A Blast From the Past
More on the digitization of 1960s Sierra Sun volumes
By Heidi Sproat

So were YOU here in Truckee in the late 1960s?  If not, this might be a good opportunity to explore some of the more salient events and happenings in the area in the years 1965 – 1970. While Truckee-Donner Historical Society (TDHS) is still missing these bound Sierra Sun volumes, 1934, 1948, 1963, 1967, 1968 January to June, 1969 July to December, and July to December 1970, we can still take a peek into life in Truckee based on the available volumes we do have.
 
California Revealed has scanned the referenced volumes and they are now text searchable available at the links below.  Considering they just uploaded these scanned issues in October 2025, I think TDHS is doing pretty well in keeping you as up to date as possible as to the progress of this mammoth project.  We could NOT have assembled and coordinated the scanning job without countless TDHS volunteer hours, and without the grant available to us from the California Revealed program.  Without both, we would not be able to enjoy any of the scanned newspaper issues from 1933 to 1970.

California Revealed has the Sierra Sun issues available at this link: https://californiarevealed.org/search?search_api_fulltext=%20sierra%20sun&f%5B0%5D=search_page_partner%3A286670 ;
Internet Archive at this link: https://archive.org/details/truckeedonnerhistoricalsociety .
The California Digital Newspaper Collection, cdnc.ucr.edu, also has early Truckee Republican issues available online, but only has the Sierra Sun issues from 1933 to 1944.  Sadly, funding constraints have curtailed any additions.

Here is a sample of the kinds of articles you’ll find.

• In the December 1964 issue, pp. 1& 8, reference is made to the “Many Activities in 1964 Recorded”:
  1964 was a rather “tempestuous” one, but some of the most outstanding stories include:  the November opening and dedication of the new Interstate 80 freeway over Donner Summit; the dedication of the Truckee-Tahoe Airport; the opening and dedication of the new Nevada County Government Building; passage of a bond issue for $1.150M to provide for doubling the capacity of the Tahoe Forest Hospital; the fire which destroyed Truckee’s pioneer Southern Pacific (Olympic) Hotel [March 30, 1964]; and Truckee Donner Chamber of Commerce’s decision to proceed with a plan to bring the question of incorporation of the Truckee-Donner area to a vote.
• Let’s hope this doesn’t happen and need to be covered by insurance, p. 4

• Popular comics in 1966 included Joe Palooka, Abbie an’ Slats, Fritzi Ritz, Emmy Lou, Gordo, Tarzan, the Captain and the Kids, and all comics then were one comic for each page
• The Operator of First Donner Snowplow Retires, Glenn E. Sweeney, retiring in July 1968, p. 1
• Rescued Skiers at Squaw Valley (now Palisades Tahoe) as Famed Tram Stalls – 1970-01-07, p. 1
• California minimum wage rises to $3.75 per hour, June 1970, p. 8
• Senator Cranston introduces a new veterans affairs bill, p. 10

• A series of 31 Historic Guide to Truckee-Tahoe Area articles excerpted from W.F. Edwards Tourist Guide and Directory of the Truckee Basin, published in 1883 by Edwards, former editor of the Truckee Republican.  This guide is now also available online at this link in HathiTrust. The articles usually appear on page 2 of each issue probably starting sometime in the second half of 1969.  TDHS is still missing the July to December 1969 volume, so we can’t be sure.  The 16th in the series talks about George Shaffer’s mill in Martis Valley, available at this 1970-01-07 link, p. 2; the last article we found is the 31st in the series, April 22, 1970, available at this link about Lake Tahoe details, including reference to a “huge pile of stones” Indian mound.
• Seems that the Sierra Sun went through a series of editors in early 1970.  In late 1969, the editor was Carl Briggs, but Gary Buscombe shows up as new editor January 28, 1970, and in March 1970 yet another Associate Editor Steve Kech’s name appears. Again in the May 20, 1970 issue, Frank Newall, then Sierra Sun publisher named Dave Bennett as new Sierra Sun editor, p. 1

• In March 1970, there is an article about Sanitary District Gives O.K. to Northwoods, p. 1. And in the same issue, Zeph Rose Resigned as Airport Director
• On page 3 of the 1970-01-28 issue, there are artist’s renditions of what the Old Truckee Jail Museum could look like as a Town Library
• Several articles detail the saga about Nevada County threatening to force Donner closure and Donner State Park subsequently operating “in defiance” of a Nevada County order effective June 3, 1970 to either hook up to sewer lines or close.  Following articles detail Nevada County district attorney charging the State of California with polluting Donner Lake, p. 1.
• Weekly articles like Donner doings by Vi White, Truckee tales by Betty Kielhofer, News from Floriston by Phyllis MacMurray, The editor’s letter box, News from the past – 25 years ago, 30 years ago, and 50 years ago, Chamber Pot Shots by Betty Layton, West shore notes, Point of view by Editor Dave Bennett, auto accidents galore, and Truckee court cases.
• Entertainers appearing in Incline or South Shore at the time included The Carpenters at Kings Castle followed by Ike and Tina Turner, and Mr. “wunnerful, wunnerful” Lawrence Welk did his last show in 1970 at Harrah’s Tahoe South Shore Room.
• There are advertisements for those “hangry” for a good Cowboy T-Bone Steak for $4.50 with Hoss Cartwright of Bonanza Ponderosa Ranch fame.

 
There are hundreds of articles in these most recently scanned Sierra Suns that are likely to either bring back memories - or make you wonder what was really going on in Truckee at this time.  Recall this is now 55 plus years ago, so keep in mind the social mores of the time and the development of the area.  As I tried to do a quick “quality control” of the scanning project, I found myself browsing way more articles than I should have just to get a flavor of what was going on at the time. 
 
Snowshoe Thompson was named to the skiing Hall of Fame, the sprawling Tahoe Donner development was not then yet built, Tahoe Forest Hospital was still in its infancy, and TDHS was just formed as a 501(c)(3) organization in 1968.  One of the first undertakings TDHS did after its formation was to relocate the Circle of Stones from Stampede Valley which was soon to be flooded for the Reservoir’s development, but sadly, this volume July to December 1969 is still AWOL. 
 
So, if you happen to have one of these missing volumes, we implore you to turn it in to the Truckee-Donner Historical Society – no questions asked – so that we can complete the scanning undertaking.  Additionally, during the late 1960s, the Sierra Sun newspaper included articles about the greater area including Lake Tahoe and Floriston.
 
So where were you and what were you doing in the late 1960s? 
 
… or don’t you want to say. 
 
Enjoy this visit as a ‘blast from the past.’

HCS 11/10/2025