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Kellogg Lake has been a Carthage recreational destination for nearly 57 years. The idea for the Lake came from an individual who belonged to a group called the Carthage Sportsmen’s Protective League. His name was E.M. “Uke” Haughawout.
When the Highway Commission started excavating land for a new Route 66 highway, Uke saw an opportunity. He knew that once they were finished, there would be a large hole which would be the perfect size for a small recreational lake, in which the league had been looking for over the last several years. Uke approached the Kelloggs in 1953 about the use of their property and the title for 28 acres was then deeded.
Mr. and Mrs. C.A. Kellogg purchased the area northeast of Carthage in 1881 for their family farm. They brought two children, Charles “Lex” Kellogg, 3, and Mary Bartlett Kellogg, 2. The farm became a showplace and was used quite often by local hunters and fishermen.
Both children attended Carthage schools. Lex went on to graduate magna cum laude from Yale University in 1900. He was a teacher in Iowa for 13 years before returning to Carthage after the death of his father in 1914. He managed the family farm until he retired. His sister, Mary, later became a pianist and served most of her adult years as a piano instructor in the Carthage area.
The Carthage Sportsmen’s Protective League was formed in 1921 and their mission was to “aim for creation of better relationship between sportsmen and landowners.” The league created nearly 15 rearing ponds at farms that served as local hatcheries. They raised bass and channel catfish from tiny fry to fingerlings and were released into local waters. The two rearing ponds in Kellogg Lake Park were created for that very reason.
Multiple amenities have been added over the last 57 years at the park. After the lake was opened for fishing on July 1, 1954, a roadside park was developed and was dedicated in 1956. Kellogg Lake became a part of the Carthage Parks System in 1963, a fountain was revealed during a Maple Leaf activity in 1969 and a marker dedicating the area to Uke and the Kelloggs was set in 1983 on the west side of the lake. Other projects include roads around the lake, a new fountain, a fishing pavilion, tree planting projects and boat ramps.
Sources: The Carthage Evening Press, Powers Museum
Wade Utter is a columnist for The Carthage Press
Zooming In! is a column dedicated to the history of Carthage. Every Wednesday since July of 2009, Wade Utter has photographed and exposed the history behind new and century-old structures in the Carthage area.
