common.

The Brickyard

In 1908, Carl Fisher, the Prest-O-Lite auto-headlight mogul, built a five-mile track on 320 acres where car makers could safely test and demonstrate their vehicles. The course originally was made of crushed stone and tar, but because of the numerous accidents and deaths, was re-covered in 3.2 million bricks prior to the first Indy 500 in 1911. Fisher also later turned a swamp into Miami Beach, Florida.

Lincoln Highway

Most of the 2.5 million miles of roads in the country prior to 1913 were just dirt: bumpy and dusty in dry weather, impassable in wet weather. The roads also didn't lead anywhere. Then came Carl Fisher's idea of a highway.

With the rapidly growing popularity of cars he saw the need for improved, hard-surfaced roads. Fisher envisioned a road that would stretch almost 3400 miles from coast to coast, New York to San Francisco, over the shortest practical route. When he ran a bit short on funds to create the highway, his friend Henry Joy, president of the Packard Motor Car Company, came up with the idea of going to Washington, DC to get support. They convinced Congress that, since there was no monument to Abraham Lincoln (at that time) that they should invest in helping build the road and name it the Lincoln Highway.

How South Lake Tahoe and the Brickyard are "related"

As the route for the Lincoln Highway was created, it made its way across Nevada and in Reno, it split in two. One portion continued to Sacramento along much of the same route I-80 now uses, and the other ventured south to Carson City along what is now Hwy 395. At King Road the route turned west and headed over the mountains to Lake Tahoe. The Lincoln Highway ventured past Stateline along what we now know as Highway 50 until it reached Pioneer Trail. Here the Lincoln Highway followed Pioneer Trail to Meyers where it made its way over the summit to Echo Lake and then on to Sacramento.

The Lake Tahoe Historical Society Museum has a cement marker from the original Lincoln Highway on display.