Ice Castles

by Ellen Hopkins

McGlashan had a dream—an ice castle that would bring tourists to the mountains. Its 50-foot walls were made of chicken wire sprayed over and over with water until they froze solid.

Every March, the historic town of Truckee teams with North Lake Tahoe to produce the "largest winter carnival in the West." Snow Festival is a week of dog sled pulls, fireworks and other events, guaranteed to shake residents and tourists alike from their winter doldrums. But Truckee can also boast hosting what may be the first winter carnival in the West—the brainchild of visionary newspaperman, Charles Fayette (C.F.) McGlashan.

McGlashan's family left their native Wisconsin in 1849, riding the wave of immigration toward California. Little Charles was two years old when they arrived in the foothills. Eventually, the family put down roots there.

As McGlashan grew, so did California, fueled not only by gold wealth but by Comstock silver. In the early 1860s, a road was forged over the Sierra between the two and Truckee was founded as a way-station on that road. It soon blossomed into a riproaring lumber town. With the coming of the railroad in 1869, civilization arrived in Truckee. And along with it arrived C.F. McGlashan.

McGlashan had worked as a schoolteacher, school principal, lawyer and California State Assemblyman when, in 1875, he detoured into the newspaper business. As the owner/editor of the Truckee Republican, McGlashan put his paper on the journalistic map, publishing serialized installments of his well-researched book, the History of the Donner Party.

Early on he also recognized the commercial potential for winter recreation in the area. McGlashan purchased a hill on the south side of the Truckee River from railroad developer Charles Crocker, where the Cottonwood Restaurant sits today. His Hilltop became a venue for skiing, ski jumping and tobogganing, and home to the first mechanized lift in the U.S.

But McGlashan had another dream—an ice castle in the sky. That, he believed, would bring tourists up to the Sierra. So with McGlashan overseeing construction, Truckee's first ice palace became a reality in the winter of 1893–1894. And what a palace it was! Its 50-foot walls were made of chicken wire then sprayed over and in with water, which froze easily during Truckee's frigid nights. Inside was an ice rink. Outside was a tower and wooden sled-run.

Winter recreation had arrived in Truckee, and much to the dismay of sleigh drivers trying to maneuver the snowy streets, it had arrived right in the center of town.

Nevertheless, McGlashan's ice palace inspired the idea of a winter carnival that would draw visitors to Truckee via the railroad. It took 15 years for the event to become a reality, but in 1909, Truckee hosted its first winter carnival. Featured were sleigh rides, ice skating on Donner Lake and toboggan slides. Taking center stage was the ice palace.

The townspeople of Truckee liked their winter carnivals and in 1913 decided to pull out the stops with the most spectacular event ever. They called it "Fiesta of the Snows." The chamber of commerce took the helm, financing construction of what they hoped would be a permanent ice palace on the property just below McGlashan's Hilltop. Their $10,000 investment helped build a new footbridge across the Truckee, connecting downtown with the metal structure, which was sprayed with water and left to freeze, much like the chicken wire predecessor. Decorated with lights, this new ice palace—called Glad U Kum—was simply grand.

The immense structure housed an ice rink, dance hall and rooms with fireplaces for après-carnival relaxation. New toboggan runs, served by a mechanized pull-back lift, sent tobogganers on mile-long rides from Hilltop's apex to the ice palace below. On December 13th, Glad U Kum was completed. But that was just the beginning.

Opening day of the Fiesta of the Snows was December 27th. Dignitaries from San Francisco arrived on special trains, filling Truckee hotels to overflowing. The ice palace was lit with colorful lights and fresh roses adorned the ice rink. Atop Hilltop a huge lit Christmas tree spoke of the season. An orchestra played, highlighted by six Hawaiian musicians and a Hawaiian princess, who sang her native music. Charmed guests were treated to moonlight sleigh rides between Truckee and Donner Lake.

Reporters covered the festivities and San Francisco newspapers touted the event, drawing thousands of visitors. The Central Pacific added several excursion trains, while large groups chartered their own. Truckee merchants enjoyed record profits, proving McGlashan's theory that "if we build it, they will come." The following winter, Truckee hosted an even larger winter carnival, featuring dog sled racing and a visit by writer Jack London.

Truckee's grand ice palace burned to the ground in 1916 and no efforts were made to revive the Fiesta of the Snows afterward. But winter recreation as a tourist draw had become a reality in the Sierra, thanks in no small part to the vision of C.F. McGlashan.