This scene was originally photographed by Alfred A Hart in the
1860?s.
The peak on the right is called Old Man Mountain, with Phoenix Lake below
it. In nearby Meadow Lake, a gold-rush town sprang up and in 1866 had 3000-4000
people, 600 structures, including 13 hotels, two theaters, a brewery, a bank, a
stock exchange, a church, several saloons and a newspaper. When it was found
that the gold was extremely hard to extract, the town quickly disappeared.
Mark Twain visited the area, and wrote ?We
traveled by stage to Meadow Lake, over a villainous road, which usually led
through beautiful picturesque mountain scenery, variegated with taverns, where
they charge reasonable rates for dinners and get them up
satisfactorily...
Here you find Washoe recklessness and
improvidence repeated: A lot of highly promising but unprospected ledges, and
behold! on such guarantees as these they have built a handsome town and painted
it neatly, and planned wide, long streets, and got ready for a rush of business,
and then--jumped aboard the stage coaches and deserted it!?
There?s nothing left of it today. We hiked all
day and never saw another soul.
Art
D600 24mm SPM
CS5
(552K)