Marklee's Cabin Site

OAC photo 1860's



Alpine County, August 30, 1993

Conveniently located in the heart of Markleeville, or perhaps the cabin came first.

Cycling folks that are into ultimate endurance, or put another way, torture, have figured out how to use this Sierra terrain and developed the Markleeville Death Ride, which goes for 129 miles with 15,000 feet of climbing, going over Monitor, Ebbetts, and Carson passes, with a total of five passes in all. The event comes up again on July 11^th. In checking around the garage the beach cruiser must have been sold in a yard sale, so participation seems unlikely. Spring arrives on a calendar date but the official beginning when living a bit south of here in Mammoth Lakes was determined at the Chevron station in town when the first dried out bicycle tire blew while being re-inflated.

  











Playin' dobro at the 'Alpine County Fair' - August 1987

The 2010 census says 200 people live in Markleeville, that’s up from 197 in 2000. If you can’t find what you need at Ruddens General Store, you probably don’t need it anyway.

1947 Markleeville postcard

Apparently, Jacob Marklee got by from collecting a toll for crossing a bridge he’d built spanning the middle fork of the Carson River, called Markleeville Creek (that would be at the back of Sunny Murphy’s house in town). He met an early fate, being killed in a gunfight with one H.W. Tuttle over a land dispute. Tuttle claimed self defense and was later found not guilty. Marklee’s brothers came out from Sacramento to see if they could recover anything, but were unsuccessful. Jacob was buried in 1863 at age 33 in Markleeville. His cabin was all wood, door hinges, everything, and mostly shake shingles. 

1993 photo of site


There is no plaque, but if there was one it would read:
NO. 240 MARKLEE'S CABIN SITE - Jacob J. Marklee recorded his land claim of 160 acres on June 23, 1862, in Douglas County, Nevada, but after the boundary survey his claim was in California. During the rush to the Comstock Lode, the town of Markleeville was built upon Marklee's land - the Alpine County Courthouse now occupies the site of his cabin.
Location:  County Courthouse, Markleeville
Google maps: 38.694589,-119.77997