Locals reminisce as dam gets repaired

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) - ”I was sad, I was really sad and really worried too,” said Tyler Anderson, a resident in Mayville for 32 years.

While the city of Mayville works to repair the breached sidewall of the failed dam, many are watching closely because of the dam’s sentiment toward the town.

“I’d say it’s one of the staples in town, it’s a spot in town to hang out and use as a nice scenery and quiet, relaxing place,” said Sean Hettervig, a resident in Mayville for 28 years.

People who grew up in Mayville have many memories there.

“When I was younger, my friends and I used to come down here and swim in there, I know you’re not technically supposed to but we’d come down, swim up against the dam, near it, fishing, lots of fishing down here too,” said Anderson.

“You’d come down here when your younger, we’d come down here and swim, I don’t know if that sign was there when we were here or not, you’d walk across it, it would just be a hangout spot,” said Hettervig.

And for longtime residents like Anderson, he continues to use the location as a getaway.

“I’m a business owner right over there, even in the summertime for the past six years we’ve had it, I’ve just needed to take a break, come down to the dam, just listen to the water, it’s pretty relaxing,” said Anderson.

Anderson says many in Mayville have used the dam to take graduation and wedding pictures.

Although the dam may not be what it was from the time it was built in the 1900′s, Anderson and Hettervig are ready to see it fixed up and back to normal.

“It’s sad that it happened but if it gets replaced, I’d have no problem with it, you know as long as people can come down and hang out down here, make new memories that’d be great,” said Anderson.

Mayville’s city engineer syas contractors have made progress and they still don’t have a timeline on when it will be done.

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