An Evening with George Whittell, Jr. Sept. 16 at Gold Hill Hotel Chautauqua
On Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 7:30 p.m., Mr. Whittell will pay a visit to the Gold Hill Hotel from his summer retreat at the Thunderbird Lodge on Lake Tahoe. He will undoubtedly have some stories that include Bill the Lion, his elephant Mingo, surviving World Wars I and II, and his six custom Duesenberg luxury cars.
Whittell is played by Steve Hale in first person and costume. In the Chautauqua you may be the first to hear about his big plans for his 30,000 acre estate and 27 miles of shoreline on the Lake!
The evening starts off with dinner in the Crown Point Restaurant from 5-7 p.m., followed by the presentation at 7:30pm. Dinner and presentation is $20 and presentation only $5. Reservations can be made directly with the Gold Hill Hotel at 775.847.0111.
George Whittell, Jr. brought the life of a flamboyant millionaire to the shores of Lake Tahoe for decades in the early 20th Century. His larger than lifestyle is still preserved in his historic 1939 Thunderbird Lodge built on the east shore and his custom Hacker mahogany 56-foot speedboat “Thunderbird” which still plies the blue waves of Lake Tahoe.
Stories about the “Captain” abound ranging from youthful antics, his the one-of-a-kind Dusenbergs, his three marriages, card games, showgirls, boat rides to the Crystal Bay Casino, and menagerie of African animals.
His colorful life, love of the Lake and the privacy afforded by the thousands of acres he acquired have left a legacy of land stewardship that punctuate the tumultuous later years of his storied life.
As fascinating as is the story of the man, is the story of how he unwittingly became one of the greatest benefactors in the preservation of most of the east side of Lake Tahoe while leaving behind historical treasures from the gilded age in Lake Tahoe’s rich history.
Other programs in the Tuesday night historic lecture series can be viewed here.