History Of Clearlake
2 million years ago - Initial formation of Clear Lake.
100-600 thousand years ago - Mt. Konocti formed slowly in several eruptive episodes.
10,000 years ago - California becomes home to immigrating groups of early Americans.
6,000 BC - early Native Americans inhabit Clear Lake region
1821 -first arrival of Spanish soldiers, led by Luis Arguello, who were taking Indians back to missions (Arguello was first provisional governor of California in 1822 under Mexico). -Mexico wins independence from Spain.
1830s-40s -area Indians captured by the Vallejo's to work in Sonoma and elsewhere.
1839 -Capt. Salvadore Vallejo begins cattle operations in area (longhorns)
1842 -Indian Island Massacre, when S. Vallejo led expedition from Sonoma to take Indians back to work the fields
1844 -Elisha Stevens leads party from Missouri to California (including James Madison Harbin).
1845 -Rancho Guenoc granted to George Roch by Pio Pico, the last Mexican governor (21,200 acres). -George Roch begins cattle operations, also Robert Ridley.
1846 -Jacob P. Lease begins cattle operations.
1848 -California taken from Mexico to become part of U.S.
1849 -Ben and Andrew Kelsey, Mr. Shirland and Charles Stone arrive to take over cattle operations of Salvadore Vallejo (Ben left with Indians to explore Sacramento River valley).
1850 -George Roch builds log cabin near present Stone House; abandoned it in 1851. -Capt. Nathaniel Lyon leads attack in the Bloody Island Massacre.
1850-52 - -Ben Moore helps Salvatore Vallejo find stray cattle, and later also assists Kelsey and Stone, later turned to cattle rustling and finally disappeared to South America.
1852 -Harbin Springs discovered by Archibald Ritchie and James Harbin. -Mendocino and Napa counties divide Lake County through center of lake.
1853 -Capt. R. Steele and Robert Sterling build the Stone House (completed in 1854). Mrs. Sterling was first white woman to live in the territory . .
1854 -settlement of Scotts Valley begins in earnest. -Mt. Konocti named Uncle Sam Mountain. -John Grigsby and family homestead near Lower Lake (small house now part of Anderson ranch house).
1855 -Napa County takes control of all of Clear Lake.
1856. -borax discovered in county.
1856-58 -Upper Lake's first business, a blacksmith shop, is operated by Mr. Elliott.
1857 -first 'motel' built by Thomas Way outside Upper Lake as a stage stop with family living first floor and travelers upstairs.
-John Cobb builds saw and grist mill on Kelsey Creek (it burned in 1866-67).
1859 -first home in Lower Lake built by E. Mitchell.
1860 -Herrick and Getz start store on site of Stone House (first at south end of lake).
1861 -first Lakeport courthouse built (of wood). -Lake County formed on May 20.
1863 -brewery built by Robert Smith (Ruddle place), 1 mile west of Lakeport, also had kiln with J.C.W. Ingram for bricks to rebuild courthouse.
1864-68 -Borax Lake site of first borax mine in the U.S., owned by California Borax Company, took out 590 tons of borax.
1864 -Cache Creek Dam built to operate mills. -Lucerne's first settler, Samuel Morrison, builds his first home there.
1865 -first store opened in Upper Lake by Mr. Bukofsky. -Byrum opens first hotel in Lower Lake.
1866 -town site of Upper Lake decided upon.
1867 -Lakeport courthouse burns (suspiciously). -Guenoc post office established in Stone House.
1867-73 -borax operations move to Little Borax Lake, ending with discovery of borax in California and Nevada deserts.
1868 -Harbin Hot Springs begins as small resort. -Cache Creek Dam Incident when locals tore down dam and destroyed mills after waters flooded most of Lower Lake and Anderson Ranch.
1870s -Mounds Cottages and Hotel owned by Richard Floyd with first pier on the lake where he docked the 'Hallie.
1870 -J.H. Berry builds first house in present site of Middletown. -Middletown gets its first saloon
1871 -main part of Highland Springs hotel built with 5 cottages, room for 60 guests.
1871-72 -Middletown laid out on stage route midway between Calistoga and Lower Lake.
1872 -legendary 'Monster of Blue Lakes' or 'Devil Fish' is again spotted and causes Indians from all around to gather at temescal at Quercus Ranch to await an expected calamity (the Misha Dance).
1873 -the 'Hallie,' the first steamer on Clear Lake is launched by Capt. Richard Floyd at Lower Lake Landing (Garner's Resort).
1874 -second steamer, 'Emma Garrett,' a stern paddle-wheeler, makes runs between Lakeport, East Bank, Clearlake Oaks and Lower Lake (owned by Bank of Lake).
1875 - -Thomas H. Buckingham of San Francisco purchases property at base of Mt. Konocti for a small estate.
1876 -James Lick (Lick Observatory) dies at age 80.
1877 -Lower Lake grammar school rebuilt. -Bartlett Springs slowly bought out by McMahon family.
1879 -Blue Lakes Hotel built by E.A. Graham (who also built Blue Lakes toll road).
1880 -village and post office of Guenoc moves to Middletown.
1881 -Harbin Springs a small village, more than 25 buildings and working farm.
1882 -Black Bart robs the stage from Lakeport to Cloverdale in November.
1883 - -Black Bart again robs the Lakeport/Cloverdale stage outside Cloverdale.
1884 -John Still Anderson buys Anderson Ranch from Grigsbys .
1885 -Hoberg's Resort founded by Gustav Hoberg family.
1887 -post office in town of Ely established.
1888 -English actress Lily Langtry purchases estate built by David Hudson and surrounding vineyards, maintaining it until 1906.
1890 -Ely post office moves to Kelseyville.
1891 -Highland Springs hotel becomes luxury hotel for several hundred guests, becomes main stopover on Pieta Toll Road
1892 -'Gentleman Jim' Corbett trains at Bartlett Springs for win over John L. Sullivan. -Lakeport gets its first telephone.
1893 -Dr. James Blake, 'California's first great scientist,' dies and is buried in Middletown.
1894 - -the residence of C.H.F. Braun (Swiss Consulate of Marin and San Francisco counties) is completed (3645 Lakeshore Boulevard. in Lakeport).
1894 - -Bartlett Springs listed as first-class resort with 5 hotels, 350 cabins, and other buildings serving 5,000 guests at once (Queen Marie of Rumania was a guest).
1894-96 -Charles Young tears down and rebuilds Stone House as ranch house.
1896 -Blue Lakes Toll Road sold to County by E.A. Graham.
1897(?) -Highland Springs Resort and Spa built by J. Craig.
1898 -Benvenue Pavilion, built by Hotel Benvenue owners Mr., and Mrs. Frank Scales, with dance hall, boat and bath houses.
1899 -St. John's Episcopal Church completed in Lakeport (Willis Polk of San Francisco was the architect).
1903 - -Mary Downen establishes first homestead on Mt. Konocti.
1904 -the wood-burning steamer 'City of Lakeport' begins runs between Lakeport and Bartlett Landing (contracted by Mr. Brundage).
1906-07 -first auto-stage runs begun by Mr. Libby with two 5-passenger Pierce Arrows.
1906 -Witter Springs expands to 113 rooms with verandas which could seat 5,000 (smaller hotel was later torn down).
1908 -steamer 'City of Lakeport' sinks and is later raised for salvage.
1909 -Soda Bay Resort bought by Bay Area investors for development.
1910 -Benvenue Pavilion destroyed by storm. -part of Saratoga Springs resort destroyed by fire.
1911 -Lakeport gets its first electricity.
1912-13 -Blue Lakes Hotel burns again and is again rebuilt.
1914 -Witter Springs resort torn down.
1915 -new Carnegie Library opens in Lakeport.
1915-16 -Benvenue Hotel closes and is torn down to later became the site of St. Mary's Church.
1915-17 -Clear Lake Lodge (Nice) used as YMCA summer camp.
1917 -Ethan Anderson (Pomo) wins right to vote for California Indians not on large reservations (Lake County Courthouse).
1918 -Middletown burns.
1921(22) -Judge Hastings' 'Carsonia' estate (Nice) is bought by Keelings and Rodmans and divided into Clear Lake Villas, first real subdivision in county.
1923 -All of Lucerne, except for 21 acres, sold to Clear Lake Beach Company and a public road is laid.
1924 -much of downtown Upper Lake burns.
1924-25 -Clearlake Highlands begins to be developed.
1925-27 -Pittsburg Pirates train at Harbin Springs.
1927-29 -electricity and better roads brings resorts to shores and death to isolated resorts.
1928 -Middletown gets electricity.
1929 -Harbin Springs gets electricity.
1930 -community of Nice formed with its own post office.
1934 -Bartlett Springs burns, never to reopen as a resort.
1936 -Lake County Museum founded.
1942 -Laurel Dell resort closed by fire.
1943 -Adams Springs resort burns first time.
1944 -Frank Hartmann buys Stone House from Charles Young.
1945 -Highland Springs resort burns and never reopens.
1948 -Clear Lake State Park created.
1950s -estate of John Behr (Kolaiah Bay at Soda Bay Resort) sold to San Francisco union and turned into Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa.
1954 -Adams Springs resort burns second time.
1955 -Stone House burns, losing most of upper floor, then rebuilt in present form.
1960 -Highland Springs resort taken over by Lake County, torn down for dam and reservoir.
1960s-Indian Island becomes summer home for the M.S. Dodd family.
1963 -Kono Tayee sold to Hayward land developer for $500,000.
1965 -Kono Tayee torn down for a housing development.
1978 -Lake County Museum moves into renovated old courthouse in Lakeport.
1980 -Clearlake incorporated by combining Clear Lake Highlands, Cache Creek, Burns Valley, and part of Clear Lake Park.
1985(86) -Vittel mineral water company of France opens bottling plant in Nice to bottle Bartlett Springs water, and to begin restoration of the resort.
1987 -Pine Acres Resort Hotel (Blue Lakes Hotel) damaged by fire during rebuilding.
1993-94 -Friends of the Museum established to support the Lake County Museum.
