The mystery of Lake Drummond

Nice Christmas yesterday, a foot of snow today. I'm a bit of a history buff and I find the Dismal Swamp to be fascinating and little known.

For instance, Lake Drummond, in the middle of the swamp, is 1 of only 2 natural lakes in Virginia (The other being mysterious Mountain Lake, where they filmed dirty dancing, but that's a story for another day and some other blogger.) It was discovered (white man style) by a man named William Drummond, who became the governor of North Carolina, who was later executed by the governor of Virginia for supporting Bacon's Rebellion. (The first insurrection against British rule occurred in the swamp, Culpepper's Rebellion, but it's not widely known)

Scientists say the swamp was created during the last continental shift, but it was underwater back then. Eventually the Atlantic receded and it's now 20 miles inland or so. As for Lake Drummond, which is roughly circular in shape, some think it was created by a meteorite impact. Some argue it was created by a bog fire. Native American legend says a "fire bird" created the lake. I argue for the meteorite theory, there are several circular lakes in nearby North Carolina and the Chesapeake Bay itself was formed by a monstrous impact. The fact that the lake is higher than any land around here also points toward a meteor strike, earth thrown up by the impact would have mounded around the center. The lake then filled from underground springs.

George Washington surveyed the swamp, realized the topography and ordered the first ditch built (Washington Ditch) to float lumber out of the swamp. 9 ditches were eventually dug. Then Washington and others decided to  build a canal between the Chesapeake Bay and the North Carolina sounds. Only two locks were needed, one at each end. When the canal was built, water ceased to drain into the eastern part of the swamp, which became dry enough for agriculture. (That's where I live.)

But that's more about the swamp, I'm writing about the lake itself. As far as I can determine, no one has ever studied core samples to try to figure out how the lake was created. (Deep, deep, deep core samples were needed to prove the Chesapeake Bay Meteorite.) I'm betting (and using as a premise for a novel I'm working on) that there was only a marshy area, until a meterorite struck, shattering the crust below and releasing freshwater springs. The newly created bowl held a reservoir of water that turned the marshy area into the great swamp of the modern era. Over the years, the detritus thrown up leveled off and the lake filled in to the shallow levels of today (max 6 ft.)

Lake Drummond ditch allowed tourists to visit the lake during the 1800s on day excursions from Norfolk. People would dip out coffee-colored lake water and drink it, considering it to be a healthy tonic. In fact, sailors used to journey to the lake and fill barrels for their voyages. Tannin in the water from the Juniper roots keep it fresh for much longer than normal water. In 1803, Irish poet Thomas Moore wrote "A Ballad: The Lake of the Dismal Swamp," about "The Lady of the Lake. Edgar Allen Poe also visited and some think his poem "The Lake" refers to Drummond.

Okay, now it's clear to you that I'm one of those obnoxious people who know way too much about things, I'll continue on about other mysteries and legends of the Great Dismal Swamp on another day.