Long ago on independence square (Lee's Summit, Raytown: assess, safe, stadium)

[MRG Dallas]

Wow, I haven't heard the name Doutt's Lake in decades. I don't remember where it was but I will look it up.

Edit: In 1960 there are about a dozen listings for Doutts. Wm A. (and E. Opal) are listed in connection with the Lake. Their residence was 112 W. Frances Ave (sic). The Lake has an entry for "picnic grounds" at 1500 S. Liberty. Google Maps does not show a 1500 address, but I think you've nailed it there where the RR tracks and Noland Rd were its east-west boundaries. The street numbers are in the 1400's as Liberty ends with well, W. Francis St. Maps shows that short stretch of Francis beginning withe 100 @ Main, so obviously the Doutts lived on the property. Whether part of the lake was filled or not, I don't know but there is the grassy area that must have been the picnic spot.

I suspect customers entered somewhere on Noland Rd. Otherwise they would have to enter Southside to the north and come down Liberty or Main to Francis. I wonder where they would have parked unless it was on or adjacent to Noland Rd, which wasn't nearly so developed back then. Maybe people parked on the grounds instead.

Google Streetview takes you to a house @ 114 W. Francis and you can 360 the field across the small chain-link fence. The lake however is out of view, blocked by the trees. I suspect Doutt's had a sign on Noland and an entry arrow there, or the same at the Fair/Southside intersection. I remember swimming holes in the KC area (Kernoodle's, Raytown Beach before the Raytown Swim Club replaced it) but not sure I ever swam at Doutt's, though I suspect I did given its location.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

Wow, I haven't heard the name Doutt's Lake in decades. I don't remember where it was but I will look it up.

Edit: In 1960 there are about a dozen listings for Doutts. Wm A. (and E. Opal) are listed in connection with the Lake. Their residence was 112 W. Frances Ave. The Lake has an entry for "picnic grounds" listing at 1500 S. Liberty.

That would make sense because both Main and Liberty ended at Frances. This place must have closed a long time ago.

[MRG Dallas]

It is apparently still called Doutt's Lake as I was reading a report mentioning it as a result of a fire at the DeTray Plating Co. which was destroyed by fire June 28. The report concerned contamination of "Crisp Lake" and compared samples with Doutt's. BTW I could not find Crisp Lake, although there is a N/S street that runs just east of Sterling from Raytown into Sugar Creek area.

The DeTrays, btw, lived just off The Square about Spring between Maple and Truman. Doug had his own basketball goal on the driveway and it was a frequent spot for pick-up basketball.

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

That would make sense because both Main and Liberty ended at Frances. This place must have closed a long time ago.

Oldkc.com lists a pic from Doutt's "circa 1970" in its collection. Since it's a pay site I couldn't view it but was a bit surprised it might have still been open in 70, as Noland was getting packed about then.

[WCHS'59]

The most frequent places I swam at were the Hall of Waters, Excelsior Springs, William Jewel College, in Liberty, and Sugar Creek municipal pool.

My Boy Scout troop always went to the Hall of Waters for some reason. It was a sixty mile round trip but no one ever complained or ever asked why we did not go to the Natatorium on Lexington Street.

Went to William Jewel several times for swimming lessons but cannot remember the organization I was with.

The Sugar Creek pool opened while I was in high school.

Speaking of Excelsior Springs. They had at one time, and maybe still have, an NCAA sanctioned college bowl game called the Mineral Water Bowl. Both Central Missouri and Southwest Missouri (Missouri State) played in the bowl at one time. I recall the stadium seated 5,000 and I dont believe there was ever a televised game--at least in the old days.

[MRG Dallas]

I discovered recently on one of the US Census that my Mother and her family once lived just S. of 23rd on Main. Looking at the map and seeing Doutt's just to the south I took a Streetview "wander" south on Main. It turns into a narrow country road and as WCHS noted, morphs into W. Francis where Doutt's Lake sits. (Coming from that point of view you can see parts of the lake in an open space). Funny how the "Main Street" of historic Independence completely changes its character just a couple of miles to the south.

I did find Crisp Lake after all. The Satellite view showed the lake all covered with green algae so it wasn't readily visible.

[MRG Dallas]

Doutt Lake, Missouri

Doutt Lake is on a tributary to Rock Creek in Jackson County, Missouri and is used for drinking water, among other things. Its normal surface area is 4 acres. It is owned by Union Pacific Railroad.

Doutt Lake Dam is of earthen construction, rock fill. Its height is 38 feet with a length of 600 feet. Maximum discharge is 121 cubic feet per second. Normal storage is 86 acre feet. It drains an area of 90 square miles.

[WCHS'59]

Originally Posted by MRG Dallas

Doutt Lake, Missouri

Doutt Lake is on a tributary to Rock Creek in Jackson County, Missouri and is used for drinking water, among other things. Its normal surface area is 4 acres. It is owned by Union Pacific Railroad.

Doutt Lake Dam is of earthen construction, rock fill. Its height is 38 feet with a length of 600 feet. Maximum discharge is 121 cubic feet per second. Normal storage is 86 acre feet. It drains an area of 90 square miles.

Isn't that both strange and interesting. Wonder who uses it for drinking?

[WCHS'59]

Here is something quoted from “The Pitch News” July 07, 2005

None more than the Santa Fe Trails tax-increment-financing district. In 1997, McClain proposed making three decaying properties on the west side of Noland Road part of a new development that would rim tiny Doutt's Lake with stores and homes. After receiving commitments from several retailers and a grocery store that agreed to locate there as an anchor tenant, he took his case to the city.



McClain's project was approved for a TIF district, and the city issued $10.26 million in bonds to pay for certain parts of the project, including property acquisition and financing expenses.



But the development struggled almost from the start when the grocery store backed out. Since then, McClain has been unable to find a replacement, and the lengthening weeds have become a sore point for some.



But more troubling than the vacant property is the financial time bomb in the city-backed bonds.
The original agreement requires McClain to have at least 106,000 square feet of developed improvements and 80 percent occupancy by May 31, 2006.



McClain has said he'll continue to make good on the city's debt payments, which begin to come due in October 2006.



By then, McClain says, "We will have everything in place on the TIF. We currently are working on a major project we'll announce shortly."



He insists that he'll find a good mix of stores and a suitable anchor.



"I could put a bunch of fast-food restaurants tomorrow," he says. "Wendy's was desperate to build a store there." McClain insists that he doesn't want to be doing so much at one time. He says he really hoped other developers would follow suit. "Our idea was not to do all of this," he says. "The idea was to be a catalyst."

[MRG Dallas]

Originally Posted by WCHS'59

Isn't that both strange and interesting. Wonder who uses it for drinking?

There is a Rock Creek treatment plant on the west side of Fairmount Park. I saw an engineer's map of water supplies in Independence and Blue Springs and there are several creeks of which Rock Creek runs in the SE direction towards Doutt Lake. DL might supply cleaner water than the nearby Mighty Mo River.

Other creeks were Sugar Creek, Bundschu, Mill Creek, Crackerneck, Spring Branch, Burr Oak, and Adair Creek. There were some others in the far NE part of Independence: Fire Prairie and West FP Creeks.