Across what is clearly an old ford over a creek that feeds just to the left of the picture into the Meramec, my father and I found an interesting discovery.
Beyond a doubt, there are the well-preserved remnants of an earthen dam, like one that would create a lake in a steep valley.
There is an obvious break in the dam, and the creek has now cut a deep gut below grade of the dam, as seen below.
Here is a closeup below of the break in the dam.
There are no historic photographs showing the lake or dam, whether in topographical maps or historic aerial photographs.
And I wonder, the deep valley above the dam is very flat, almost as if it was flattened out by sediment over decades, and still to this day the creek is only a foot or two below the lay of the land.
Does anyone remember a lake being here?
As mentioned before, then the valley rises very quickly and ruggedly up to the top of the ridges.
Come see my lecture about the architecture of Louis Sullivan at the Saint Louis Art Museum this Thursday, Jan. 7th at 11:00 AM and Jan. 8th at 6:00 PM.