Kalkaska Rugg Pond

Kalkaska Rugg Pond
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Rugg Pond, dates back to 1904. Ambrose E. Palmer founded the Kalkaska Light and Power Company and built a dam and power plant where the two branches of the Rapid River meet northwest of Kalkaska. He reportedly commissioned farmers to haul wagon loads of stone to the pond to create the dam's foundation. The plant served Kalkaska and the surrounding area. Legend has it that author Ernest Hemingway once spent a night fishing from the Rugg Pond dam powerhouse. Consumers Power bought the plant in 1950 but sold it to the county in 1953 for $1. The dam was condemned by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1980, but two years later concerned citizens formed Save Rugg Pond Natural area. Because of them, the restful, scenic site exists today.