8
Johnson Lake’s History
destination of many fishermen, campers, boaters, swimmers and picnickers seeking relief from their cares. In 1945, Central leased 50 acres of land to the Nebraska Game, Forestations and Parks Commission for what would become the Johnson Lake State Recreation Area. The treeless landscape became the site of one of the state agency’s first endeavors into tree-planting and the construction of its first recreation access road. A second camping area was added on the west side of the lake in the 1950’s. Water sports, particularly water skiing, began to become popular in the late 1950s and continued through the next three decades. Lake residents reported that it seemed like everyone at the lake was learning to ski in the 1960’s. A project to create additional lakefront property began in 1970 with a dredging operation in the northwest corner of the lake. The result was the Lakeview Acres sub- division surrounding Mahaffie Bay. Developers led by Virgil Eihusen of Grand Island created 169 residential and six commercial lots in the area. Subsequently, George and Delores Harder of Grand Island opened the Lakeview Marina in 1971, offering groceries, bait and tackle, as well as a cafe, laundromat, boat slips and boat rental. During the same time period, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission was also improving its facilities. The NGPC added three modern restrooms, six shelter houses and two change rooms to its campground on the east side of the lake in 1969 at a cost of $25,000. Also that year, the lake was
completely encircled with a paved road for the first time when 4.3 miles of asphalt was laid. Several other stretches of road around the lake had previously been paved, mostly by cabin- owners who agreed to fund construction through paving assessments. A couple of other noteworthy events in the early 1960’s included the opening of a nine-hole golf course -- then known as the Lexington Golf Club -- below the dam in 1963. The owners of the Lexington golf course sold the land on which the course was situated because of construction of Interstate 80. With the money from the sale, they purchased land at Johnson Lake and built a new course. Nine more holes were added to the course in 1990. Over the years, cabin-owners and thousands upon thousands of campers and daily visitors have enjoyed their leisure time at Johnson Lake. From the earliest days, newspapers ran photos of fishermen with their stringers straining under the weight of the day’s catch. The stories that accompanied the photos either told of the fight to land the huge catch, or recounted the inevitable story of “the big one that got away.” Other photos showed sailboat regattas, water skiers, campers, picnickers, swimmers and sunbathers, all brought together by the lure of the water. Johnson Lake continues to be one of the most popular destinations for recreation in Nebraska and a key component in the operation of Central’s hydro-irrigation project. Its construction and development are a testament not only to the men who designed and built the project, but to those who realized and cultivated its potential for recreation.
lottery for the three dozen lots. By 1971 the number of cabins exceeded 700 and many cabin-owners had taken up year-round residence at the lake. Today homes and cabins entirely encircle the lake and number above 900. Development of the cabin areas was overseen by the Johnson Lake Development, Inc., which was formed in 1941. Central -- its agenda dominated by the task of operating its fledgling power and irrigation project, facing an exploding demand for irrigation water and electricity, and hampered by a shortage of manpower and recreational expertise -- leased Johnson, Plum Creek and Gallagher Canyon lakes for development of recreational assets. The aim of the group was to appoint directors from every city in the area that might be interested in the water recreation available at the lakes. Johnson Lake soon became the
Dawson County Historical Museum
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