Reluctantly, we got in our 1946 Chevrolet and drove out across the prairie to a hill overlooking the Missouri River. There was a white sun shelter set up for dignitaries, but we were not dignitaries; so we had to stand out in the sun. The Governor and some guy named Rockefeller from back East gave long-winded speeches and then they turned over some dirt with shovels. When we looked at the distance across the Missouri River, we thought these people were crazy because it would not be possible to move enough dirt to fill in the large void between the two hills on opposite sides of the River (about 9,300 feet, or 1.76 miles). We were told that when the Dam was completed, it would be the largest Earth-rolled dam in the world. (There are now larger Earth filled dams in the world and the 200-mile long Lake Oahe is now the fourth-largest man-made lake in the United States.)
Ten years later we were out in the Missouri River in an old green fiberglass fishing boat when all of the water started draining out of the River. They finally stopped the mighty Missouri! We loaded the boat on a trailer and drove out to a hill overlooking the Dam to watch as they continued filling in the large gap between the two partially completed sides of the dam.
For most of the summer the River remained dry, except for some large depressions in the low areas of the river bottom that still had water. The depression areas looked like small stock ponds. Rain water kept the depressed areas full and there were a lot of fish in these areas, which made for great fishing that summer. I even caught a Sturgeon one time.
It was also fun to go fishing above the Dam. As the water level kept rising all of the trees along the River were flooded and it was possible to drive the boat between the trees. The trees eventually died and then there were just dead trees sticking out of the water.
The water level behind the Dam was kept at a low level for several years while tunnels were drilled through the dam that would eventually house the power turbines. During this time period, water was released back into the river through what would become flood control tunnels after completion of the power generator tunnels. Fishing was amazing along the channel between the flood control tunnels and the River channel, so when I was in high school we spent a lot of time fishing along the channel.
When not fishing we decided to see if we could learn to water ski. At that time water skis were made of heavy wood and much wider than current water skis, so it took a lot of arm strength to just get out of the water and be pulled behind a boat. Life jackets were not required and skiers just wore a 6-inch wide piece of foam around their waist, which really did not do anything as far as safety was concerned. Plus, the foam belt often fell off when you fell in the water while skiing. I think the belt was just so that they could find your body if you got knocked out and drowned, assuming the belt did not fall off.
Our fishing boat had an outboard 25-hp Johnson engine that was mounted on the back of the boat. When traveling to the lake, the engine could be lifted off and placed in the back of the pickup, or it could be left on the boat if not traveling too far.
There was a handle on the engine that was used to control the direction and speed of the boat. The boat driver sat on a wooden bench next to the engine and to change the boat's direction, the driver moved the handle horizontally from side-to-side. If you wanted to go left, you moved the handle to the right. Boat speed was controlled by rotating the handle.
The first time we tried pulling a water skier, the front of the boat came up out of the water because there was no weight in the front of the boat. After changing the engine angle and putting someone large in the front part of the boat, the front of the boat stayed in the water; but it greatly reduced the speed of the boat. Still, it worked and we learned to water ski.
I remember one time when we were going to Farm Island (an island in the Missouri River downriver from Pierre), the boat came loose from the pickup and fortunately went into the ditch without hitting anything. The trailer's tongue stuck in the ditch bank and the boat launched itself over the front of the trailer with the engine still attached, clearing a barbed wire fence and landing out in a field. We were able to take the fence apart and drag the boat back the the trailer, which was a little bent up but still useable. When we put the boat in the water there were no leaks and there were no problems with the engine. A few years later we purchased a new boat that had a steering wheel and a 40-hp Scott engine.
Although all of the Dam's power tunnels were not yet all operational, President John F. Kennedy officially dedicated the Oahe Dam on August 17, 1962. The Dam was completed in 1964 at a total project cost of $340,000,000. I had moved away from home in 1961, so I was not able to attend the dedication.
When we were recently at the farm we drove from Pierre up to the Dam on Highway 1804 (east side of the river - the year Lewis & Clark went up the Missouri River), drove across the Dam , and then drove back to Fort Pierre on the west side of the River (Highway 1806 - the year Lewis & Clark came down the River). There are numerous historic markers on the west side of the River that explain the area's history, including the Verendrye Monument National Historic Landmark, Fort Pierre Chouteau National Historic Landmark, Lewis & Clark's camp site, and other historic events that happened in the area.
There is now a visitor center located on top of the Dam, along with the historic Oahe Mission School and Chapel that was constructed in 1877. Originally, the Mission was located 11 miles upstream from its current location, but the original location is now under 150 feet of water. The Mission building has been well maintained and is now used for nondenominational religious services and marriages.
While in Pierre, Sophia's aunts told her that Zesto ice cream was healthy for you and you could eat a lot of it without gaining weight; so Sophia decided to give up food and survive on Zesto.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
After staying at the farm, Sophia decided she could be a farm girl. She especially loved all of the animals and soon became one of Bob's best friends. (After spending a winter in South Dakota, she may give up the farm girl idea.)
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture b Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture b Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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