From Chaos To Calm: The Evolution Of Michigan’s Historic Man-Made Lake

There's a lake in Michigan with a history as turbulent as its waters once were. It's a peaceful destination for kayakers and sunbathers today, but its origins were far from leisurely. This lake, Michigan's largest manmade lake, wasn't crafted by nature's hand but rather out of a need to power an industry that fueled Michigan's economy in the 1800s.

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The lake story dates back to 1852 when an ambitious lumber baron named Charles Mears was presented with a logging logistics nightmare as he snatched up land along the Big Sable River. To make things work, he constructed a wooden dam that raised the water level by 12-15 feet and created a lake—not for swimming or boating—to store logs.

A Michigan Tourist Destination Born in Tragedy

Mears logging empire grew large enough that the settlement growing around it quickly became a logging boomtown, complete with mills, boarding houses, and even a school. But, and you knew there was a but coming...

The drama first began in 1888 when the wooden dam holding the operation together decided it had had enough. In one spectacular collapse, water, logs, mills, boarding houses, and even the school, were swept out into Lake Michigan. What did Mears do following this tragedy? He built another dam.

If At First You Don't Drown, Build Another Logging Pond

And guess what? That one failed in 1912, taking the remnants of the village with it. A sturdier concrete dam was constructed in 1913, giving the lake the size and depth it has today. By the 1930s, what little remained of the settlement was cleared to make room for a state park.

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What is the name of this lake and forgotten village? Hamlin Lake, now a crown jewel of West Michigan, is nestled within Ludington State Park. Its history may be filled with cracks, breaks, and failures, but today, it is one of Michigan's premiere all-season destinations. Next time you're fishing, sunbathing, boating, or skating on the waters of Hamlin Lake, imagine a sea of timber surrounding you.