1199 - Sully Lake
Historic photo of Lake Sully near Onida, SD, showing shoreline buildings, a dock, and people by the water under a partly cloudy sky.
On June 17, 1927, a crowd of about two thousand people gathered for the formal opening ceremony of Sully Lake. Dr. B. M. Hart welcomed the crowd and introduced Mayor Whipple of Pierre who delivered the dedication address. Henry Chamberlain piloted “Miss Sully”, the first motor craft to navigate the waters of Sully Lake, giving over three hundred people a ride around the lake. Forty lots along the west side of the lake were sold that day, averaging about $50 each.
Created by damming the Okobojo Creek, Sully Lake was the first artificial lake in central South Dakota and it quickly became a popular recreation spot. There was a bathhouse, a carpeted pier, and a fifteen foot, three-tier lifeguard tower. A committee was formed to establish a dance pavilion and chose to name it “Okarda”, to honor the three principal towns in Sully County at that time: Okobojo, Agar, and Onida. The lake was stocked with catfish and other game fish, making it a popular fishing spot.
Droughts are a given in Sully County, and the lake shrank in the dry years and grew in the good years. For several years the cottage owners persisted in spite of the weather, planting shade trees to create a cozy lake retreat. Bess Gropengieser extended her boat landing pier further and further into the center of the lake as the waters receded, then when the rains came she gleefully stepped into her boat right from the shore in front of her cottage.
Members of the Sully County Sportsmen Club, along with the Onida Fire Department and county and city employees, took advantage of low water levels in 1957 to sand the beach, clean up debris, and trim trees making swimming at the lake more desirable.
The lake completely dried up in the extended drought of the 1970’s. Today, looking at its beautiful waves, listening to the wind in the trees, and watching the birds fly overhead, you can almost hear the shrieks and laughter of the folks who worked to carve out a first-class recreation area here, if only for a brief time.