Lake Buchanan was artificially created upon the completion of the adjacent Buchanan Dam in 1938. Work on the dam itself began in April 1931, but was suspended a year later. Work resumed in 1935, with the dam completed three years later. However, deliberate impounding of the reservoir began in May 1937. Initially, the dam and resulting reservoir project were known as Hamilton Dam and Reservoir, but its name was changed to honor Texas State Representative James P. Buchanan upon the completion of the project; Buchanan had been responsible for securing the funding for the project.
The flooding of the lake forced the community of Bluffton to relocate five mi (8.0 km) westward. The abandoned community was soon inundated; however, a drought in 2011 caused Lake Buchanan’s water level to drop significantly, exposing the remains of the town.
Visit Lake Buchanan and Inks Lake Chamber of Commerce website.
