July 27, 1997
By Greg Risling
Tribune Staff Writer
From Grant to Clinton, commanders in chief are drawn to Lake Tahoe
The presidential visit was hyped and frenzied this weekend but it wasn't the first time the leader of the free world painted Lake Tahoe a patriotic red, white and blue. Granted, Bill Clinton and Al Gore co-hosted an environmental summit and were here on "official business." Most of the past presidents either vacationed at the lake or caught a brief glimpse of its shimmering beauty.
If the lake was a destination, it was secondary. Some Commander-in-Chiefs hit populated areas like Reno, Las Vegas and Truckee as pitstops on their demanding campaign trail. However, the lake's remote location and a mere three electoral votes in Nevada made presidents refrain from going the extra mile to reach Tahoe.
While there is a short-but-distinguished list of past presidents swinging by the lake, only a handful were actually in office at the time of their Sierra trip.
The first head of state to see the blue jewel was Ulysses S. Grant in October 1879. The decorated general, who led the Union army to victory in the Civil War during the 1860s, left office in 1877. The 18th president and his entourage were on the last leg of a world tour when their train chugged into Truckee. Grant returned three years later and took a buggy down to the North Shore, where he laid eyes on the Alpine basin. He stayed for a short time and continued his trek to Reno. He eventually made his way back to his hometown, Galena, Ill.
Two months prior to the 1880 presidential election, President Rutherford B. Hayes arrived in Nevada with a full head of steam seeking a second term. At his side were the first lady, Secretary of War Alexander Ramsey and the stalwart Civil War hero, Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman. The president's whirlwind tour stopped at Carson City. After being escorted to the Capitol Building for a reception, Hayes and his party were taken to Lake Tahoe by famed stagecoach driver Hank Monk. The procession creeped down to Glenbrook, where a picture was taken from the second story of the Lakeside House. Accompanied by a brass band, the group boarded the steamliner the Meteor. The boat was owned by Duane LeRoy Bliss, operator of the Carson & Tahoe Lumber & Fluming Company. Hayes disembarked at Tahoe City and caught a train in Truckee for San Francisco.
There isn't any documentation that the following presidents - William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson - spent time at the lake, although they all visited Truckee.
In the 20th century, it was future chief executive officers who came to Tahoe before their stay in the White House.
Probably the most spellbinding but unconfirmed report was several jaunts here by John F. Kennedy. According to the biography of Nevada Gov. Grant Sawyer, 1958-67, Sen. Kennedy came to the Silver State as part of his presidential campaign in 1960. He addressed the state Legislature and Sawyer hosted a reception in Kennedy's honor.
"When Kennedy and Pierre Salinger and their party got to Reno, they eluded the press and sneaked off in a car and went up to Lake Tahoe and looked it over before coming to Carson City," Sawyer said.
The juiciest piece of the Kennedy rumors stems from an alleged secret rendezvous with actress Marilyn Monroe on the North Shore. The blonde bombshell was a frequent guest at the Cal-Neva Lodge in Crystal Bay. The resort was owned by crooner Frank Sinatra and the two celebrities were tied to notorious mob boss, Sam Giancana. Sinatra and his "Rat Pack" had close ties with Peter Lawford, JFK's brother-in-law.
"It can't be confirmed, it's just second-hand information," said Guy Rocha, Nevada state archivist. "The Cal-Neva was dealing with some interesting figures and they were associating with each other."
The last time Kennedy had his presence felt in the region was Sept. 28, 1963, just months before his assassination in Dallas. He finished a 10,000-mile conservation tour in Las Vegas and made a reference to Lake Tahoe during his speech.
"... The remaining unspoiled shoreline of Lake Tahoe, the gem of the Sierra, must be preserved for future generations," said Kennedy. He urged legislators to keep Tahoe primarily for recreational use and that the creation of a bistate park was the best option.
Arch-nemisis Richard Nixon, vice president at the time, opened the Olympic Winter Games at Squaw Valley in 1960. Fellow Republicans Ronald Reagan and George Bush vacationed at the lake several times. Reagan reportedly stayed at the home of mutual fund tycoon Jack Dreyfus and a couple of years later, Bush visited Incline Village.
Vice President Gore mentioned on Friday that he and his family traveled by car from Tennessee to California when he was starting his political career. In line for the Democratic presidential nomination in the year 2000, Gore said he has always had a love affair with Lake Tahoe.
And, if he becomes the 43rd president of the United States, he'll probably be back.
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Last updated: July 30, 1997