In 1891, a 20-acre “little lake” was built south of the Thurber townsite to supply water to the community, but it soon proved inadequate. Five years later, a 150-acre “big lake” was constructed here about a mile southeast of town. Texas and Pacific Coal Company president R.D. Hunter organized a hunting and fishing club at the big lake for company executives and staff. Water from the lake irrigated company-owned farmland in the valley below and provided water for the nearby Thurber Dairy. The dairy’s twin silos were still visible decades later.