Hardy Dam | Discover Hardy Dam’s History Today — Terry Wantz Historical Research Center

Building Hardy Dam

Constructed from 1929 to 1931, on a site once known as the Oxbow, the Hardy Hydroelectric Plant was built by Consumers Power Company

Black and white photograph of a partially constructed building by a body of water, with trees in the background. The text on the image reads, 'Start of construction of the Hard Don, Olbrow, Mich.'

Historical black and white photograph of Hardy Dam construction in oxbow meander area, featuring a dirt road, a horseback rider, and distant structures on a hilly landscape with sparse trees.

Black and white photo showing a wooden bridge over a river, with two people walking on the bridge. The background includes trees and clear sky. Handwritten text at the bottom reads, 'Bridged the Mackeon on The Mackeon, OX-Bow, Mich.'

Old black and white photograph showing construction of Murray Dams on the Muskegon River in Oakland, Michigan, with construction equipment near the water and a forested hillside in the background.

Hydroelectric engineering

After considerable investigation and planning by Consumers Energy in the 1920s, construction on the Hardy Dam began in 1929. It was designed by William G. Fargo and construction was carried out by his company, Fargo Engineering. Large amounts of concrete were placed into the foundation as solid bedrock was not present, particularly in the streambed. Allied Engineers began constructing the power plant in the autumn of 1929. In August 1930 the Muskegon River was diverted through the power plant penstocks and away from the dam construction site. The embankment of the dam was filled by March 1931 using the semi hydraulic method of construction. About 1,500,000 cu yd (1,100,000 m3) of sand and gravel was used in the dam. Both the dam and power plant were complete by the end of 1931.

Black and white historical photograph of dam construction on the Muskegon River near Arbo, Michigan, showing construction equipment and power lines.

Historical black and white photograph showing construction of a dam on the Muskegon River near Croton, Michigan, taken on March 10, 1930. The landscape depicts excavation and construction equipment in the foreground, with a cleared area and hills in

Black and white photograph of a construction site on the Muskegon, Ox Bow, Michigan, with houses, trees, and hills in the background, and a handwritten note across the image mentioning construction in the area.

A black-and-white photograph of a dam construction site on the Muskegon River in Ontonagon, Michigan, dated March 10, 1930. The image shows construction machinery, scaffolding, and a partially built dam with water nearby, and a landscape with hills a

Historical black and white photograph of construction work on the upstream section of the Hoover Dam, showing rocky terrain, construction equipment, and a partially built structure near the Colorado River.

Historical photo of the construction of the Muskegon River dam in Oxford, Michigan, dated June 5, 1930, showing construction equipment, workers, and infrastructure in progress.

Sepia-toned photograph of construction work on the Muskegon River at the Grand River, with cranes, structures, and workers visible. Handwritten caption reads "Hardy Dam Construction on the Muskegon River, Grand River, Mich. July 24, 1930."

A black-and-white photograph showing dam construction on the Muskegon River in Oxbow, Michigan, with construction materials, equipment, and a large metal tower with antennas or cables.

Black and white vintage photograph of a river with forested hills in the background, captioned 'The Little Oxbow on the Muckepot River.'.

Black and white photograph showing a view of a river with trees on either side. In the background, a dam structure is visible on the Muskegon River in Michigan, with the river flowing in front.

A dirt trail with trees on both sides, leading into the distance on a cloudy day. Handwritten text on the photo mentions the trail to Houghton Lake.

Black and white photo of the beginning of construction of the Hardy Dam in Oakbow, Michigan, showing a wooden bridge over a river with construction materials and construction site in the background, including trees and a wooden fence.

A black and white historical photograph of the Over River Valley taken from Railroad Hill. The scene includes a deep river valley with a dirt road running along its slope, sparse trees, and a river visible in the distance, with a dam on the Muskegon

An old black and white photograph of a bridge under construction over a river, with several workers on the site, and a steam-powered locomotive emitting smoke in the background.

Black and white photograph of a construction site showing a dam being built on the Mukegon River in Oxbow, Michigan. The date August 22, 1930, is handwritten on the photo.

Black and white photograph of construction work on the Muskegon River in Orbow, Michigan, taken on August 23, 1930. Shows steel structures, scaffolding, and workers amidst a partially constructed dam or bridge in a rural area.

Photograph of the Hardy Dam construction over the Muskegon River in Orbon, Michigan, dated July 24, 1930, showing a large wooden and metal bridge being built over the river with construction workers present.

Black and white photograph of a construction site with buildings, vehicles, and trees, with a hilly landscape in the background. Text at the bottom reads: 'Construction of the Hard Dock on the Mackinac River, Ok-Shaw-Mich.'

Historical black and white photograph of construction workers building a railway bridge over the Muskegon River in Muskegon, Michigan, with cranes and scaffolding visible.

A black and white photograph of the construction site of the Moffatt Tunnel, showing steel framework, scaffolding, and construction workers. The landscape is barren with some trees in the background.

Black and white photograph of a construction site with a train and workers, sandy terrain, wooden planks, and utility poles. Hilly landscape with trees in the background. Text at the bottom reads, "Unloading Train and Washing Sand., Hardy Dam, Muskeg

Black and white photograph of the Hardy Dam construction on the Muskegon River near Muskegon, Michigan, dated November 2, 1930, showing construction workers, horses, and wooden structures on a rugged landscape.

Photograph of the construction of the Muskegon River dam at Oxbow, Michigan on November 2, 1930, showing large dam structure, construction materials, and workers.

Historical black and white photo of a construction site on the Mackenzie River in Orbow, Montana, dated December 3, 1900, showing building structures, workers, and steam from smoke in the background.

Historical black and white photograph of a destroyed town with rubble, damaged buildings, and railroad tracks, with an elevated structure in the foreground and a hill with a wooden framework structure in the background.

Historical black and white photograph of dam construction on the Muskegon River near Croton, Michigan, showing a construction tower, leafless trees, and snowy landscape.

Black and white photo of a construction site with a building framework on a concrete foundation. The landscape appears snowy with some trees and small houses in the background. There are some construction vehicles and equipment present. Handwritten t

Historical black and white photograph of a construction site for the Hardy Dam, with a wooden structure and a water body in the background. There are power lines and a utility pole in the scene, with snow on the ground. Text on the image reads "Hardy

Black and white photograph of the construction of the Muckpen River dam in Orton, Michigan, dated December 3, 1920. The photo shows a large wooden dam structure with surrounding construction activity and landscape.

Black and white photo of construction work on the Muckleon River, Otown, Michigan, dated December 3, 1930. Visible are railway tracks, construction materials, and workers, with snow-covered landscape and trees in the background.

A winter scene showing a snow-covered riverbank with a thin layer of ice on the water. There are trees and a few houses or structures on the snowy hillside in the background. Smoke or steam rises from a chimney. Handwritten text on the bottom right m

Black and white photo of construction on the Arkansas River in October 1960. Includes a building with scaffolding, a bridge in the background, and construction debris near the water.

Historic black-and-white photograph of the construction of the Muskegon River outlet dam in Michigan taken on March 19, 1931, showing an excavation site with wooden boards and dirt trenches.

Black and white photo of a construction site with a crane and workers building a dam, with text overlay reading 'Hardwood dam construction on the Muskegon River, Okbom, Michigan, 1961'.

Photograph of the construction site of the Hardin Dam on the Muskegon River in Obwon, Michigan, taken on March 19, 1951, showing excavated earth, construction materials, and infrastructure in progress.

Historical construction site at the Milwaukee River, showing wooden scaffolding, a crane, and excavated earth with workers, from 1931.

A black and white photo showing a dry, grassy landscape with a damaged, collapsed structure in the foreground and a road with a bridge in the background.

A painting titled 'The Little Oxbow on the Muskeget River' showing the oxbow of a river with grassy land and trees in the background.

A black-and-white photograph of the Little Oxbow on the Muckleshoot River, showing a wide waterway with trees and landscape in the background. The caption at the bottom reads, "The Little Oxbow on the Muckleshoot River."

A black and white photo of a snowy landscape with trees, utility poles, and a road, with a large hillside in the background. Text on the image reads: "Hardy Dam Construction on Muskegon River, near Croton, Mich."

Historical photograph showing construction of a dam on the Muskegon River in Orton, Michigan, taken on November 2, 1930. The image depicts workers and equipment involved in the dam's building process, with parts of the dam structure, scaffolding, and

Black and white photograph of a long, barren road with a line of parked military or police trucks on the side. The road is bordered by white posts with black caps and a low guardrail. The landscape is flat with open fields and some trees in the far d

An aerial view of a dam with water flowing through it, surrounded by greenery and trees, with a building near the dam and a large body of water behind it.

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