Abstract:
Lake Mattamuskeet in Hyde County is a body of fresh water approximately eighteen miles long and six miles wide. The lake bottom is said to contain seventy-five square miles of the richest soil in the world, rivaling that of the fertile Valley of the Nile. Draining the lake and turning it into farmland has challenged a number of people for over a century. Ward recounts the history of these drainage attempts, which date back to 1789.