This is a picture of the "Brogden Meadow" in Sparta, which would become Lake Mohawk. The area was virtually uninhabited before the Arthur D. Crane company decided to build a lake and develop the area. The land around the lake was purchased for "Over several hundred thousand dollars" according to an old brochure. Work began in 1926. The lots next to the lake were going to be sold for around $3500.

This photo was taken over a year after the meadow was flooded by building a dam across the north end of the valley. This looks a little bit more like the lake today.