08/26/2026
Time out for some Keith County history! 🤠
Historic drought has lowered the level of Lake McConaughy, and old foundations are emerging from the receding waters.
Have you heard the history of “the town underneath the lake?”
All of the businesses and homes in the original community of Lemoyne were relocated or torn down during the building of Kingsley Dam, beginning in 1937. The village began anew on the hill to the north and the dam was completed in 1941. The foundations reappeared during a low water period in 1956, but they weren’t seen again until 2004.
Lemoyne local Calvin Berry has mapped the foundations with many of the names of the original buildings. To gather information, he spoke with several residents who had lived in the old community, including Cora Baumann and Monte Samuelson. They’re no longer with us, but thanks to Calvin, their stories — and Lemoyne's — won't be forgotten.
See the comments for a picture of the train depot from the archives, courtesy of local historian Tomás England, and Calvin Berry’s map of the old community.
Stay tuned for more stories!
