The community of Lake Seneca was first founded in 1965 by the American Realty Service Corporation, a property development business based in Memphis, TN. They developed many similar planned communities around the country by damming up rivers & creeks. In 1966, when the Lake Seneca project was finished, the American Realty Service Corporation had spent about 3 million dollars.
In 1975, American Realty Service Corporation went bankrupt. This left Lake Seneca, as well as 54 of their other planned communitites around the country behind.
While doing routine maintenance on the dam, it was discovered that it had a hollow sound under the concrete. The clay that was supposed to fill the voids in the dam was either washed away, or had never existed. Large holes in the dam were shoved full of old tires and other materials rather than clay. Williams County emergency management stepped in and opened the gates to drain the lake.
The LSPOA was able to take a $1.6 million dollar loan from the Ohio Water Development Authority to reconstruct the dam. All property owners pay $350/yr on this loan for its 30 year term.
Lake Seneca was back after several years of being empty - and watching property values plummet. The Lake Seneca Property Owners Association celebrated by sending flyers to local real estate investors that said "Hot Dam, Let's Party"
Property values took a while to recover, but today the lake is thriving with new homes and new members. The dam loan will be payed off in less than 10 years. The next hurdle facing this community is the amount of sediment coming into the lake from the river. The river fed end of the lake gets more shallow every year. There are places where depth is measured in inches rather than feet. If this material is not removed soon, nearly 1/3 of the lake will be unuseable as it will be too shallow to navigate.
Representing American Realty Service Corporation, Dick Carroll & Carl Delph, March 20, 1966. Picture taken by Ed Nixon.
In front of Beach House (where it will be!), May 22, 1966. Picture taken by Ed Nixon.
Before filling in Lake Seneca, 1966. Picture taken by Ed Nixon.
Looking Down from Lot 722, October 22, 1966. Picture taken by Ed Nixon.
Filling Lake Seneca, October 22, 1966. Picture taken by Ed Nixon.
Beach Area, October 22, 1966. Picture taken by Ed Nixon.
Photographer & Date Unknown.
Photographer & Date Unknown.
Photographer & Date Unknown.
An American Realty Service Corporation ad from 1967.
Another American Realty Service Corporation ad.
An ad in the Chicago Tribune. June 22, 1968.