Prior to the construction of this hydroelectric plant in 1927, this site provided mechanical power from falling and flowing water. The water power was used for milling, grinding and manufacturing operations.
In 1917, a travel brochure funded by the Frisco Railroad, stated that Mammoth Spring was the leading town between Memphis, Tennessee and Springfield, Missouri. It was the natural resource of water and the ingenuity of man that made Mammoth Spring a thriving center of commerce.
Although previous dams had been built at this site, the present dam was built in the 1880s. The spillway section is 110 feet long, with a 7 foot wide spillway and a 10 foot wide base. It is constructed of limestone blocks and earth fill set in a concrete footing in solid rock. The spill was a free "over fall" type that allowed the water level to drop freely. The dam served the Mammoth Spring Milling Company by powering roller mills used to grind soft wheat.
In 1925, Arkansas-Missouri Power Company, a subsidiary of Inland Power and Light Corporation, purchased the dam; they constructed this hydroelectric plant in 1928. The plant was operated by the Arkansas-Missouri Power Company until 1972 when it was donated to Arkansas State Parks.
The equipment you see is original, installed in 1928, with the exception of the oil circuit breaker which was replaced in 1956.
In 1981, a feasibility study was performed under a contract between the Arkansas Department of Energy and Benham-Blair and Affiliates, Inc. The Ozarks Regional Commission provided the funding to assess the feasibility of restoring or replacing the plant. It was determined that operation of the plant would be uneconomical.
Submitted: February 16, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Database Locator Identification Number: p639405
File Size: 1.888 Megabytes
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