In commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of Lake County this year, Lake County News is publishing a series of historical stories about the county, its people and places. This week's story about the Jagos is written by Lake County Museum staffer Camisha Knowlton.

Most of you are familiar with Jago Bay, Jago Resort, Jago Grade and what used to be the Jago Store. The Jagos were early pioneers of Lake County. They not only established their business and family here, but they diligently worked hard at what they wanted to achieve. This is their story …

Louis Jago’s father was born in the Gibraltar area, of English parentage. He acquired large holdings in the shipping industry. The house, on the island of Malta, in which he lived and where Louis was more than likely raised, was considered one of the two or three most remarkable structures of that time.

In the beginning, Louis’ grandfather wished him to be a navigator and boat officer. Louis, a young man at the time, complied and signed on to a ship as an apprentice and put to sea.

While in Liverpool, England, Louis met a British man named Beakbane who persuaded him to come to California where he would find big opportunities. After his assignment at sea came to an end, Louis and Mr. Beakbane came to California traveling together by coach to Lake County and setteling in the Burns Valley area.

Louis worked hard in the orchards. During his residence in Burns Valley he met and fell in love with Emma Strothoff a young woman of German descent and they were soon married. They had one son, John.

Dr. Baylis was the first major landowner in the Lower Lake area and he built a home on what became known as Baylis Point.

Dr. Baylis and his wife came to Lake County in the 1860s. The two had nine children.

One of them was Percy Cecil Baylis, Louis Jago’s brother-in-law, who in the 1900s developed the Point Lakeview Subdivision.

In time, Louis lost interest in farming and he bought the first lot and built the first house in the Point Lakeview Subdivision. He went on to accumulate additional lots and founded Jago’s Resort.

The first telephone line in the area was built by Louis Jago and it was first owned and operated by the Jagos, Bob Beale, the Fryes of Thurston Lake and Walter Reichert. Pacific Telephone took it over in the 1940s.

Louis Jago was one of the most civic-minded men among the early settlers around the lake and was nicknamed “Mr. Lake County.”

Jago’s Resort was later owned and operated for many years by his son John and his wife Irene (Miller) Jago.

The road to Jago Bay was constructed in 1912-13 by a young man and his sisters. But that, my friends, is another story.

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