The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1911-08-04
wYoMlNe,s NEW LAKE.
Scenic Beauty Spot Created by a
Huge Dam.

I Detftts
The engineers Of the reclamation
service have added beautiful lake
to Wyoming's numerous scenic attrac-
tions. By closing the entrance to a
morrow canyon in the Shoshone river
with the highest dam in the world a
broad mountain meadow has been
changed to a turquoise lake, covering
az area of ten square milesmore than
/ 100 feet deep The lake is rimmed by
lofty mountains, which in places slope
to the waters edge, and there are
numerous bays where the cliffs rise
vertically two thousand feet in height.
As the lake is located in the region of
the Yellowstone National Park, the
same wonderful and varied colcrings
are found on the rocks which make
our national park SO interesting and
attractive.
In early geologic times, the site Of
the new lake was occupied by a sim
liar body of water. During countless
centuries its waters, finding cracks
and crevices in the mountain barrier,
gradually carved canyon through
which the lake was finally clnptied
The old lake bed then became a wide
grassy meadow over which erazeo the
herds of buffalo, elk and deer and
later the cattle and sheep of the stock
men, When the Shoshone dam, con-
crete wedge 32S feet high, was placed
| in the gorge, the meadow was suD-
merged and an enormous reservoir
was created. Today this vast quantity
of water is a perpetual guarantee to
several hundred farmers that bounti-
ful crops will annually reward their
labors. Twenty miles down the river
| is broad level plain embracing 150,-
600 acres dotted with homes of new
settlers Waving fields of grain, broad
vistas of alfalfa and sugar beets have
replaced a desert waste. Located at
favorable points on the railroad which
crosses the irrigated lands are three
thriving towns, whose substantial
buildings and large stocks of goods
reflect the prosperity and success
which has attended the efforts of the
farmers.
From sheep pasture of but little
value, this broad fat has become a
rich agricultural region which in
scenic attractions, in delightful eli
mate, and in crop possibilities is al
ready taking first rank among the pros
porous farm communities of the north
west.
The settlers here are cosmopolitan
and up-to-date They come from al
most every part of the Union and
goodly number are city bred. The
subdivision o. the lands into farms of
40 and 80 acres each has made the
settlement compact. Along the main
highways there are from l6 to 80
homes to the mile giving the country
a suburban appearance. This group
ing of farm homes has numerous adj
vantages. It eliminates the loneliness
and isolation so common to country
life. With neighbors all about, social
conditions are improved The monot-
'ony which has always been the bane
of the farmers wife is unknown in
these we'll irrigated valleys. The rural
telephone, circulating library and wo-
mans clubs all combine, to furnish
variety and relaxation. In the Sho-
shone country the mountains all about
are inspiring in their beauty and
grandeur. During the period when the
haryests are ripening or after the
crops are gathered. the campers flock
to them. The streams TEEN with
trout and the national forests abound
with big and little game.
Today there are opportunities for
141 families to obtain homes on this
project, and the reclamation service
at Washington is sanguine that every
one of these farms will beoccupied be-
fore the end of the present year.