Kemah Lake was built In 1928 on old farm land and was owned by the Kemah Lake Realty Corporation. Remnants of apple orchards can be seen at the causeway.

The Frank family moved to Kemah Lake in 1928. The property consisted of four hundred acres and a one hundred and eight acre lake and two houses. There was an old farm house located at the big beach that the corporation used as a club house. The club house included a restaurant and sales office. In the 1930’s Gus Frank installed oak flooring in the barn at the area of the big beach, where square dances were held.

All the roads in the area were dirt and the only entrance to the lake was from the south. There was no road to Branchville. There was no electricity to the lake at this time and people used candles and kerosene lamps. The only facilities available were out-houses. Approximately ten years later, Mr. Frank had electricity brought to the lake area and later had Branchville officials clear a dirt road to the lake.

In 1930, P. E. Dougherty first came to Kemah Lake and purchased his property for $10 down. Mr. Gus Frank was the lake representative at the time. Around the late 1940’s Mr. Dougherty and some other property owners decided they should form an organization. He was the first President of what is now the KLPOA.

After its inception, the association dues were only $5.00 at that time. Then the Kemah Lake Realty Corporation sold the remaining property to the Lake Association for $10.00.

In an effort to build a log cabin across the lake, logs trucked in had to be floated across from the big beach.

The club house and barns were later vandalized and damaged by storms. The fire department came and used it for a fire drill and burned it down.

Information courtesy of Andy Frank and P.E. Dougherty