Brief History:
In 1926 William J. Newman, a building contractor from Chicago began acquiring property and flowage rights of the Dell Creek , Dell Creek marsh and the hills around it. About 2000 acres was purchased by the Dells Area Development Company including the Eliza Bement’s Dawn Manor Holdings and the Sarrington’s mill and farmland. Ralph Hines was hired to supervise the actual work of the lake building which began the winter of 1926-1927. The gate of the dam closed in April 1927 and only took about a month to fill the lake. Lake Delton was dammed solely for recreation, one of Wisconsin’s first and best –publicized recreational lakes. June 9, 2008 due to the flooding in the area the lake washed out into the Wisconsin River. (The area on Lake Delton known as the Beach Gardens Swimming Area in 1927’s/Anchor Bay in 1970’s washed out to the Wisconsin River area known as the Kilbourn Country Club Beach at Dawn Manor in 1910/ Purple Grackle Dance Hall 1932/ Cross Bow Dance Club 1960’s) On November 26, 2008 the reconstruction on County Hwy A was complete and the road reopened. The gates closed on April 3, 2009 and the lake was completely filled by April 28th.

Taken at 3pm 5/21/09 – From Breach Site