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The Nottingham Historical Society web site includes, among other information, a brief history of the Town of Nottingham and the development of Pawtuckaway Lake.
The following is an excerpt of the town history that describes the development of Pawtuckaway Lake. Be sure to visit their web site or one of the Nottingham's museums for more information about our town. "Pawtuckaway Lake came about because of the industrial expansion in Newmarket. The following is quoted from a Mr. Crompton’s ‘Historical Commentary’.
Prior to 1825, the area was mostly brooks, which at high water ran into low places, such as that which we now call Pawtuckaway Basin and formed what was known as Pawtuckaway Pond. The run-off from this pond went into the North River. Of the brooks that ran into this area, one was Back Creek and another was the brook that ran between Round Pond and Pawtuckaway. Also Mountain Brook at the southern end of the area formed small pools in low places as it ran into what was called Pawtuckaway River, or as some called it – Stingy River. Both the North River and the Stingy River then ran into the lamprey, which furnished water power for the Newmarket Manufacturing Company, a textile mill.
Around 1825, the company must have decided that the water supply was not enough for their needs. They came to the area and started to purchase land for a dam. Not knowing just how much land would be needed, they purchased some flooding rights. The dams were completed about 1836, creating two artificial ponds, called Dolloff Pond and Pawtuckaway Pond, and flooding about 800 acres. The dam at the south was called Dolloff Dam and the one to the north was called Drowne’s. A dike had to be built at what is now the entrance to Seaman’s Point. It was called Gove’s dike, named for the Gove family that owned the property at the time. Other small dikes had to be built to stop the flooding or run-off of water onto land not purchased. And thus was created Pawtuckaway Lake." Courtesy of The Nottingham Historical Society
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