Across what is clearly an old ford over a creek that feeds just to the left of the picture into the Meramec, my father and I found an interesting discovery.

Beyond a doubt, there are the well-preserved remnants of an earthen dam, like one that would create a lake in a steep valley.

There is an obvious break in the dam, and the creek has now cut a deep gut below grade of the dam, as seen below.

Here is a closeup below of the break in the dam.

There are no historic photographs showing the lake or dam, whether in topographical maps or historic aerial photographs.

And I wonder, the deep valley above the dam is very flat, almost as if it was flattened out by sediment over decades, and still to this day the creek is only a foot or two below the lay of the land.

Does anyone remember a lake being here?

As mentioned before, then the valley rises very quickly and ruggedly up to the top of the ridges.