Lake Okabena stars in upcoming trivia event and lake talk

Kari Lucin, The Daily Globe, Worthington, Minn.
·2 min read

Aug. 18—WORTHINGTON — Lake Okabena will star in August's presentation at the Nobles County Heritage Center, complete with a lake trivia game with prizes and refreshments.

The public is welcome to attend the free event, which begins at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. Okabena-Ocheda Watershed District Administrator Dan Livdahl will speak about the lake.

"No matter where you grew up in Nobles County, Lake Okabena was where you came to do recreational things, where you came to learn how to swim, where you came to boat," said NCHS Executive Director Beth Rickers. "I think it's something everybody can relate to. And I think it's a point of pride for our county."

Those who read the August issue of the Nobles County Historical Society newsletter may get a leg up on the trivia, as it has a strong focus on the lake, and its place in local history.

Thousands of kids from across Nobles County learned to swim in Lake Okabena through the county's Red Cross swim school program over the decades, including aviator Amelia Earhart, according to local legend. Historical photos of local swimmers encapsulate the history of swimwear, from the all-concealing sailor suit-like garb of the 1910s to the high-waisted one-pieces and bikinis of the 1950s.

The newsletter also includes information about the city's dredge, which pulled mud out of the lake for decades, and its bathhouse, which featured a toboggan chute for an exciting slide into the lake.

"We want people to start coming in here and start utilizing this wonderful new resource we have here," Rickers said.

Lake trivia at the event will include both easy and difficult questions, but there will be prizes.

"I just thought, let's have some fun with it," she said.

Livdahl's presentation will include information about the ecology and health of the lake, such as its carp population, algae blooms and the projects underway to help improve Lake Okabena's clarity.

The presentation will be the first in the Heritage Center's upstairs meeting room, which is accessible by elevator, and everyone is invited.