Sunken 1940s Townsite Resurfaces Along the Shore
Madrid, NE · September 26, 2026
Overcast skies are keeping the early morning quiet across the section lines, offering a mild start before temperatures climb into the eighties. Whether you are running field checks or pointing your truck toward the lake, take the back roads slow today.
The Lead
Drought across the Platte Basin has drawn dozens of Perkins County residents thirty miles north to Lake McConaughy this weekend, where receding waters have exposed the submerged foundations of Old Lemoyne. The pioneer railroad village was swallowed in 1941 during the filling of Kingsley Dam, its buildings moved uphill or leveled. With the reservoir dipping to 3,202.8 feet—just 23.5 percent of capacity—the town site has surfaced for only the third time in eighty-five years. Recent aerial photographs taken by Grant councilman Sam Sims captured street grids and concrete basements emerging from the drying silt. Because historically low water has shuttered all public boat ramps, visitors are walking the exposed northern shorelines instead to inspect the remnants of old cellar holes and rail sidings. State park officials urge sightseers to observe the ruins without disturbing artifacts as lake monitors track whether autumn inflows will cover them again.
Local Pulse
- No Classes Monday for Teacher Inservice Schools Perkins County students get an extended weekend while district teachers and staff participate in daylong professional development.
Today's Outlook
- High 82°F · Low 62°F — Overcast
- Cloud cover will keep the afternoon glare down, making comfortable conditions for outdoor chores.
What's On Around Town
Today
Nebraska Library Fall Crawl Hastings Memorial Library (505 Central Ave), Grant, 9:00 AM–12:00 PM · Free Pick up fall reading passports and explore participating area library collections.
Hershey Varsity Volleyball Tournament Hershey High School, Hershey, 9:00 AM–3:00 PM Cheer on the Plainsmen varsity squad during Saturday tournament pool play.
Monday
FFA District Livestock Judging Clinic Lincoln County Fairgrounds, North Platte, 8:30–9:00 AM
Junior High Football vs. Sedgwick County Julesburg High School, Julesburg, 4:00–5:30 PM
Spotlight & Story
- The 160-Acre Homestead Claims
- Before rails arrived in 1887, every parcel bordering modern town boundaries was claimed through the North Platte land office in 160-acre quarter sections. Proving up required five continuous years of residence and sod-busting, laying out the exact square-mile grid farmers work today.
Madrid Daily Digest — compiled from local sources as of 6 AM. For breaking updates, follow your local newsrooms.
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