1908-1909 Broken Down Dam on Otter Tail River near Fergus Falls, MN

(Satellite)

kiddle, License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike (CC BY-SA)
"The new dam began generating power in 1908. Engineers had unknowingly built the dam on top of a spring without having done proper site evaluations. By the following year the concrete foundations had been undermined by the spring flows. At 4:20 a.m. on September 24, 1909, dam attendants discovered the electric lights fading and water flowing over the powerhouse floor. They quickly fled along a railway embankment just as the 10-ton generator was swept into the river. They reached a farm, procured a team of horses, and headed towards Fergus Falls to raise alarm."

Dayton Hollow Dam, 5 miles (8.0 km) to the southwest, was saved from destruction. Its owner, president of the Otter Tail Power Company Vernon Wright, received enough advance warning to reach his dam by 6:15 a.m. and open the flood gates. Following the disaster, Otter Tail Power was engaged by the city to build their transmission lines into town. This helped spawn a local rumor, fueled by radical newspaper editor Haldor E. Boen, that Wright had deliberately destroyed City Dam by secretly distributing quicksilver (mercury) from a rowboat to undermine it. Later it was determined natural springs under its foundation made the dam's failure inevitable.

OtterTailLakesCountry

 

TheHistoryHandbook

John Lauritsen

This is a view of the upstream side.

OtterTailLakesCountry

saladfingers / Atlas Obscura User

3:14 video @ 0:28 via UnveiledLocal

"Art or Eyesore? The Graffiti Debate

"As you explore the Broken Down Dam, you’ll notice that it’s not just the natural beauty and history that draw people in—there’s also an ever-changing canvas of graffiti. Each year, new graffiti artists leave their mark, either by painting over existing art or finding untouched spots to add their own creations. The artwork isn’t confined to the dam’s crumbling concrete; you’ll find it on the rocks along the trail, the wooden planks of the walkway, and even a giant mushroom painted on a tree. This graffiti has sparked a bit of controversy among explorers and Fergus Falls residents. Some believe it detracts from the site’s historical significance, while others feel it adds a layer of modern beauty and expression to the landscape. Whether you view it as art or an eyesore, the graffiti certainly adds a unique dimension to the Broken Down Dam experience."

2:23 video @ 0:28