In the early 1870s, Lawrence needed more electricity. The city asked Orlando Darling to build a dam on the Kansas River. Darling became angry because it took a long time to build a dam, so he stopped. The Lawrence Land & Water Company finished building the dam in 1873. The dam made Lawrence special because few cities had a dam. The dam closed in 1968, but the city reopened it in 1977. They wanted to build a new city hall next to the dam. Today, the dam helps prevent flooding.