THE FACTS
Austin Dam was originally constructed in 1909. It was made to power a nearby paper mill. The first time the dam was built, it was 50 feet high, 540 feet long, and 20 feet thick. This was concerning, because the dam had been designed to be 30 feet thick. After just a few months, the town built below the dam noticed a problem. The dam was cracking and the wall was bowing out. After talking to the construction workers, the people of Austin discovered a secret. The dam was supposed to be 30 feet thick. Because they were tired, the construction workers made the wall 10 feet thinner. Instead of replacing the dam, it was repaired. Using dynamite, the workers made a space for some of the water to flow out. The cracks were proclaimed normal because of the drying cement. For three years, the town lived in peace. Then, on September 30, 1911, the dam failed. A young girl named Mary Simmons was the only person known to try to warn the town. However, Mary was an immigrant, and her English was very limited. She pointed to the dam and repeated, “dam, dam!” Very few people knew what she was trying to say, and 78 people were killed by the dam. Later, the dam and paper mill were rebuilt. The paper mill burnt down in 1933. The dam broke again in 1942, but no people were killed. Neither the mill or the dam were rebuilt.