Considered by many to be the birthplace of the winter sports industry, Truckee's Hilltop and surrounding areas were once hosts to activities such as ski-jumping, tobagganing, dog-sledding, ice skating and cross-country skiing during various special events like "The Fiesta of the Snows" and The Great Truckee Winter Carnival. Designed to counter-act the economic repercussions of a diminishing lumber industry (Truckee's primary industry) in the late 1800s, town leaders brilliantly realized other options to bring the town together economically, with the first Ice Palace constructed in 1895 in the heart of downtown Truckee, followed in 1909 and 1910 with the Winter Carnival showcasing ski jumping exhibitions and the revolutionary steam powered toboggan lift. More people started to participate in winter sports on a weekly basis, and the events grew to such popularity that the Truckee Chamber of Commerce took over the winter operations in 1912. By 1913 an average of 700 people attended the weekend winter carnival. Not too shabby for a town with a population of 2000! To learn more about Truckee's wild beginnings and revel in our rich history, check out http://www.truckeehistory.org/.
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