Ella Ewing Lake ties a Scotland County name to a flood-control lake

Ella Ewing Lake is a small public place with two stories folded into it: a watershed project and a Scotland County name people remember.

The land-use story is straightforward. The lake was built by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as part of the Bear Creek Watershed Project and completed in 1965. MDC bought the 60-acre conservation area in 1967. So the lake is not a random pond; it began as a flood-control structure and now serves as a public fishing and outdoor spot.

The name adds the human layer. Ella Kate Ewing was born in LaGrange in 1872, and her family moved to a farm in Scotland County when she was young. She later became known widely as the “Missouri Giantess.” The kinder way to read the story is closer to home. She was a Scotland County farm girl whose unusual height turned into a public life she used to help support her family.

That makes the lake more than a fishing marker near South Gorin. It is a place where water control, public land, and local memory meet. Check MDC for directions, fishing rules, camping rules, and current area details before going.