News and Events
"Bartell's Backroads" Segments with museum curator Greg Zirbel
In the August 29th episode of "Bartell's Backroads", John Bartell interviews Greg Zirbel at the museum and visits the Chinese Catfish Pond above Donner Ski Ranch. In the September 5th edition, John and Greg visit the Rocking Stone and the Old Jail.
Winter Carnival 2025
Winter Carnival 2025 is planned for February 28th through March 2nd, 2025. Watch this space and the Truckee-Donner Historical Society website for details!
Truckee History Articles
History of the Donner Party Hike
The Donner Party Hike (DPH) has been offering hikes to fellow hikers, historians and people who are interested in the history of this area for 31 years. The hike started in 1992 shortly before the...
Van Norden Meadow: A Sierra Jewel
Summit Valley at Van Norden contains the largest meadow in the Yuba watershed. It is also one of the largest restoration projects undertaken by the South Yuba River Citizens’ League (SYRCL) working with the Forest...
The Survival of Independence Lake, Part 1
Independence Lake is known as the jewel of the Sierra. It is unique among the lakes of the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada because it still retains all its native fish species and is...
1900s Tunneling Through the Sierra
On Saturday, August 17, 1901, the front page of the Sacramento Bee proclaimed “Six Mile Tunnel Through Sierra”. The article noted that the new tunnel would shorten the Sierra crossing by seven miles and eliminate...
Trains Come Through Truckee Every Day
Trains have historically been very safe on a per-pound-moved basis but recent events have raised concerns on the issue of trains and their safety. Truckee alone has 15 to 25 Union Pacific freight trains and...
The 1952 Snowbound Streamliner
January 13, 1952 was the third day of a major winter storm in the Sierra, with 100 mph winds and blowing snow. For the crew of the luxury diesel-powered City of San Francisco passenger train,...