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Loup Generator — Fall 2020

The Ruthie cabin cruiser makes a big splash in 1939, the Lake Babcock Amusement Resort works to develop the lake into a "boating mecca", protecting the piping plover and interior least tern at the Genoa Headworks.

The Ruthie cabin cruiser makes a big splash in 1939, the Lake Babcock Amusement Resort works to develop the lake into a "boating mecca", protecting the piping plover and interior least tern at the Genoa Headworks.

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The Omaha World-Herald printed a picture<br />

taken from the Ruthie on Lake Babcock.<br />

The picture was also colorized and made<br />

into postcards.<br />

a non-profit association, was incorporated by 11 “publicspirited<br />

Columbus men.” Their goal was to promote and<br />

develop the recreational facilities of Lake Babcock.<br />

“Since Lake Babcock came into<br />

being, officials of the <strong>Loup</strong> River<br />

Public Power district have been<br />

‘stumped’ in figuring out some way<br />

to develop it as a real resort center,<br />

since, because of PWA regulations,<br />

the district could not use any of its<br />

funds on hand for that purpose,”<br />

the Telegram stated.<br />

All profits from the corporation’s<br />

efforts would go back into<br />

promoting the lake as a resort area.<br />

On June 10, the <strong>Loup</strong> board<br />

approved a lease granting exclusive<br />

amusement privileges of the lake to<br />

the corporation through July 5 for $1.<br />

The corporation was already planning a Fourth of July<br />

celebration to raise funds.<br />

REGATTA DRAWS LARGE CROWD<br />

An estimated 5,000 people attended the July 4th<br />

celebration. The entrance fee was 40 cents for all<br />

spectators over the age of 12. Fifteen boat owners offered<br />

rides on the lake for 25 cents.<br />

There were refreshment and novelty stands.<br />

The highlight was the races, with boats from<br />

Nebraska, Kansas, and Iowa. They topped speeds of 40<br />

miles per hour.<br />

The event also included a bait<br />

casting contest and surf board<br />

demonstrations.<br />

A 46-piece band featuring high<br />

school graduates from several towns in<br />

the <strong>Loup</strong> valley played for an hour.<br />

<strong>Loup</strong>’s diving crew gave a<br />

demonstration, with Bruce Albert in a<br />

diving suit and Walter Phillips guiding<br />

him.<br />

“Albert descended again to the floor<br />

of the lake, and presented something<br />

of an unexpected thrill for spectators<br />

when he tangled his air line for several<br />

minutes around a pier post, and was nearly struck by a<br />

floating log barricade in front of the speed dock,” noted<br />

the Telegram the following day.<br />

“With Phillips directing his course, Albert untangled<br />

himself without mishap, and made another journey into<br />

the lake.”<br />

The lake continued to draw as many as 500 spectators<br />

and visitors on the weekends through September 1939.<br />

<strong>—</strong> on page 8<br />

FALL <strong>2020</strong> 7

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