Did Mark Twain Ever Visit the Tahoe Cove Named After Him?

One of America's most revered writers and socialpart dispel the myths regarding Twain in the area.
commentators is shortly to be honoured byAntonucci claims that for nearly 150 years almost
Nevada state by having a cove of the famousevery chamber of commerce has built up a story
Tahoe river named after him. Twain's name hasregarding Mark Twain. Twain is said to have
become linked with this area as a local hero, yettravelled to the Tahoe about 5 times, and is said
one local writer is claiming the Twain connection toto have crossed the south part of the river
the Tahoe is rather ominous.twelve times as part of his trips to and from
The Lake Tahoe scribe David C. Antonucci saysCalifornia.
the motion to name the cove after Twain furtherThe application for the naming of Clemens cove is
perpetuates a myth regarding the author'sbased on the idea that this is the area in which
connection to the region. This week the TahoeTwain was meant to have accidentally started
tourist board voted to name a cove of the river'sthe forest fire, but Antonucci infers the evidence
eastern region 'Sam Clemens cove' after thedoes not support this idea. A fellow writer that
famous writer whose birth name was SamuelTwain spoke to about the forest fire reported
Langhorne Clemens. Many believe the part of thethat it was started by  Carnelian bay, at the
river, just above Thunderbird lodge, is the areanorth end of the river. Also a fire scar test at the
which Twain visited in 1861, where he intended toproposed destination of Clemens cove holds no
stake a claim on timber and inadvertently startedsuggestion that this was the are of the fire.
a forest fire nearly one hundred and fifty yearsYet the acceptance of the application by the
ago.geographical names council suggests that they are
The proposal to name the cove after Twain ishappy to accept this are as the location of the
now to be reviewed by the US Nationalfire as opposed to the area in the north Antonucci
Geographic Names Board. It's one of two orbelieves,while Antonuci is worried of the
three names chosen each year by the Nevadaacceptance of the name, describing it as
state a spokesman said.misleading.
Yet Antonucci believes it is a bad idea. BasedYet there is opposition to his argument, distinct
around Nevada and San Francisco the Antonucci isgeographical features that Twain writes about are
currently working on a book about Twain's travelsto be found in the are of Clemens cove,
through the Nevada state. The writer claims thatfurthermore Twain staked his timbre claim on the
one of his reason for writing the book is to inriver's east.