Fannette Island is the only island in
Lake Tahoe,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
/
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. It lies within
Emerald Bay, on the California side of the lake. Over a long period of time, it was called many different names, including Coquette, Fanette, Baranoff, Dead Man's, Hermit's, and Emerald Isle. Fannette Island is a part of Emerald Bay State Park. It is accessible by boat, canoe, or kayak. Swimming to the island is not allowed, due to hazards including extremely cold waters and boat traffic in the area.
The ruins of a small stone building stand on the island. The ruin is called the "Tea House," constructed by Mrs.
Lora Josephine Knight, the former owner of
Vikingsholm
Vikingsholm is a 38-room mansion on the shore of Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe, in El Dorado County, California, U.S., and on the National Register of Historic Places. It has been called "one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in ...
.
Fannette Island was the home of Captain Dick "Them's my toes" Barter from 1863 to 1873. The eccentric captain had moved from England and built his own tomb and chapel on the island. He enjoyed sailing but almost died when caught in a sudden storm rowing back to the island. He survived by tying himself to his dinghy and riding out the storm. Unfortunately he got frostbite in two toes and earned his nickname from his penchant of showing his
self-amputated toes to guests. Ironically, he was never interred in the chapel he built, as he was lost in a storm off
Rubicon Point in 1873.
References
External links
*
More information about Fannette Island, Emerald Bay, and Vikingsholm, including link to a topographical map of the site, from AboutLakeTahoe.com{authority control
Islands of El Dorado County, California
Lake Tahoe
Lake islands of California
Islands of California
Islands of Northern California
Uninhabited islands of California