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Beaver Dam and Lake, circa 1965. (Neg. #010773) |
Before the construction of Beaver Dam, the White River was a twisting stream with small farms, saw and grist mills, tiny hamlets, and "Coin" Harvey's resort of Monte Ne located along its banks. Discussion of damming the river for flood control began in the 1930s after the disastrous flood of 1927. The Army corps of Engineers began construction in 1960. Some residents were relocated under protest, leaving farms which had been in their families for generations. While the primary purpose of Beaver Dam was flood control, the project also provided electricity, water, and recreation. Beaver Lake helped fuel the population growth of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, supplying water to meet the needs of a growing population and expanding industrial base.
The names of developments and recreational areas continue to reflect the history of the areas under and around the lake: Coppermine, where Frank Page once had his mining concern; Rocky Branch, site of one of the few one-room schoolhouses still standing in this area; and Lost Bridge, so named because of the ill-fated bridge built in 1929 which sat for years without access roads and finally washed away in a flood.