But don't plan on taking a retro road trip down Old Lake Road anytime soon.
Heading east, Old Lake Road (apparently private now) meanders down to Beaver Creek and the Copper Kettle Marina. Heading west, the road is more or less the driveway for the PQM Wastewater Plant.
Bob Kovach, a longtime contributor to this blog, was working at the PQM Plant when he emailed me back in December 2010. He wrote, "I thought you would be interested in what I know about the section of the road from the PQM Wastewater plant heading west up to the electric company.
"The road is still there, but has been reclaimed by nature big time. There is a section that has sort of a catch basin drain on each side.
Courtesy Bob Kovach |
"Once you get close to the electric company, the road sort of disappears into the landscape. Not a whole lot to see, but very interesting just the same."
I checked in with Bob last summer to see if he was still working at the PQM Plant. He wrote, "I'm still working at the plant and haven't been down the old road for a number of years.
"Once in a while I'll walk over to our fence a few feet away, and try to make out the roadway that is pretty well grown over. There is an old metal gate that blocked traffic from getting onto the road that must have been there for many years, because the trees have actually grown around the post.
Old Lake Road looking west from the PQM Plant Courtesy Bob Kovach |
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I had no idea that Old Lake Road was still out there until I traded emails with Bob. I had seen the road on maps for years, and assumed it was just a cartographer's mistake.1972 Map |
Here's a screen grab from several years ago, showing Old Lake Road west of the PQM Plant.
And here's the whole stretch of Old Lake Road – from the PQM Plant all the way to where the old gas station was located by the highway. Unfortunately, the photo is pieced together from different photography sessions. But it's still interesting to look at, especially after seeing the vintage photographs of Old Lake Road that I posted yesterday.
Anyway, it's always fun to do a little mind traveling and explore the old highways without leaving the comfort of your house.Special thanks to Bob Kovach for sharing his story and photos
2 comments:
Thanks for doing this Dan. Brought back many memories this week.
You're very welcome – glad you liked it.
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