Emigrant Gap’s name came from 19th Century travelers who used this narrow ridge and gap to continue their travels to the Bear River Valley. The emigrants would have to lower their wagons down a very steep slope to reach the Bear River Valley far below. The site soon became known as “Lookout point” and was separate from the small town of Emigrant Gap, located about a 1/2 mile to the south-east.
The photo above shows the first visitors building to occupy this spot, a Pacific Gas & Electric Company (P.G.&E) lookout, built so travelers on the Lincoln Highway could stop and view Lake Spaulding's 1913 construction, a project of the power company. Notice the Lincoln Highway sign at the far left.
The photo above was taken by TC Wohlbruck, who purchased this property from LB Allen, who owned a hotel at Emigrant Gap. We can tell it’s a Wohlbruck photo from the distinctive writing on each of his pictures. He would sell these photos as postcards from his Canteen/Service Stations at Echo Summit, Donner Memorial State Park, and Emigrant Gap. Wohlbruck was one of the first people to recognize the profit potential in offering service for the new-fangled autos and their drivers. We can see the Lincoln Highway heading off to the left of the entrance to the Canteen.
A Wohlbruck photo above shows the Cafe that was a part of the “Lookout Point Hotel”.
Another Wohlbruck photo above showing the sleeping quarters of the “Lookout Hotel.” Walking out the doors, guests would confront the amazing view and cliffs leading down to the Bear Valley.
Photo: Donner Summit Historical Society, Norm Sayler Collection.
The above photo comes to us from the TC Wohlbruck era and shows the curved rockwork at the Canteen/Service Station. Herstle Jones, who built the later Nyack Lodge, was assumed to be the stonemason that put up this wall. Herstle and his brother Oscar were expert stone masons and constructed or added to the Rainbow Lodge at Big Bend and the Soda Springs Hotel. This photo shows that TC Wohlbruck was the one who built the wall that would become part of the Nyack Hotel.
The construction of the Nyack Hotel in progress on the now renamed Lincoln Highway, “Hi-Way 40”.
The above photo shows the completed Nyack Lodge, owned by Herstle Jones. We can see beautiful stonework in front of the building.
The photo above shows the service station component of the Nyack Lodge complex. E. Stewart Wells, whose family still runs the Nyack Shell nearby, was the service station operator.
Here we see a color photograph of the interior of the dining room of the Nyack Lodge. Guests looked out over the precipitous cliffs to the Bear Valley and Spaulding Lake, far below.
Here we have a great color photo of the cozy interior of the lodge with a lit fireplace. Notice the fantastic rock work which was a signature of the lodge.
Nyack Lodge Menu from the 1940s.
Donner Summit Historical Society, Norm Sayler Collection
With the construction of Interstate 80 in the early 1960s, the Nyack Lodge faced a crossroads. They needed a bit of space from the Southern Pacific Railroad, but with that company's refusal to release a portion of their land to make the necessary room, the lodge's fate was sealed. The massive building was destroyed, but the service station building was cut into three sections and moved a short distance to today's Nyack Shell Station site. The present-day service station is part of the old lodge complex! The old lodge was well built, and the demolition crews used explosives to take the rest of the building down.
The above photo from the 1960’s shows the parking lot that has replaced the older buildings at “Lookout Point”, Emigrant Gap. This is the scene we are familiar with today.
Map of the location and certain features.