Enjoy the Snow at the Ta-Neva-Ho

I love this photo of the Ta-Neva-Ho. Taken in the late 1930s, it shows what Lake Tahoe is like every winter – snowy!

No kidding, right? Well, not everybody has a chance to see the amazing lake that straddles the California-Nevada state line. This club, built and opened in 1937, stands along the North Shore of Lake Tahoe – a couple of football fields away from the water. From the back steps or the parking lot, you can still see the clear blue expanse of the lake through the huge pine trees. They stand as tall as they did seventy years ago – think taller.

The Ta-Neva-Ho was more than just a casino; it served as a social hub for the small community of Crystal Bay, offering dining, gaming, bowling, sports betting, and even a drugstore and a post office. For locals, it was a vital gathering place during harsh winter months, reflecting its cultural significance beyond entertainment.

There were fewer than 1000 people in the general vicinity, and a drugstore and post office were mighty handy to have nearby.

Norman Biltz and Pete Bennett originally built the Ta-Neva-Ho. The name is neither Native American nor an abbreviation for ‘white man gambling.’ Its origins are unclear, but it adds a layer of local lore and curiosity about the casino’s identity.

Today’s Nevada Gaming Control Board insists on knowing (and approving) every owner, but back when the clubs were fun, dangerous, exciting, and new, each spring season brought at least a few new “partners” to each venture at the lake.

One of those “partners” who showed up was Frank Fat, a Sacramento restaurant owner. When he first arrived at Lake Tahoe, his friend Otis Babcock booked him a cabin at Bijou, but the day after he arrived, Fat was asked to leave. That day, it sucked to be Asian.

A few years later, Fat turned the tables on the situation when he and his friends, Babcock, Art Nyberg, and Nick Abelman, bought the entire block on which the Ta-Neva-Ho sat for $125,000. Each owned 25%, and Fat took the gaming license, even though he ran only the restaurant.

In classic early Nevada style, Frank Fat fronted for a host of owner-operators who preferred to keep their gaming interests silent. The casino ran beautifully for several years, and the partners sold their property in 1945 for $300,000 to a group of investors led by Johnny Rayburn. Fat again stayed on to run the restaurants.

These stories and many more are found in the book “The Roots of Reno,” written by yours truly, AL W. Moe, available from those crazy online bookstores like Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Exploring this book can deepen your understanding of Nevada’s rich casino history and its significance to Lake Tahoe’s story.