Lobdell Lake

Lobdell  Lake, the 2nd largest in the Fenton/Linden area, is 545 acres, with a maximum depth of 78 feet. It's located just north of Bennett Lake, and is connected to it by the north-south channel under Bennett Lake Rd.  It is bordered by Silver Lake Rd. on the north, Argentine Rd. on the west and Bennett Lake Rd. on the south. Lobdell's bottom is varied,  comprising of marl, sand, pulpy & fibrous peat and gravel.

At one time, the lake was littered with stumps, also known as stickups or deadheads. Props and lower units were no match for these firmly-planted nuisances. Fortunately, the Association established a program several years ago to "harvest" the stumps, making a much safer environment for  riparians, and visitors alike. As a reminder of what the lake was, there  remains one stump, appropriately located in Stump Cove.  

There are several islands on the lake, 12 by my count, a few of which are inhabited. Some of them are named, like Bluegill, Turtle, and Stages. Am I  missing any? Oh yes, there's the "island with no name", mentioned in the Photo Gallery. We need to name these things! We also need to name  the channel between the lakes.

A Little History (Thanks to Judy Ehmke for her contributions.)

According to www.hometownvalue.com,  "James H. Murray and William Lobdell settled here in 1836.  The first P.O. opened in 1837, named Booton, but due to a similarity of names it was changed to Argentine in  1842, the name Mr. Murray had given the township.  The village was  platted in 1844.  Lobdell Lake, just east of the village, was named after Mr. Lobdell."  

According  to Game and Fish magazine, the lake was originally formed as an  impoundment when the settlers dammed North Ore Creek. Michigan's Historic Sites Online indicates that James Murray constructed the grist mill in 1839, and included in it "two run of stone", which sounds like the milling technology used prior to the stone wheel. Whether the water power was strictly from North Ore Creek, or had the lake already been  dammed at that time is not yet known.

Do you have any info you'd like to share? If so, please include it in an email, and we'll get it posted.