The Corps of Engineers
I was employed by the Corps of Engineers from
1947 until 1950. I worked in the Real Estate Project Office, Vicksburg
District but the project office was located at Murfreesboro, Ark. This
was for the acquisition of land for the flood control project on the Little
Missouri River and for the construction of Narrows Dam which flooded "Lake
Greeson".
Here are some of my recollections while I was
employed by the COE when they built Lake Greeson and Lake Ouachita.
INTERESTING FACTS: The first large artificial
dam in the State of Arkansas was Remmel Dam on the Ouachita River near
Hot Springs. It was completed in 1924 creating Lake Catherine. The dam
contained Arkansas' first hydro-electric generating plant.
Main rivers of the state are the Mississippi,
Arkansas, White, St. Francis1 Red, Ouachita, and their tributaries - all
of which drain to the south and southeast. Arkansas has many small streams
and lakes. Man-made lakes of major proportaions have been created by the
installation of flood control or power dams at Norfork, Bull Shoals, Blue
Mountain, Nimrod, Catherini, Hamilton, Ouachita, Greeson, Beaver, Dardanelle,
Greers Ferry, Millwood, DeGray and Maumelle.
I worked on this project from 1947 to 1949:
NARROWS DAM - LAKE GREESON - This was built by
the Corps of Engineers out of the Vicksburg Mississippi District, which
Flooded Lake Greeson. The land acquisition and actual building of the dam
occurred from 1947 to 1950. The Vicksburg District office was located at
Murfreesboro, Ark on the town square in an upstairs office. The building
had a hardware store below and was known as the Carrol Bldg. The construction
offices were located at the site for the dam at a Narrow spot in the Little
Missouri River known locally as "The Narrows", hence the name
of the dam became Narrows Dam. The lake itself was named for an old gentleman
named Mr. Greeson - I can't remember his first name. Mr. Greeson has a
long standing dream of seeing the river dammed and a lake created - I don't
remember his position in the community, but he must have lobbied a lot
to make this become a reality. He was getting up in years before the dam
was completed and I don't remember if he lived to see the actual flooding
of the lake. A great portion of the land that was purchased for the lake
was owned by Dierks Lumber Company. The rest was owned by small landowners.
LAKE GREESON C0VERS 7,000 Acres (Fed by the little Missouri River)
I remember that after the appraisals were made,
and the legal work completed for a large portion of Dierks land, the check
made out to Dierks Lumber came to our office - (to my immediate supervisor,
Mr. Nelson Sadler, the Closing Attorney). It was for $80,000 and we all
thought that was the most money in the world, Mr. Sadler handed it to me
and asked me to put it in the Dierks folder until it could be delivered.
I was guarding it so carefully that I wouldn't go to lunch that day until
he returned. He laughed and said that it wasn't likely that anyone could
cash that check - especially in a little town of approximately 800 people.
The purchase of the land from the small landowners
was particularly interesting and sad. Many of these old folks had lived
on their small farms and acreage all their lives. They were very reluctant
to give up their old homesteads but would either accept the appraisers
offer and move, or hold out - however, in that event, the property would
be condemned and would have to be resolved in Court. Not many cases went
into condemnation -but all had to be settled before the lake could be flooded.
One interesting thing I did as the Steno for
the Closing attorney was to go into the "field" as we called
it to visit some older folks who couldn't get to town to sign the papers.
I remember one particular time when I accompanied Mr. Sadler to the field
- as I always did when the paperwork had to be completed - with a small
portable typewriter, and sitting on a log or stump with the typewriter
in my lap. After one older couple signed, they made the remark "Goodbye
old Home". As we were returning home I told Mr. Sadler that I thought
that was so sad ... he answered that it was, but that they had received
a fair price for their land and it was necessary to buy it if the lake
was to be built.
Another interesting thing I remember was the
discovery of an old cemetery that was to be in the flooded area. The attorney
for this was Mr. Raymond Higgins out of our office. He had a long job of
trying to find markers, records, or anything to identify all graves possible.
He was also to notify all living relatives. They could have a choice of
having their own minister present or an appointed one. Then a very careful
removal by regulations was done. The relatives would give the location
for another site after the graves were opened. Since the graves were so
very old, some relatives could not be located and a minister was present
for all casses. I asked Mr. Higgins what he saw and he said "a little
soil change and a few Civil War Buttons and Medals. I don't know what happened
to the artifacts or where the small tins that had a small soil sample were
relocated.
The State Park at Daisy is located on Lake Greeson
close to Kirby, Ark.
After Lake Greeson was completed our office moved
to Hot Springs to begin land acquisition for Lake Ouachita. This was late
1949 and 1950.
LAKE OUACHITA BLAKELY MOUNTAIN DAM - COVERS 48,000
ACRES. (FED BY THE OUACHITA RIVER)
We moved the District office to Hot Springs in
1949 and 1950. The appraisers went on ahead to begin the land appraisal
for that project. Mr. Sadler, the closing attorney and I stayed behind
at Murfreesboro for a few months to finish the legal work for Lake Greeson.
We joined the rest at Hot Springs in late 49 or early 50.
The District Office at Hot Springs was at the
end of Ouachita Avenue and Quapaw Avenue.
I made an interesting trip to the "field"
while there. It was before the lake was flooded and our Project Manager
asked some of the office personnel if we would like to see it before it
was flooded. It looked (the part I saw) like a high sided bowl with trees
and stumps staked all over the bottom for fish habitat. If only I had a
camera to record this event, because I can actually say I walked on the
bottom of Lake Ouachita. I knew that was an unusual event because after
flooding, barring a miracle, that land would never be seen again.
I left the Corps of Engineers and moved to Pine
Bluff, Ark before the lake was flooded. I don't remember the year it was
actually flooded, but plans were in the mill to start on Lake Degray, fed
by the Caddo River, at Arkadelphia when Ouachita was completed. (13,800
Acres)
I have since camped and visited all three lakes
and recall many fond memories of their history and development.
Also, while camping on Lake Greeson after I married
and had children, I lamented the fact that I could have taken one of the
leases for land on the lake but did not think I would ever be camping there.
The leases were for 99 years for $100.00.
Mary Lou Mauldin. Personal Interview. May 9, 1999.