Van Sickle Bi-State Park in South Lake Tahoe in El Dorado County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Henry Van Sickle

Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, May 15, 2023

1. Henry Van Sickle Marker

Inscription. Henry Van Sickle, 1822-1894
Henry Van Sickle arrived in the Carson Valley in 1852, settling near Genoa. Before Nevada became a state in 1864, and when the area was still part of the Utah Territory, Van Sickle began welcoming weary travelers – and Pony Express riders – to his Van Sickle Station, located along the Carson Route of the Overland Emigrant Trail.

An Entrepreneurial Spirit
Always the entrepreneur, Van Sickle served as the first toll master of the Kingsbury Grade wagon road, built in 1860. The road shortened the travel distance by 15 miles between Sacramento, California and the Comstock Lode’s silver mines in Virginia City, Nevada. Saving a day’s travel was well worth the $17.50 round trip toll. In 1863, toll receipts netted $190,000. Van Sickle sold the road to Douglas County for $1,000 in 1889.

After surviving “long haired” Sam Brown’s murder attempt in 1861, Van Sickle killed the famous outlaw and became a Carson Valley leader for the next 20 years. In 1894, Van Sickle died at age 72 when his runaway horses hit a heavy gate post at his ranch, crushing him. He is buried in the Genoa Cemetery.

“All who came

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over the mountains stopped for a brief rest at Van Sickle’s place.”
- Genoa Weekly Courier, 1894 -

Van Sickle Bi-State Park

Erected by California Tahoe Conservancy & Nevada State Parks.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Parks & Recreational Areas • Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1852.

Location. 38° 57.225′ N, 119° 56.316′ W. Marker is in South Lake Tahoe, California, in El Dorado County. It is in Van Sickle Bi-State Park. It can be reached from Lake Parkway, on the left when traveling south. The resin marker is mounted in a kiosk at the parking area next to the barn. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 30 Lake Parkway, South Lake Tahoe CA 96150, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in California’s Sacramento Metro,

in the Sierra Nevada,

and in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

It is also in the American Mountain West.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, May 15, 2023

2. Henry Van Sickle Marker

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Jack’s Ranch (here, next to this marker); Pony Express State Line Crossing (approx. 0.4 miles away in Nevada); The Pony Express (approx. half a mile away in Nevada); Friday’s Added Station (approx. 0.7 miles away in Nevada); Veterans Memorial (approx. ¾ mile away); Lakeside Beach History (approx. ¾ mile away); Washoe Woman (approx. 0.8 miles away); Sky Harbor Airport and Casino (approx. 1.6 miles away in Nevada). Touch for a list and map of all markers in South Lake Tahoe.

More about this marker. Inset Image:
Henry married Julia Van Vleck, his second wife, in 1870.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Kingsbury Grade and Jack's Ranch

Also see . . .
1. The Story of Kingsbury Grade. Carson Valley Visitors Authority

"In the 1860s, it was the jumping-off point for gold-seekers heading up Daggett Pass to the goldfields of California. But today it takes a little searching
Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, May 15, 2023

3. Van Sickle Barn
to find the spot."

(Submitted on May 16, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.)

2. Kingsbury Grade. Nevada State Historic Preservation Office

"Originally named Georgetown Trail, the Dagget Pass Trail and Pass was named after Charles Dagget who acquired the land at the base of the road in 1854. In 1859— 1860, David Kingsbury and John McDonald received a franchise from the Utah Territory to operate the toll road."

(Submitted on May 16, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.)

3. Henry Van Sickle.

"Van Sickle’s heroic legacy will always be associated with his killing of the murderer Sam Brown. His victims usually included unarmed men, drunks, or drunks who were unarmed. For some reason he went after Van Sickle who was not a drunk, not unarmed, and not afraid! ...Van Sickle waited for him after a long chase with many shots exchanged and when he came around a corner he unloaded both barrels of his shotgun at close range. A quick vigilante coroner's jury was initiated two days later. The jury brought in a verdict that Samuel Brown had come to his death from 'a just dispensation of an all-wise
Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, May 15, 2023

4. Van Sickle Bi-State Park Sign
Providence.'"

(Submitted on May 16, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.)

State Line Across the Park Road image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, May 15, 2023

5. State Line Across the Park Road

Credits. This page was last revised on May 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 16, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. This page has been viewed 1,577 times since then and 64 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on May 16, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.