Things changed quickly during the mid-1800s. The westward exploration by John C. Fremont in 1844 put Lake Tahoe on the maps.
Many settlers came to Tahoe for mining after gold discovery, but Lake Tahoe basin wasn’t particularly fruitful when it came to precious metals.
Many of the failed miners that settled the area found success logging the forests to provide lumber for the railroad and the Comstock Lode in Nevada (1859-1880).
A couple of these settlers including Jack Sargeant Ellis, a dairy farmer for whom Ellis Peak is named, and Dick Madden who settled along the creek that now bears his name.