Over the years, the Nebraska landscape has changed many times and for many reasons. Towns sprang up and disappeared all over the state, usually because of the arrival or departure of nearby railroad routes. But some towns disappeared for entirely different reasons, like the town under Lake McConaughy. This beloved lake is a popular spot for summer fun, but many people don't know about the darker part of Lake McConaughy history: In order for the lake to exist, an entire town had to be submerged.
The tiny town of Lemoyne still exists today on the banks of Lake McConaughy, but many people don't know that this is not the town's original location.
When Lemoyne was founded in the early 1880s by Lemoyne Jacobs, it sat in a lovely part of the North Platte Valley. The residents campaigned to bring the railroad to town. They succeeded, and the town flourished.
Lemoyne boasted a stockyard, a general store, a hotel, a barbershop, a school, and a bank. By the 1920s, the population had grown to about 200.
In the 1930s, plans began to take shape for an ambitious new project: the Kingsley Dam. The enormous structure would become the second-largest hydraulic dam in the world, and it would create the beloved Lake McConaughy. The problem was that the little town of Lemoyne stood in the way.
The Tri-County Association began making plans to relocate the town and its residents in 1937. Buildings were moved off of their foundations to other locations. Some went to the new townsite a short distance away. Some went to different towns entirely.
Many of the residents were unhappy with the plan and resisted leaving their hometown for as long as possible. But they, too, were forced to move eventually. The dam waters rolled in and the remnants of the town were hidden beneath the lake, becoming a part of lake mcconaughy's history.
In 2004, a near-record drought took Lake McConaughy's levels down to about one-fifth of capacity. As the waters receded, something unexpected surfaced: the remains of the original town of Lemoyne.
Not much could be seen of the town under Lake McConaughy, as the water had eroded most of the buildings. Some building foundations, tree stumps, and broken bits of pottery were all that was left of old Lemoyne. People who had lived in the old townsite returned to look at the remnants and point out where their homes and businesses used to stand.Check out YouTuber DK5203Z’s video of the exposed foundations of the town during a drought:
This short video from 2004 shows what the uncovered ghost town looked like when Lake McConaughy water level's dropped low enough that we could see the original town. Although it isn't as dramatic as, say, entire buildings rotting away beneath the lake, it is still fascinating to see little wisps of memories of an entire town.
The town of "New Lemoyne" was established just north of the old townsite, but the "New" never caught on and people continued to call the new town Lemoyne. Many residents decided to make their new homes elsewhere instead of moving to the new site, making for more than a few tearful goodbyes as the original Lemoyne was dismantled and slowly moved away - consigning the town under Lake McConaughy to history and the waters of the lake.
Now that you know what's lying beneath the lake, you'll think of old Lemoyne, Nebraska every time you fish or swim there. For another tiny, nearly-forgotten Nebraska ghost town, check out Brocksburg.
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