Hubert H. Moss Lake

Hubert H. Moss Lake, completed in 1966, is a 380-acre lake at the juncture of the north and south forks of Fish Creek, on Farm Road 1201 eleven miles northwest of Gainesville in north central Cooke County (at 33°46'N, 97°13'W). Since its primary purpose was to serve as a water supply for Gainesville, its construction was mainly financed with municipal water and sewer revenue bonds, subject to voter approval. The total cost of the lake was $1,639,000. The Fort Worth firm of Freese, Nichols, and Endress provided planning and engineering services. The Gainesville city council awarded the contract for excavation and dam and spillway construction jointly to Buckner Construction Company of Jacksonville and Hoople Jordan Construction of Lufkin for $670,000. Construction of the lake entailed the excavation of more than 300,000 cubic yards of earth, the relocation of a stretch of Farm Road 1201 at a cost of $153,000, the purchase by the city of 1,360 acres at an average cost of $173 an acre, and timber removal-much of it native pecan. Dessamae Lorrain, a Southern Methodist University archeologist, excavated and recovered pottery remains at five prehistoric Indian sites that the lake inundated. Her efforts were funded by the National Park Service.

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.