Chelsey and Polly Dinkins Memorial Dam

Chelsey and Polly Dinkins Memorial Dam. Refuge Manager and Wife. , Chelsey and Polly Dinkins played a major role in the construction and operation of this dam and National Wildlife Refuge known as Lake Ilo., Chelsey Dinkins was the foreman of the Works Progress Administrations (WPA) crew that built the dam in 1936 as a water conservation project. The two year project during the Great Depression employed hundreds of North Dakotans in the severe drought years. In 1939, the Bureau of Biological Survey appointed Chelsey as caretaker of the dam and the newly created Refuge. Shortly thereafter Chelsey and his wife moved into a two room cabin on the refuge., This was the beginning of a 47 year commitment to protect the dam and develop the land, water and wildlife resources. For Chelsey and Polly, this was more than a job, it was a life style and family adventure. Through thick and thin, the Dinkins and their family of nine children put their heart and soul int the task. Today, Chelsey and Polly could truly be proud of the fruits of their labor and the legacy left behind for wildlife and people to enjoy.