USA, Tennessee Valley, Falldateien über die Umsiedlung von Familien und Bevölkerungsneuanpassung, 1934-1953

The Tennessee River Valley was prone to flooding in many places and was hard-hit economically during the Depression years. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) was established in 1933 with the goals of alleviating flooding problems, generating affordable electricity, facilitating better river navigation, manufacturing fertilizer, and bolstering local economies.

While the TVA offered many benefits, thousands of people, cemeteries, and other institutions had to be relocated from places that were to be flooded once dams and hydroelectric power plants were built. This collection includes case histories and surveys of those who were in the path of the projects.

The records in this collection vary, but in general they document the socio-economic welfare of those surveyed. In the records you may find names, ages, education, literacy, birthplaces, and residence of family members and others who were living in the household. Some surveys documented whether the property was owned or rented, the amount of land and whether it was developed, as well as the income derived from farming, employment, and other sources. Crops grown and products generated on farms were often noted as well. You may learn about the family’s way of life, whether homes had electricity, indoor or outdoor plumbing, water and heating sources, and how many rooms there were. Some people were asked about their religion and the church they attended and the distance to schools and stores.

Locations found in this collection include:

• Guntersville, Alabama
• Wheeler, Alabama
• Chatuge, Georgia
• Nottely, Georgia
• Land Between the Lakes, Kentucky
• Appalachia Reservoir, North Carolina
• Fontana, North Carolina
• Hiwassee, North Carolina
• Boone, Tennessee
• Cherokee, Tennessee
• Chickamauga, Tennessee
• Fort Loudon, Tennessee
• Fort Patrick Henry, Tennessee
• John Sevier Steam Plant, Rogersville, Tennessee
• Norris, Tennessee
• Pickwick, Tennessee
• South Holston, Tennessee
• Watauga, Tennessee
• Watts Bar, Tennessee