LOCAL

Lecture tells Fontana Dam story

Contributed article
The Fontana Dam under construction. The dam across the Little Tennessee River, the tallest dam east of the Rockies, was built from 1942 to 1944. [TVA.COM]

OCEAN ISLE BEACH -- The Museum of Coastal Carolina will welcome Ronnie Bryant to our Sandbar Lecture Series as he presents "Fontana Dam: Power to win!" at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 31, in the Hayden O’Neal Learning Center located at the Museum of Coastal Carolina.

Fontana Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Little Tennessee River in Swain and Graham counties in North Carolina. The dam was signed into existence by the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1941 primarily due to the need for electrical power in the production of aluminum for the war effort during World War II.

The building of Fontana Dam and its reservoir required the purchase of 68,292 acres of land, 5,125 acres of forest that had to be cleared. Four towns, 1,311 families, 1,047 graves, and over 60 miles of roads had to be relocated. The village of Welch Cove (later renamed Fontana Village) was constructed just south of the dam to house the project's workers, whose numbers had reached 5,000 by 1943, in spite of nationwide manpower shortages.

Come walk through history with Bryant as we look at the many facets of completion of such a massive project and some of the strange stories that accompanied this accomplishment!

Ronnie Bryant is is chief information officer at Brunswick Community College. He and his wife, Terry, have four children and eight grandchildren. He also enjoys Civil War reenacting with the Charlotte Artillery, and educating the public about the history associated with this era.

Museum of Coastal Carolina is at 21 E. Second St., Ocean Isle Beach. Admission is free for members. Nonmember all-day admission is $9.50 for adults, $8.50 for seniors, $7.50 for children (3-12), and free for age 2 and under. A seven-day summer vacation pass is just $75 for two adults and up to four children. Admission is free for active duty military and disabled veterans plus one guest; must include military ID cardholder.

For more information about the Museum of Coastal Carolina, call 910-579-1016 or visit www.MuseumPlanetarium.org.

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