Located at a scenic viewpoint along Emerald Bay Drive are a number of interpretive displays highlighting Emerald Bay and its history. One of them highlights Fannette Island as the only island in Lake Tahoe. It reads:
Look out to the middle of Emerald Bay to see Fannette Island
Tahoe's Only Island
Over the last 100 years, Tahoe's only island has been known by a number of names. In 1886, a group of young vacationers dreamed up its first name, Coquette, a word referring to a flirtatious or seductive woman. Attracted to the island's beauty, the group found the climb to the top of the small island impossible.
The island inspired other names such as Dead Man's and Hermit's Island after Captain Dick Barter. As the sole caretaker of a nearby resort, Barter lived at Emerald Isle, and died in one of the lake's winter storms. Also called Baranoff Island and Emerald Isle, the island's current name Fannette, is thought to be a misinterpretation of the island's original names, Coquette.
Mrs. Knight's Teahouse
Find the small stone building at the top of the island. Built at the same time as Vikingsholm, Mrs, Knight had stone hauled to the island for construction. The rustic 16 by 16 foot house served as Mrs. Knight's teahouse. Visited only a few times each summer, she bought her guests to the island by boat.