As early as 1863, two hotels with appurtenant stables stood here. In 1872, one hotel became a station on the newly completed Virginia and Truckee Railroad between Carson City and Reno. Three inverted siphon pipelines crossed under the highway, furnishing water from the Sierra Nevada watershed to Virginia and Carson Cities. Work on the 76 mile box flume and pipeline system began here in 1873 with construction of a maintenance station, and the Virginia and Gold Hill Water Company's water-gathering and transportation complex quickly became world famous. By 1881, Lakeview had become a lumber storage area for timber cut in the Lake Tahoe Basin, and in 1887 shipping increased when lumber was fed to the yard by a V-flume from above present Incline Village. From here timber products were shipped by Virginia and Truckee Railroad cars to the Comstock mines and other points until activity ceased in 1896.