When Westwood’s Water Supply Went Dry

The reservoir as it appeared in 1914. Minnesota Historical Society

The drought of 1924 caught many people off guard. Springs that had never gone dry, went dry. At Westwood the unthinkable happened when Duck Lake the main water source of Goodrich Creek went dry. Up until this time, it was Westwood’s water supply.  Red River’s resident manager, Fletcher Walker wrote on May 10, 1924: The water supply for the town is failing us quite rapidly and it is now a race to get water from Clint’s Camping Ground Spring [Clear Creek] before the Goodrich Ditch fails us. We are running the town on meal hours so every one can get water for their meals and then closing it off. To do this requires water taken from the millpond.” As Walter Luff, Jr. recalled they used millpond water to bathe with, and the water tasted like turpentine.

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