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Originally Posted by mg2107
It makes me very sad that we have totally despoiled this huge and pristine lake basically in the last 50 years. I hope it's not too late to save it.
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Well, it's really nothing new. Not that it makes it any more acceptable. Check out the artifact photos Diver111 posted under the "History" section to see what the "old" garbage looks like.
"Back in the day," as they say, the Lake was used as a big dump. Island inhabitants, in particular, were prone to burning their refuse, and the throwing the remnants into the Lake. Hence, the glass and metal that remain. You'll often find bottled that are blackened -- indicating a fire.
But, yes, the sheer number of beer cans and bottles in the Lake is stunning. That being said, one day Senter Cover Guy and I did a loop around Store Island (having both "grown up" on the Lake near there). Years ago, there was a house on the island, and I figured there might be some interesting junk. I did find 6-8 bottles that day. Oddly enough, they were all SODA bottles -- apparently from the 50s, when the brands were still embossed on the glass.
As I type, I am looking at a bottle found in the Lake (I forget where...). "W.H. Jones & Co. Boston...Established 1851" with a trademark featuring a bear and some Latin. If you check eBay, you'll find stoneware whiskey containers by the same company. It's a really cool bottle.
One man's garbage is another man's treasure (when you add a few decades), but BEER CANS???? Ugh.