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   Hamlin Lake was a giant mill pond for the lumber mills located on Mechanic Street.  Men who worked in the lumber industry lived in Smethport in the many rooming houses around town.  They would walk to their job at the lumber mill and purchase fresh bread for their lunches at the bakery across the street from the mill.

LUMBER:  1895 Mechanic Street Looking North
Mechanic Street LUMBER MILL CREWS
1895:  Barrett Mill:  History of Lumbering
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photo credit: Sunny Frey

Council Makes Plans for Dam Alterations McKean County Democrat Thursday, July 10, 1958 Smethport Borough Council Monday night approved plans for alterations to the Hamlin Lake dam. Under the proposal which must be approved by the state Department of Forests and Waters, the present spillway would be widened on the Willow St. side of the creek and a concrete wall constructed from the spillway’s north end to the creek bed just upstream from the Mechanic St. bridge. The plans were drafted by C.L. Lorah, borough engineer…….

WILL LET CONTRACT FOR HAMLIN PARK LAKE DAMS THIS MONTH TRANSFER OF HERZOG ISLAND AND WATER RIGHT MADE McKean County Democrat July 11, 1929 Hamlin Park and Lake will be an actuality before fall. Final transfer of the deeds to the beautiful Marvin Creek Island, the Marvin Creek mill right and abutting real estate was made Monday by the former owners, the Herzog Estate, to the descendants of Byron D. Hamlin and Henry Hamlin, prominent Smethport financiers, who are making the magnificent gift of a park and artificial lake, located in the very heart of Smethport to the town as a permanent memorial to the two illustrious deceased citizens. The new memorial will be fittingly named Hamlin Park. At an adjourned meeting of the borough council held Monday evening that body accepted the terms of the agreement suggested by the donors of Hamlin Park by which the borough will take charge of the construction and maintenance of two new dams at the Marvin Creek mill pond which will impound sufficient water for a sizeable artificial lake for the boating, etc., in return for the fire protection which the lake, thus created, will provide the town and with full control of the water rights and future power development possibilities. The council promptly voted to advertise for bids for the construction of the two dams on plans approved by the State Water Commission which give an estimated cost not exceeding $3,500 for the work. Bids will be opened Monday, July 22. The advertisement appears elsewhere in today's Democrat. It will be the endeavor of the borough to have the dams completed by fall. The money for the construction of the dams is being furnished the borough by the donors of the park and lake. The beautiful island, with its majestic verdant trees and restful landscape, together with all other real estate, is being deeded by the park donors to Bucktail Post, American Legion. The local World War veterans' organization will be permanent custodian of Hamlin Lake during the life of the organization and afterwards the property will pass to the control of Smethport borough. The local Post is planning to build a footbridge from the mainland, near the former Kushequa railroad depot to the island, also a bridge from the island to new McCoy Athletic Field. The donors of this magnificent gift to Smethport are Mrs. Laena Hamlin Rose, Mrs. Eugenia Hamlin Merrell, Orlo J. Hamlin, Jennette Hamlin Hammer and Paul D. Hamlin. The subscribers to the project appropriated the sum of $10,000, the sum of $6,000 covering the purchase price of the Herzog Estate property, while the sum of $4,000 has been appropriated to pay for the two dams now to be built under borough supervision.

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