Chautauqua: Steve Hale portrays George Whittell, Jr., "Playboy Millionaire Who Built the Thunderbird Lodge"

Chautauqua performer Steve Hale will present “George Whittell, Jr." who lived off the interest generated by the millions he inherited from his parents. His enormous assets allowed him to purchase the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe where he built the Thunderbird Lodge in the 1930s. The house was designed by prominent Reno architect Frederick DeLongchamps. This included a six-hundred-foot tunnel connected to a boat house to berth the “Thunderbird”, his fifty-five-foot mahogany yacht.

In his sixties, Whittell's fondness for animals increased and his toleration of people waned. He often brought his favorite four-legged friends to Tahoe for the summer, including Mingo the elephant. He did maintain a small group of associates who joined him at the Thunderbird Lodge for high-stakes card games and all-night drinking parties in his Card House. Among his guests were baseball legend Ty Cobb and, purportedly, Howard Hughes. Following his death, Whittell left a legacy of public lands at Lake Tahoe and bequests to animal rights organizations.

The Chautauqua Series is sponsored by Bently Ranch, SoaringNV, The Record-Courier, and the Frances C. and William P. Smallwood Foundation.

Steve Hale has been presenting historical figures from the Lake Tahoe region for almost two decades. In addition to Whittell, they include John "Snowshoe" Thompson, Dr. James E. Church and John C. Fremont. He has performed at state parks in northern California, for the Norwegian consulate at the Squaw Valley dedication of a statue of “Snowshoe” Thompson, non-profit fundraising events, dinner theaters, commemorative events, U.S. Forest Service interpretive programs, Chautauqua venues, and in repertory with other Chautauqua performers. This is a free outdoor event. The park is located at 1450 Hwy 88, ¼ mile north of the Carson Valley Veterinary Hospital. Visitors are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or use one of the park’s chairs. Dogs are not permitted in the park, with the exception of certified service animals. For more information, visit dangberghomeranch.org or call 775-783-9417.

Location