The planning of a new memorial to honor the rich history of Grand Lake Saint Mary's is currently in the works.
The Lake Improvement Association is in the early stages of fundraising to build the Oil Derrick Memorial. It will be a replica of the wooden derricks used in the late 1800s. Grand Lake Saint Mary's is believed to be the country's first offshore oil drilling site.
Lake Improvement Association Secretary Kate Anderson says, "It's always important to embrace our history and remember where we came from and in this case what this lake represented. It's been a place for lots of jobs and for people a lot of commerce of different kinds and the oil production was just one of those."
Funding for the project will not compete with funds to clean up the lake. They hope to receive private donations and grants to resurrect the $300,000 memorial. Original oil rigs were 70 feet tall. This replica will stand 30 feet tall and be constructed at the original site.
