Brockway, California
Encyclopedia
Brockway is an unincorporated community
in Placer County
, California
. Brockway is located on the north shore of Lake Tahoe
on State Line Point, adjacent to the Nevada
state border. It lies at an elevation of 6266 feet (1910 m).
The Brockway post office operated from 1901 to 1966. The name honors Nathaniel Brockway, uncle of the first postmaster.
Brockway was one of the first places settled at Lake Tahoe by American immigrants to California after the first Trans-Continental Railroad, which passed 12 miles north of the lake, through Truckee
. The first road built to transport tourists from the Truckee railstop to Lake Tahoe was over Brockway summit (Highway 267), and ended at the Brockway pier, where steamers could take visitors to other locations. Soon afterwards, a spur railroad was built to Tahoe City from Truckee, and it became the first real resort community at the lake. (The old railroad grade is now a bicycle path along the Truckee River
.)
Brockway has the only hot springs at Lake Tahoe, right at the shore. Old "grain grinding holes" are visible in massive talus boulders along the shore. A "commodious" hotel was constructed around 1869, shortly after the completion of the road over Brockway Summit.
Brockway was once located in two different states as surveyors establishing the California-Nevada border (which makes its turn to the north in the middle of the lake) mistakenly placed the line a half mile west of its proper location, placing Brockway in Nevada. It was eventually corrected.
The Brockway community grew and numerous homes were built in the 1920s and 30's. In the 1930s and 40's, Brockway attracted Hollywood celebrities.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Placer County
Placer County, California
Placer County is a county located in both the Sacramento Valley and Sierra Nevada regions of the U.S. state of California, in what is known as the Gold Country. It stretches from the suburbs of Sacramento to Lake Tahoe and the Nevada border. Because of the expansion of the Greater Sacramento,...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Brockway is located on the north shore of Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
on State Line Point, adjacent to the Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
state border. It lies at an elevation of 6266 feet (1910 m).
The Brockway post office operated from 1901 to 1966. The name honors Nathaniel Brockway, uncle of the first postmaster.
Brockway was one of the first places settled at Lake Tahoe by American immigrants to California after the first Trans-Continental Railroad, which passed 12 miles north of the lake, through Truckee
Truckee, California
Truckee is an incorporated town in Nevada County, California, United States. The population was 16,180 at the 2010 census, up from 13,864 at the 2000 census.-Name:...
. The first road built to transport tourists from the Truckee railstop to Lake Tahoe was over Brockway summit (Highway 267), and ended at the Brockway pier, where steamers could take visitors to other locations. Soon afterwards, a spur railroad was built to Tahoe City from Truckee, and it became the first real resort community at the lake. (The old railroad grade is now a bicycle path along the Truckee River
Truckee River
The Truckee River is a stream in the U.S. states of California and Nevada. The river is about long. Its endorheic drainage basin is about , of which about are in Nevada. The Truckee is the sole outlet of Lake Tahoe and drains part of the high Sierra Nevada, emptying into Pyramid Lake in the Great...
.)
Brockway has the only hot springs at Lake Tahoe, right at the shore. Old "grain grinding holes" are visible in massive talus boulders along the shore. A "commodious" hotel was constructed around 1869, shortly after the completion of the road over Brockway Summit.
Brockway was once located in two different states as surveyors establishing the California-Nevada border (which makes its turn to the north in the middle of the lake) mistakenly placed the line a half mile west of its proper location, placing Brockway in Nevada. It was eventually corrected.
The Brockway community grew and numerous homes were built in the 1920s and 30's. In the 1930s and 40's, Brockway attracted Hollywood celebrities.