A history of Foster County

• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: North Dakota State Library
• Subjects: Alkali Lake; Arctic; Bald Hill; Blue Lake; Dam Lake; Dry Lake; Estabrook Lake; Jack Lake; Jack, Lake; James River; Juanita; Lake Jack; Melby
• Online Access: http://cdm16921.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/ndsl-books/id/32407

Meyers for public use. This included over 400 feet of water front area. They also purchased the house that was there and the large quonset. Plans were set forth in March 1976 for the construction of a bathhouse and the board agreed to order new picnic tables. Funds for the shelter, dock, cooking grills, and playground equipment were obtained from a grant from the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation. The bathhouse was a combination dressing room and toilet facility. B&N Construction Company was contracted to construct the building. Juanita Lake is still a popular place in the 1980s. People may be found there at various times to spend a few days, afternoon, evening or whatever. The cabins are used at various times through out the year. Boats of all sizes and shapes can be seen on the lake, many times pulling someone behind it on water skis, or else just cruising around for pleasure. It is an ideal spot— not so far away from home where peace, tranquility, and the joys of nature may still be found. It's description as "Beautiful Lake Juanita, a hang-out place for the tired and weary," is an apt description of this lake after all these years. Carrington Creek (Independent 1934) A creek that carried off snow water and heavy rains had a regular ^->urse through Carrington in those early days. It sta ted near the Old George Hall farm buildings and cut a winding course through the west side of town, turning in back of the Chaffee machine shed and flowing into a fair sized pool near the Jim Derrick house at the northwest edge of town, and another deep pool north of the coal dock. Then it wound off in an easterly direction toward the Stam- baugh farm and finally fed into the Kelly Creek in the Bordulac region. This creek flowed for a few weeks in the early spring and then dried up for the year, except during the heavy rains. Most of the water shed is picked up now by the city storm sewers. (There is still some flow during the early spring.) Dr. McLain's Lake This small lake was located about two miles north of Melville. It was a shallow lake about two miles around. It is on Section 23. The lake dried up in the early 1900s. In seasons of high moisture water will accumulate here. Blue Cloud Lake Located a mile east of Grace City in Larrabee township, section 13-23-24, this lake or large slough was first named by the Larrabee family when they lived in the area. The story is that the family lived along the James River where they kept a herd of cattle. On one occasion a blue roan cow strayed away and was missing for some time. She was finally located on the "Blue" lake with a new born calf. The Larrabee's after that called the body of water the "Blue Cow Lake". Someone in recent times saw fit to change the name to a more ritzy name of Blue Cloud. (Dana Wright) Stony Lake On the northeast edge of Lake Juanita is an old water course that connects with Stony Lake on sections 15-147-63. Here is found an unnoticed continental Divide where the water of the Arctic drainage pass into the Upper Bald Hill Creek and the waters of Juanita and west of there go south into the James and the Gulf of Mexico. Stony Lake is found in Florence township on section 15 and 22. It is the source of Bald Hill Creek. Jack Lake Jack Lake is a body of water found in Bucephalia township on section 4 and in Haven township on section 33. When the water recedes in dry times the lake bottom turns white from the alkali found there. It was also known as Alkali Lake. Other Named Bodies of Water Russell Lake or in early times Rush Lake- Located in Longview township section 13 and 14. Roanne Ravine— NW Nordmore which provides drainage for that area. Dry Lake— Bucephalia on section 18 and 19, Bordulac section 13-14. Scotts Slough— Travels through Birtsell, Wyard, Carrington, and Estabrook. Lake Melby— Larrabee township. Now dry. Rusten Slough— Larrabee township, sections 18- 19. Lake Bonita— Melville township, section 33. Formed by the man-made dam. Lake Wyard— Wyard township, section 19, Formed by man-made dam. Foster County Dams The records show that at one time Foster County had as many as eleven dams that were built on the James River, Kelly Creek, Pipestem and other small streams located in the county. The question comes up, "Why were there so many dams built in such a small area as Foster County?" "Who built them?" "What was the purpose of these dams?''''Where were they located?'' The 1930s in North Dakota have been recorded as "the dry years or years of extreme drought." Government officials were devising plans to alleviate this drastic situation. One of the theories that developed was that the water cycle had been severely disrupted because of lack of moisture which caused the drying up of the sloughs and potholes. The result being no water to evaporate to form into clouds and eventually fall back to earth as rain or snow. 16 Scanned with a Zeutschel Zeta book scanner at 300 dpi. Edited with Multi-Page TIFF Editor.