Fort Randall Dam, An earthen marvel.

     John Forsyth and Phil Verzani made the long trip to Lake Andes, South Dakota, from Niobrara, Nebraska, via the Wheeler Bridge on Wednesday, July 11, 1946, to attend a very important meeting – making plans for the ground breaking celebration to officially begin construction of the Fort Randall Dam. As a result of this meeting, over six thousand people gathered for the Ground Breaking Ceremony on July 30, 1946. Missouri River Division Engineer Brigadier General Lewis A. Pick had the honor of touching off the dynamite explosion to begin the construction of the Fort Randall Dam.
     One of the most memorable sounds in the coming years was the blasting of chalk rock throughout the night. “Our family lived on a ranch in Nebraska near the South Dakota border and we could hear the blasting. Our dog was afraid of thunder and the sounds of the explosions ruined her,” says Ray Connot of Spencer.
Read the entire story in the latest edition of Living Here magazine. 
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