|
MILL DAM IS A SCENIC SPOT
 The mill dam, which adds so much to the beauty of Melrose, serves the purpose
of maintaining the water level and preventing flooding. When Kraft West operated on the
banks of the Sauk River, water from the dam reservoir was used to cool plant equipment.
The original dam was a practical source of power.
Its origins are unclear. According to some accounts,
Melrose pioneers Edwin and William Clark built the first log dam in 1867. Another
authority says that the Clark cousins "bought a tract of land including the water
power on the Sauk River" and improved the existing dam. In any case, in the fall of
1867, the Clarks built a "flouring mill" on the south bank to produce flour and
feed. The following year they added a water-powered sawmill on the north bank but it's
operation was discontinued a few years later.
 Over the years, the dam was improved with fieldstone and concrete. But on
Palm Sunday in 1907, it was unable to withstand an unusually high water level and 25 feet
of it collapsed. The dam burst again on Palm Sunday of 1922, when 80 feet of masonry
were washed down the river, along with many large boulders. The damage was of great
concern to the city because the millpond was a major municipal water source. The Great
Northern Railway pumped large amounts of water from the millpond as well.
It was rebuilt of steel-reinforced concrete. The
resulting structure lasted until October, 1974, when the present dam was officially
dedicated. Much of the work had been done the previous winter, when the flow of water was
slower. During construction, huge rocks and a perfectly-preserved old oak log were pulled
from the water. The new dam utilized 960 cubic yards of concrete and 67,096 pounds of
reinforcement bars. It has two sluice gates controlled from the top by wheels.
Today the dam reservoir is one of the most scenic
spots in town. Canoes and paddleboats skim its surface and fisherman line the banks, while
mallards and bluewinged teal nest on its shores. Concrete steps lead to a vantage point
over the river. In 1987 a walking path was built to connect the area at the foot of the
dam with 4th Avenue NE. This walkway and the benches beside it are inviting places from
which to enjoy a vista that has changed only a little since 1867.
Return
to History main page
|
