Tucker's Shuckers Oyster & Tap will be opening next Tuesday, March 31st on the historic Bagnell Dam Strip. We are very happy to be located on probably the most well known place at the Lake of the Ozarks and we are looking forward to working with all of the businesses located in the area to make the Bagnell Dam Strip the place to go when visiting the Lake!
A little history...
Bagnell Dam Strip was created because of the immense traffic that was made necessary because of the Dam. Bringing visitors from all over the nation for barbecue, candy stores, ice-cream, gift shops, music and classic arcades. For over 80 years, Bagnell Dam Strip has delighted millions of visitors. Standing watch over the Strip are the “Muffler Men” – two towering fiberglass structures created in the 1960’s by a California company to lure owners of noisy automobiles to replace their mufflers. You know these figures today as the Indian and the Hillbilly.
Bagnell Dam at the Lake of the Ozarks is the nation’s LARGEST completely artificial lake. Construction began August 6th, 1929 but the idea was adopted as early as 1912. Funding was an issue in the early development of the site, but Union Electric Light and Power Company of St. Louis acquired all properties and rights of Missouri Hydro-Electric Power Company, the original contractor, in July of 1929. Four months after construction began, the stock market crashed, posing yet another setback in the development. However, Bagnell Dam brought growth and expansion in middle Missouri despite being developed during the Great Depression. The project was divided into three categories: the Dam and Power house, the power transmission lines, and the reservoir – which is now known as the Lake of the Ozarks. On February 2, 1931, the Osage River was impounded and the lake began to fill. The lake was available to access on May 30, 1931, and backwaters extended up the Niangua, Grand Glaize, Grand and Pomme de Terre rivers. The dam site became a focal point for a resort industry as homes and businesses were establishing all over the lake. Summer homes and cabins became the norm and relocation of families was required, inevitably causing the cities of Camdenton and Linn Creek to be created. Lake area electric service began on December 24th, 1931. An incomprehensible completion time of only 18 and ½ months, four months ahead of schedule, was an incredible achievement.
Some facts about Bagnell Dam:
- Bagnell Dam is 2,543 feet long
- Has a 20 foot wide roadway and a three foot sidewalk
- There were originally 6 generating units, 2 of which were added in 1953
- The spillway section has 12 flood gates, 34 ft wide by 23 ft tall
- Each flood gate weighs 27 tons and is capable of discharging 101,000 gallons of water PER SECOND
- Two 70 ton capacity cranes operate the flood gates
- During construction, 60,000 car loads of materials were hauled to the project site
- 5082 cubic yard of concrete were poured each day
- The water in the reservoir is enough to supply the daily needs of St. Louis for more than 12 years, about 650 billion gallons
- Over 4,600 workers were employed during the construction of the Dam – The ONLY major construction site during the Great Depression in the nation
- The Lake of the Ozarks is the largest man-made lake in the U.S.
Photo from www.funlake.com |
The Bagnell Dam Strip plays hosts to numerous events throughout the year, such as the Lake Bikefest, St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the Annual Magic Dragon Street Meet Nationals Car Show, Mardi Gras Pub Crawl, Spring and Fall Harbor Hop, Hot Summer Nights, The Great Bagnell Dam Duck Drop, Oma & Noma Heritage Festival, and the Lake of the Ozarks Offshore Super Series Race.
Tucker's Shuckers Oysters and Tap is the place to be this summer! With 30 beers on tap and the best live music at the Lake of the Ozarks, we've got everything you need for a great summer night. Don't forget that our oysters a fresh, never frozen and flown in just for us. Be sure to stop by and see us next time you're here at the Lake of the Ozarks!
Tuckers Shuckers Oysters & Tap: The BEST Oysters at the Lake of the Ozarks!
1339 Bagnell Dam Blvd
Lake Ozark, MO 65049
Phone: 573-365-9769