The 1859 discovery of silver and gold in western Nevada and the development of the Comstock brought entrepreneurs of all types to the region. The colorful tales are very entertaining, but the mining operations dealt disastrous consequences to the Tahoe environment. Roads and timber flumes were built, the forest clear-cut, and voracious sawmills erected. Local author Mark McLaughlin will describe how the Virginia & Truckee Railroad modernized Comstock resource development and led to a population explosion. Lake Tahoe still struggles with this destructive 19th century legacy, but better management practices have brought the region back from the brink of devastating exploitation.