History Written By Nature And Man
Posted by: 
Volcanoguy
N 44° 47.786 W 118° 29.869
11T E 381531 N 4961428
History sign at Fremont Powerhouse.
Waymark Code: WM2V8Q
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 12/24/2007
Views: 18
History sign at Fremont Powerhouse.
Marker Name: History Written By Nature And Man
Marker Text: Natural landforms gave local settlers an opportunity to shape history. As you explore the remains of the gold rush era, consider the partnership of people and nature.
A Lake The Ice Forgot
When the Ice Age glaciers melted, they left behind Olive Lake, an ideal resource for producing electricity. The melting glaciers had left a pile of rocks, or moraine, that formed a natural dam. Engineers enlarged the dam using the log-crib earthfill method, making the lake bigger.
Water Falls, Current Flows
Lake water was sent downstream to the powerhouse in an eight mile wooden pipe, constructed of redwood and steel bands. The wood was carefully milled and fitted with tongue and groove joints that swelled into a watertight jount. The force of gravity from falling water was used to generate electricity.
Power to the People
The Fremont Powerhouse was built in 1908 to produce electricity for nearby mines and towns. The Powerhouse operated until 1967 when it was closed and donated to the United States Forest Service.
Construction of the powerhouse was hard work. Heavy equipment and materials were hauled by horse and wagon from Baker City, a distance of 60 miles.
The Romanesque architecture of the powerhouse used textured concrete blocks and arched windows typical of the style. It symbolizes a historical era of early hydrological technology.
Visit Instructions:
Include your thoughts and observations pertaining to this location and your visit. Provide any additional history that you are aware of that pertains to this location. If the marker commemorates a historic building tell us what it is used for now or share with us the circumstances of an earlier visit to bring this locations history to life.
Please upload a favorite photograph you took of the waymark. Although visiting this waymark in person is the only thing required of you to receive credit for your visit, taking the time to add this information is greatly appreciated.
Be creative.