Lake Contrary is an oxbow lake in Buchanan County, Missouri just southwest of St. Joseph.
| Lake Contrary | |
|---|---|
  Lake Contrary  Lake Contrary | |
| Location | Buchanan County, Missouri |
| Coordinates | 39°43′17″N 94°54′58″W / 39.7213192°N 94.916081°W |
| Type | oxbow lake |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 10 miles (16.1 km)[1] |
| Max. width | 0.5 miles (0.8 km)[1] |
| Surface area | 335 acres (1.4 km2)[2] |
| Surface elevation | 797 ft (243 m)[3] |
The lake was a frequented fishing ___location, and an amusement park once existed there. The lake has steadily dried up, and now the majority of it is dry. Presently, the lake is surrounded by residential houses. There is a public beach on the eastern side of what remains of the lake.
History
editIn the late 19th-Century, meat packers of Kansas City and St. Joseph harvested ice from this lake.[4]
Amusement Park
editIn 1890, what became an amusement park opened at Lake Contrary. Over the coming decades many rides and attractions opened around the lake. The amusement park was sentimentally coined the "Coney Island" of St. Joseph.[1] The amusement park closed in 1964 and the decades since the park has declined as a beach as well.
Dredging Operations
editBuchanan County and the Corps of Engineers have put forward a plan[2] to dredge the lake to restore the lake's environment and revitalize the recreation. There is general public sentiment for this to occur especially from those who remember visiting the beach and amusement park.[5][1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Lewis, Ryan (July 17, 2020). "The "Coney Island" of St. Joseph, Missouri". Medium.[unreliable source]
- ^ a b "Lake Contrary Dredging Outfall Plan" (PDF). Buchanan County, MO. Water Resources Solutions. 2024-07-29.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lake Contrary
- ^ History of Buchanan County and St. Joseph, Mo. St. Joseph, Mo., Midland Printing Co. 1915.
- ^ Weston, Alonzo (2024-10-17). "Time has come to do something about Lake Contrary". News-Press NOW. Retrieved 2025-04-02.
External links
edit- Missouri River in Vicinity of St. Joseph, MO, showing conditions at Lake Contrary 1912 US Engineers map of Lake Contrary
- Lake Contrary Amusement Park History, digital picture-book of Lake Contrary
- The “Coney Island” of St. Joseph, Missouri, article about the Amusement Park at Lake Contrary
- Lake Contrary: Days of Glory 1890-1964, book about the Amusement Park at Lake Contrary