Ghost Towns: Lemoyne Reappears

Ghost Towns is a relatively popular category for the Rural Resurrection website. Our last posting in this category was on Times Beach, Missouri. There’s an old saying, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Learning from these ghost towns can help us avoid our communities becoming one as well. However, some of the stories in this category are just interesting tales to read. This week we’ll revisit Lemoyne, Nebraska.

Nearly six years ago I wrote about the town of Lemoyne, Nebraska. No longer in existence, Lemoyne was the subject of my second Ghost Towns post on Rural Resurrection. But now this long-forgotten town is back in the news. Like a zombie, the foundations of the former town have emerged from the mud of Lake McConaughy.

The History of Lemoyne

In the mid-1880s, Lemoyne Jacobs settled along the North Platte River in western Nebraska. He envisioned developing a new community there and knew then that goal required rail service. He pushed hard for the Union Pacific (UP) to run a rail line to the area. In 1909, the UP completed a branch line through the North Platte Valley. This made Lemoyne Jacobs’ dream a possibility, and in 1911, the town of Lemoyne was surveyed and named in honor of Jacobs.

With the railroad fueling activity, the community grew through the early 1900s. A small stockyard, a lumberyard, a livery stable, a barbershop, and a bank opened for business. By 1915, a bridge was built across the river, connecting the community to nearby Ogallala along the railroad main line. Local businessmen also invested in the community, building a hotel in 1918. By the mid-1920s, the population had grown to 200 residents.

Kingsley Dam and Lake McConaughy

The weather patterns in western Nebraska have never been remotely consistent. Spring downpours would often be followed by weeks of drought. This often made conditions for farmers and ranchers tough in that part of the state. Holdrege grain merchant Charles McConaughy dreamed of using spring flooding of the Platte River to help irrigate farm fields in the area. As planned, the project would consist of a dam stretching three miles and a resulting reservoir measuring 22 miles long. Creating such a monstrosity would make it Nebraska’s largest construction project. The new reservoir was aptly named Lake McConaughy, and the dam was called Kingsley.

Unfortunately, because Lemoyne sat along the banks of the North Platte River, the town was not in the massive reservoir’s development plans. Lemoyne had to be moved because rising reservoir waters would have flooded every building in town. By 1941, most of the community was moved, and what remained of Lemoyne’s original site was submerged under the waters of Lake McConaughy.

Re-Emergence

Water levels in Lake McConaughy are the lowest in years. At the last check, the lake was at roughly 30% capacity. Many public boat ramps have been closed as water levels have dropped. However, as the water level lowered, the foundations of the former community along the shores of the North Platte River have emerged.

Provided below is an interview with (presumably) one of the former residents of Lemoyne. Standing among what remains of the town, he describes some of its history as the dam was built.

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A post shared by Lake McConaughy, Nebraska Area (@lake_mcconaughy)

The Rest of the Story

For my full post on Lemoyne, check it out here:

Ghost Towns: Lemoyne, Nebraska

You may know of a ghost town with an interesting history. One that may be a helpful example to other communities; don’t keep it to yourself! Let us know through our contact form.