 By 1893 the sixty-foot-high Austin Dam was completed just northwest of town.In 1895 dam-generated electricity began powering the four-year-old electric streetcar line and the city's new water and light systems.The dammed river formed a lake that became known as "Lake McDonald," for John McDonald, the mayor who had whipped up support for the project—attracted new residents and developers, while the waters of the lake itself drew those seeking respite from the Texas heat.