The Rise and Fall of Grass Lake: A Forgotten California Resort

In the early 1900s, what is now a 200-acre grass-covered flat along Highway 97 near Weed, California, was once a pristine lake that attracted world-famous celebrities and promised to become a major tourist destination.

The Golden Era

Lumber baron Abner Weed constructed a railroad line in 1902 to the impressive Grass Lake Hotel, featuring 84 rooms built with such quality lumber that, as former employee Fred…