AFTER DECADES OF city signs reading “Mt. Lake” – the City of Mountain Lake finally has its “mountain.” No more being confused with “Mount Lake” or M t (Empty ) Lake. Now the full and complete name – as given and argued for by the city’s first settler – William Mason – is able to be viewed by all those entering the city via its east and west entrances. Mason fought off the St. Paul/Sioux City Railroad, which wanted to name the town “Midway,” as it was the midway point between the cities of St. Paul and Sioux City, Iowa. Instead, Mason called the settlement – at that time nothing much more than a depot house first located east of where the city now sits – “Mountain Lake” for the “mountain” on which he, his wife and daughter lived that rose from the lake southeast of the city. This lake was drained in 1906-1907. Mason arrived in the area in 1865, staking his claim on land in the midst of a shallow 900-acre lake with three islands two miles southeast of the city. The two smaller islands just broke the water’s surface. The third much larger, higher island looked to Mason like a mountain rising from the lake. He named the lake, Mountain Lake and the largest island, Mountain Island (he called the smaller islands Big Bug and Little Bug). The lake was home to much wildlife, including many bullheads and pickerel in the waters, plus deer, elk, fox, mink, otter and wolves. Many native shrubs added to the mountain beauty. Wild grapes, chokecherries, gooseberries and currants grew in abundance. Mason, a hunter and trapper, built a log cabin on the island, and brought his wife to the new home. The couple lived in the island cabin for about three years, during which time their daughter was born. Today, Mason’s mountain is a Cottonwood County Park – Mountain Park. And – an added bonus to the sign – the population rose by about 100 citizens since the last census. (Photo courtesy of Mountain Lake Mayor Mike Nelson)
