While reading about the Civil War he learned that one of the Civil War's Photographers, A.J. Russell, eventually became a main photographer of the Union Pacific at the building of the First Transcontinental Railroad. The past 6 years, their vacations have taken them from Council Bluffs, IA., to Sacramento, in pursuit of their passionate interest.

The Carson and Tahoe Lumber and Fluming Company (C&TL&F) was one of the two major logging operations in the Tahoe basin during the heyday of the Comstock lode mining boom. From 1875 to 1898, the C&TL&F used four railroads and a V-shaped flume to move the forest of the Tahoe basin to Virginia City to be used primarily to shore underground mines using square set timbering. In 1898, with the depletion of the forest and decline in mining, the C&TL&F was dismantled and its equipment moved to Tahoe City to build the Lake Tahoe Railway to Truckee, ushering in the era of Lake Tahoe tourism.

Steve and Dan will discuss the founding, operation and ultimate demise of the C&TL&F and the evidence of this historic railroad that can still be explored today.

Dr. Steve Edelman is a geologist with an interest in the historical geography of railroads. His website, Southwest Railroad History at swrrh.com, contains a map of all active and abandoned railroads of the southwest quadrant of the United States with over 500 geolocated interpretive photo-essays of various railroad features.

Dan Cobb is President of the Truckee Donner Railroad Society, founder of the Railroad Society’s “Truckee 1927” model railroad project, “trestle tour” guide, and author of several articles about the railroad history of the Truckee/Tahoe area.

While it is widely known that Chinese workers labored at Donner Summit during the construction of the western leg of the Transcontinental Railroad, it is less well known that Truckee was home to a thriving Chinatown from 1867 to 1886. Within this small but vibrant community, Chinese railroad workers, merchants, wood choppers, doctors, restaurateurs, labor contractors, and laundrymen lived and worked in the heart of town. Celebrating Chinese New Year, building community associations and establishing families, the residents of Chinatown enjoyed a rich cultural life that extended far beyond labor. Today, Truckee-Donner Historical Society, in collaboration with researcher Linda Bentz, is working to recover and share the stories of this community. This talk will explore the lives, traditions, and contributions of the Chinese residents of Truckee in the nineteenth century, bringing greater visibility to a vital but often overlooked part of the town’s history.

In a captivating narrative that challenges the conventional, 150 years ago, the destiny of the United States rested in the hands of an unlikely group—foreign teenage boys hailing from Canton. Amidst the turmoil of the Civil War, as the country was torn apart and its sons perished, a small cadre of Chinese youths from Guangdong was entrusted with an extraordinary task: uniting the nation by constructing the western segment of the Iron Road across the formidable Sierra Nevada. Armed with picks, hammers, shovels, blasting powder, and an unyielding spirit, these young individuals, characterized by their slight build, distinctive appearance, and traditional pigtails, labored to build the railroad through some of North America's most unforgiving landscapes.

"The Iron Road & the Steam-Breathing Dragon" intimately recounts the journey from the perspective of two brothers from Guangdong seeking adventure and fortune, delving into their encounters with mortality, the forging of friendships, and the legacy of an Iron Road that united the country for the first time.

Linda Bentz received her Bachelor’s degree from UCLA, and her Master’s degree from San Diego State University. She has studied five historical Chinese communities: Ventura, Oxnard, Santa Barbara, Cambria and Truckee. Working with the National Parks Service, the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and the US Navy she investigated the presence of Chinese abalone harvesters on the Channel Islands. She researched and wrote the script for the documentary, Courage and Contributions: the Chinese in Ventura County and has published essays in books and journals. In 2012, she completed a book about Chinese communities in Ventura County, Hidden Lives: A Century of Chinese American History in Ventura County. Ms. Bentz currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California, and works as a researcher for the Truckee-Donner Historical Society.

Russ Low is a California-born 4th-generation Chinese American physician who is a great-grandson of Hung Lai Wah, a Transcontinental Railroad worker, and Tom Ying, a rescued child slave. Low’s stories celebrate our connections to the past and the valor and patriotism of the World War II Generation. The story of Low’s family has been featured on the History Channel, BBC Radio, National Public Radio, and the Voice of America. It is included in the California State Railroad Museum and the Smithsonian Museum of American History. Russell’s passion for research, family history, and storytelling comes together in recently published books entitled “Three Coins,” “The All-American Crew,” “Avengers, Wildcats, & Crickets,” and “A Willow Tree Becomes a Forest.”

Power was a necessity and needed in the early Truckee days. The Comstock load in Neveda was the first to demand more power. It was from the Truckee River that they found a cheap renewable resource of power. The hydroelectric power plants brought needed power from 1800s to today. Learn about the plants along the river and how to see four of the five plants still existing and operational.

Dave and Judy, both engineers, are avid fans of the history of Truckee and board members of the Museum of Truckee History. They live full time in Truckee with their Belgian Sheepdog, Morticia.

In 1960, the world's eyes focused on Olympic Valley and Lake Tahoe as the Winter Olympics unfolded on a world stage. Athletes from a world locked in the epic Cold War converged to compete and share the spirit and ideals of the Olympic movement. For 11 days, 665 athletes from 30 countries gathered to compete in five recognized Olympic winter sports across 27 events. CBS broadcast live events, plus the pageantry and artistic expression of the opening and closing ceremonies, produced by the legendary Walt Disney.

The Tahoe Sierra is the birthplace of downhill skiing in America. By 1860 gold miners and their families were ski racing for fun and prize money. Reaching 90 mph they were the fastest humans on the planet! In 1895 Truckee established an Ice Carnival to boost its winter economy. By the 1930s athletes were ski jumping in Berkeley and San Francisco. The history of winter sports is a wild ride that captured the imagination of our nation.

All presentations will be held Truckee Tahoe Airport Community room, 10356 Truckee Airport Road, Truckee at 6 pm. The presentations are free but donations to support the museum and Truckee's history are always appreciated.