The Building of Keystone Dam

The construction of Keystone Dam and the existence of the lake have had a profound impact on Mannford and the surrounding area for the past 50 plus years.  At the time we were growing up, however, it didn’t seem to be a big thing.  Didn’t all teenagers grow up with a major construction project going on in their backyard?

We certainly were excited to be moving to a brand new school and watching the new town sprout up was interesting but, at the time, these events didn’t seem to be monumental.  The important things were what our classmates were doing, getting our driver’s licenses, and all the other things that kids everywhere were doing.

The construction of the dam did provide a large number of jobs for the teens who wanted them.  In the summer of 1963, I worked on a crew which laid sod alongside all the roads in the new parks.  It was hard work but the pay was good.  Many of the kids I grew up with had jobs like this.

In August, 1962, we moved into the new school.  One of the highlights of that first year was a poorly designed boiler system which couldn’t keep the new school building warm on really cold days.  Why was it a highlight?  Because we got to go home if it got too cold!  Unfortunately for us, the administration got the problem corrected after that first year.

Another aspect of the construction of the Dam and Lake did intrigue me: the actual filling of the lake.  The Corps of Engineers had announced that it would take about six months to fill the lake but we had a lot of rain that year and it only took six weeks.  Almost daily, we would check to see where the water level was.

I’ve often wondered what Mannford would be like today if it weren’t for Keystone Lake.  I think I like it the way it is!