A plaque honors the two people aboard a plane that crashed in the forest of Lake Tahoe in 1934. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
Tucked away in a not so remote part of U.S. Forest Service property on the South Shore is a granite rock paying tribute to two part-time residents who died in a plane crash in 1934.
Likenesses of John E. Horten, 32, and Betty A. Bouchet, 23, are on the plaque. He distinctly has a leather pilot’s helmet and goggles that would be common in that era. Along with their names is the date of the crash—Sept. 20, 1934. Horten was piloting the Moth biplane when it crashed. They were both burned beyond recognition.
The memorial is in the Gardner Mountain area not far from Fallen Leaf Lake Road. Nothing is there to explain what happened, no signs point the way to find this remembrance. It’s roughly at the spot where the plane went down, according to a local historian.
A plot of land on U.S. Forest Service property on the South Shore memorializes two people who died in a plane crash. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
At the time there were a number of dirt airstrips in the area. Some more primitive than others. Reports at the time said Horten first wanted to land at Johnson landing field, but then headed toward to the unfinished Dunlap field.
Witnesses told the Nevada State Journal newspaper the plane appeared to have engine trouble and nose-dived from 1,000 feet. United Press at the time said the plane was at 100 feet before dropping from the sky.
Ninety years ago people mostly lived in the Lake Tahoe Basin on a seasonal basis. Horten was from Burlingame and Bouchet from San Francisco. According to the Nevada State Journal, he was a butler for George Pope and she was a governess for the Hellmans. The Popes and Hellmans were wealthy families from the Bay Area whose legacies continue to this day. Think the Pope Estate on the South Shore and the Hellman-Ehrman mansion on the West Shore.
Ah, Flyers’ Grave. I remember first stumbling upon it in the 1980s. Not really a grave, of course. It demonstrates the intimate connections between the families at Pine Lodge and Tallac, and honors two people who aren’t always remembered in history. A special spot. Thank you for your story.
Can you please give me a more detailed description of where I can find the memorial? I have heard about it for many years but have never been able to find it. A neighbor said she thought it was near the water tower. I think such information needs to be carried forward for future generations lest it be lost forever. Thank you very much for any help you can give me.
I would suggest contacting the USFS. It’s on their land.
I contacted the USFS. Drive up Fallen Leaf Lake Road from Highway 89. Go past the FS campground on the right to the green gate on the left. Walk around the gate and take the trail to the east. Take the first trail to the left. It is at the base of the mountain on the left with two water tanks. Go .15 miles down the trail. The monument is on the left.
You neglected to mention that there are two gates. One needs to go to the second gate on the left. From there it’s easy to find. Oh, the trails are more like forest service roads, very wide and easy to maneuver.