Fannette Island

Over the last 100 years, Tahoe’s only island has been known by a number of names. In 1866, a group of young vacationers dreamed up the first name, Coquette, a word referring to a flirtatious or seductive woman. Attracted to the island’s beauty, the group found the climb to the top of the small island impossible. The island inspired other names, such as Dead Man’s and Hermit’s Island after Captain Dick Barter. As the sole caretaker of a nearby resort, Barter lived at Emerald Bay and died in one of the lake’s winter storms. Also called Baronoffi Island and Emerald Isle, the island’s current name, Fannette, is thought to be a mis-interpretation of the island’s original name Coquette. The small stone building at the top of the island was built at the same time as Vikingsholm, when Mrs. Knight had stone hauled to the island for construction. The rustic 16 by 16 foot house served as Mrs. Knight’s teahouse, and she brought her guests to the island by boat only a few times each summer.

California · United States