The
Gunter Lake was built in 1901 to served the locomotives with a fast
supply of water. The water tower was a common sight along
railroad lines. The structures were originally built of wood and
later designed from steel or concrete. These towers held
thousands of gallons of water for locomotives at strategic locations.
("Railroad Water Tower."
American-Rails.com. Viewed April 17, 2021) Tank ponds were
built by damming various small creeks that intersected the railroad
tracks in order to provide water for trains to take on water. It
took 1,000 gallons of water just to go 15 miles; water could be drawn
from a nearby stream or tank and pumped up to the holding tank. ("Railroad Water Tanks." True West: History of the American Frontier. Viewed APril 17, 2021) The lake was first known as the Sherman Outing Club where events were enjoyed by thousands through the years for fishing, hunting, swimming, boating, and picnics. Finally overgrown with cattails and infested with snakes, the dam was broken and water released at some point in t he 1960s. - - - Scott Jordan The lake was not with out its tragedies: May 3, 1926 - Ury Sidney Hopper, 16, drowned putting out a trot-line. July 28, 1929 - Clarence Jones, 19, drowned trying to swim across the lake. April 23, 1939 - Brothers Travis Odell Neill and Donald Lee Neill drowned while fishing with their uncle; their boat capsized and they were unable to reach the shore. The map below shows the present location of the lake next to the railroad tracks and south of the ballparks. Although the lake is still shown on maps, it is not near as big as it used to be.
Gunter History Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson CountyTXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |
