On this site in 1845 Anson Dart built the first dam and sawmill, raising the level of Green Lake and forming the Millpond and Dartford Bay.

In 1850, John Sherwood opened a new outlet from the pond with a mill race and built a 4-story grist mill. Over the years, several reconstructions of the dam were needed to maintain the lake level, including a major change in 1900 by Victor Lawson.

In 1986, heavy rains and high waters caused erosion of the earthern embankment. The Dept. of Natural Resources ordered the lake level to be lowered until the City of Green Lake could repair the dam. With no tax money available, a committee was formed to raise $150,000 in voluntary contributions. And in 1988 repairs were made with steel sheathing to strengthen the dam.

Dedication was on July 3, 1988, commemorating the generosity of Green Lake area people and organizations whose contributions made the dam reinforcement possible.

This marker is given in memory of

Walter Carr Merigold

Marker is on Mill Street (County Highway A) north of Water Street, on the left when traveling north.

Courtesy hmdb.org

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