When the Chilo Lock and Dam opened in 1929, it formed its own small community where boats sounded their horns, lock gates rolled closed, workers raised and lowered the wicket dam, and everyday life included children’s laughter, a mother calling a child home, and a dog barking. In the 1930s, hard work and good fun shaped life there and in the village of Chilo. In 1929, the village had roughly 400 people, and the arrival of the lock and dam population created an economic boom during a slow financial time. Residents of the lock and dam depended on Chilo for groceries, gas, churches, and schools. Eight dwellings housed workers and their families when the facility opened, and although not all employees lived on site, the population there hovered at about 35-40 men, women, and children. A community garage and gardens were also provided.