You’re looking at something amazing, rare, and inspiring—Lanesboro’s Stone Arch Dam.
Built in 1868, it’s an amazing engineering marvel. Nearly three stories tall and 50 yards wide, it was constructed by immigrant-craftsmen using limestone blocks 2 ½ feet thick carved from local bluffs. They intricately dry-stacked those blocks using no mortar. Only the power of gravity and the river’s current holds it in place.
This Dam is rare. Only a half dozen similar dams remain in the United States. This is one of only a handful still producing electricity.
This Dam is certainly inspiring. Thousands of people come here every year to take in its beauty and enjoy moments of quiet reflection. You can see why it’s used as a backdrop for so many photos!
Why is there a dam here? Early town planners needed power for local industry. This natural, V-shaped gorge on the Root River offered a strategic place to produce water power by using a dam. Built on-time and under (its $15,000) budget, this dam was soon providing power for the flour mills that gave a jump-start to Lanesboro’s economy. In 1869 the first railroad car of wheat was shipped from Lanesboro to Chicago—free of charge.
Another byproduct of the dam was a recreational lake that formed behind it. Five hundred acres of water, two miles long, almost a mile wide, and nearly 35 feet deep in spots, it became a popular place to swim, boat, and fish. But by 1890, mainly due to erosion and silt, it became known, and is still referred to, as “Lost Lake.”
In 2020 the Lanesboro Dam underwent major repairs to keep the Root River flowing over it for generations to come. Before you leave, take it all in. Feel river spray on your face. Listen to the its rushing power. Smell the rich aromas. Watch for trout leaping salmon-like against the current. The Lanesboro Dam is well worth a visit…often.

The Dam
By Alicia Pearson

The Lanesboro dam is held together with duality
Arch and gravity
building styles combined
We didn't just accept the building pressure
We cut and measured
We got on our grind
Unmortared limestone blocks and immigrant spirit
1 of 6 in existence
Passing the test of time.