Construction of an earthen dam across Glade Creek, with a concrete sluice and spillway, began in Ghent in the summer of 1950; the new lake was filled in April 1951.

On January 30, 2007, the Little General convenience store on 2964 Flat Top Road was destroyed when a 500-gallon (1,892-liter) propane tank began to leak during maintenance.

[8][9] The Chemical Safety Board investigated the incident, and found that the store and the area around it had not been evacuated, even with first responders present, during the thirty minutes between the start of the massive leak and the explosion.

Employees were still within the closed store, and EMTs were treating a propane technician for chemically induced frostbite just feet away from the leaky tank, when the explosion occurred.

The closeness of the tank allowed the vapors from the high-pressure release of propane to strike the eaves and enter the building through vents near the roof.

Finally, the transfer valve that failed, releasing the vapors, was recovered after the explosion, and revealed a manufacturing fault freezing it in the "open" position.

The CSB released all their findings in a public meeting in Ghent in 2008, describing what had happened as a completely preventable tragedy, and stressing the importance of properly mandated training for first responders and hazardous chemical personnel.