Lake X - The Last Day

[Scream And Fly]

In 2003, I was invited to visit Lake X for a feature article on Scream And Fly. That was the very last day that Mercury was to be there. The moving trucks were there, and the last of the people and equipment was moving out as I was there. It was pretty sad to see, but I was happy to be able to see it before it would be gone. All the buildings were decaying, but you could still imagine what went on there.

I also remember seeing a big dumpster full of outboard engine parts! I wanted to climb up the observation tower, but was advised against it, since the structure was no longer safe. these are the photos I shot on that last day.

I just re-posted this old feature from back then, which is on the home page (http://www.screamandfly.com/content.php?266-Lake-X-The-Last-Day).

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[XstreamVking]

I sold them stainless hardware in the 80's. It was a magical place to me. I cut my prices to the bone, just to be able to go there. Always endeavored to drive a Merc test boat. Sad to not see the yellow boats running around anymore.....

[Frank Molé]

that's so cool...always wanted to go there.... :thumbsup: :cool:

[SCT]

What's there now? Condos?

[Greg G]

Well before my time but each time I see that observation tower I think how it would have been cool to relocate it to one of the small Islands off the CT coast and turn it into a Summer apartment. What happened to the tower?

[XstreamVking]

The whole place was built from concrete. It was crumbly in the 80's and seemed to be held together with paint. I'm sure it's all gone. I was fascinated by the motors mounted to the sea wall running 24 hrs a day till they puked. Boats with a johnrude and a merc going out for the day of testing was cool too. I think they got a laugh outta me too, rolling up in a Trans-Am and pushing nuts and bolts. I wasn't much of a sales man....I was too interested in what they were doing.

[Tom Smyth]

i had a guided tour about 3 weeks before it closed from a buddy who did a lot of large boat testing there. Quite the busy place, a combination of still some testing and [packing up. I saw a huge pile of SCRAP racing sterndrive gearcases, mostly outdrive cases that had been " experimented with". they still would nnot let me use my camera or go near the outboard shop.

Back in the 1970's I had a mechanic working with me that used to wrench out there. He told tales of the stuff they used to pile up and then dump out in the lake at night so no one could see the development work they did on outboards.

[Greg G]

Back in the 1970's I had a mechanic working with me that used to wrench out there. He told tales of the stuff they used to pile up and then dump out in the lake at night so no one could see the development work they did on outboards.

Absolutely classic!

[BarryStrawn]

http://www.kirchmanfoundation.org to see what is going on now.