| Duane Leroy Bliss | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 30 1833 Savoy, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States |
| Died | April 21 1907 (aged 73) Carson City, Nevada |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Industrialist |
Duane Leroy Bliss (November 30 1835 – April 21 1910) 19th-century Nevada timber and mining magnate. He founded the Carson and Tahoe Lumber and Fluming Company from Gold Hill, Nevada. He eventually controlled every facet of the business from the land to the timber, ships and barges to move the timber, flumes and the railroad system he built[1]. Originally from Massachusetts, in 1849 he was lured west at age 16 with the promise of gold. Became partner in the local bank. Wife Elizabeth Tobey of South Wareham, Massachusetts.
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Biography
Early life
After completing his formal schooling, Duane Bliss left his birth home in Savoy, Massachusetts at the age of 13 and found work as a cabin boy sailing to South America.
Later life and death
Duane Bliss founded the Carson and Tahoe Lumber and Fluming Company from Gold Hill, Nevada. He eventually controlled every facet of the business from the land to the timber, ships and barges to move the timber, flumes and the railroad system he built[1]. In 1907 he completed the renowned Glenbrook Inn which became a tourist destination for the elite families of San Francisco[2]. Bliss's daughter Hope says that he initiated a form of medical insurance for his employees. For fifty cents per month, an employee could insure that medical needs were paid for. A well-paid laborer received $4 per day. For one hour's pay the employees received essential medical coverage through Bliss's business[3]. After the end of the logging era in 1893, Bliss anticipated the tourism potential of Lake Tahoe. He moved his logging trains from Glenbrook to Tahoe City on the northwest shore of the lake and converted them to passenger service. Bliss's Lake Tahoe Transportation Co. was later connected to Southern Pacific's international rail service to Truckee, California[4].
Life as an Industrialist
Bibliography
See also
- SS Tahoe
- D. L. Bliss State Park
- Bliss Mansion, Carson City, Nevada
References
- ^ a b House Wish A History - KNPB.org, Reno, Nevada
- ^ Tahoe Heritage, The Bliss Family of Glenbrook, Nevada by Sessions S. Wheeler, William W. Bliss
- ^ House With A History - script (PDF)
- ^ Tahoe Tales of Bygone Days and Memorable Pioneers by Don Lane, p.239, Google Books
Further reading
- Tahoe Heritage, The Bliss Family of Glenbrook, Nevada by Sessions S. Wheeler, William W. Bliss
External links
- Biography
- House With A History - Bliss Mansion, KNPB.org, Reno, Nevada
-
- House With A History - script (PDF)
- Guide to the Records of Duane L. Bliss - UNR.org
- Tahoe Country A Brief Chronological History of the Tahoma Area
