In exchange, the Department of Interior agreed to create a road вЂ“ or rather, move Highway 288 вЂ“ that would allow displaced residents passage to the cemetery on the other side of the lake.

Four towns вЂ“ Fontana, Bushnell, Forney and Jusdson вЂ“ would be covered with water. To accomplish this, 1,311 families, 1,047 graves and over 60 miles of roads had to be relocated вЂ“ including Highway 288. To create the hydroelectric power for the factory, a reservoir would need to be created вЂ“ present-day Fontana Lake. Once funding was secured, ALCOA signed their land over to the TVA in exchange for the rights to the output of the dam. The TVA wanted in on the action, but couldnвЂ™t get enough funding to complete the dam until World War II broke out and aluminum was in high demand. Added bonus: creating aВ hydroelectric dam would also help produce aluminum for the war effort.Д«y 1935, when the Tennessee Valley Authority got involved, the Aluminum Company of America wasВ working on the Fontana Dam project. This road was left alone вЂ“ until World War II when growing electricity demands gave someone the bright idea of harnessing the power of the Little Tennessee River. When the Department of the Interior was putting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park together in the 1930s and 40s, it acquired vast tracts of land from Swain County, North Carolina.В Part of this tract of land included Highway 288,В which connected Bryson City with Deals Gap. The players in this drama are The Aluminum Company of America, who had been building dams in the area to provide power to their plants nearby in Tennessee the Tennessee Valley Authority, who was concerned about the effects of flooding along the Little Tennessee River and the United States Department of the Interior, the Big Daddy of the Park Service. So, why is there this random road that literally goes nowhere? The answer lies some 50 years ago in the mountains. If you go to Bryson City and follow Everett Street out of town, it will dead end eight miles out in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. My reward was a day trip into North Carolina the following day. This time around, Mom wanted to go to a quilt show and did not want to go alone.В Will I walk around a quilt show with my beloved mother for a nearly-free-for-me trip to Tennessee? Absolutely! IвЂ™m visiting Gatlinburg for the second time this year вЂ“ already more than IвЂ™ve been in the last few years. And remember thatВ gentle breeze? Its turned into a downright cold wind. Devoid of sunlight, the center of the tunnel swallows any light вЂ“ including the flashlight on my iPhone that seems so bright when IвЂ™m looking for a dropped earring. I didnвЂ™t think there was much to the tunnel, until I was in its belly. A short walk up a slight incline will take you to the deceptively-long tunnel. A gentle breeze tickles your arms and makes you grateful for the sunвЂ™s warm rays beaming on your scalp. Not many birds are out yet, so the only sounds you hear are leaves underfoot and, of course, my breathing. Its late March, around 60 degrees and sunny. Scene: Another tranquil placeВ in the Smokies. Not that I seek out controversy for the sake of it but it does make for a more interesting plot. I donвЂ™t remember ever actuallyВ running around the newsroom screaming, вЂњIf it BLEEDS, it LEADS!!!вЂќ but knowing me, its entirely within the realm of possibility. Or maybe it isnвЂ™t really a coincidence, its just a throw back to my days of being a newsie. In a complete coincidence, IвЂ™m bringing you another tale of controversy in the Great Smoky Mountains National ParkвЂ™s history. Residents of the state fought with the Federal Government until 2010 to receive compensation for the unfinished road. You can find our downloadable travel art on Etsy вЂ“ TGT Printables.Popularly called вЂњThe Road to Nowhere,вЂќ North Carolina Highway 228 construction was halted in the 1970s due to environmental concerns. While many of our articles do focus on the Tar Heel state, we also love visiting National Parks, day hiking and our adventurous spirits have found us swimming with the manatees in Florida, bicycling Assateague Island in search of VirginiaвЂ™s wild ponies and canyoneering the narrows of Utah.Д«logging combines our passion for travel, history and to explore our artistic side, creating original digital travel art. Right now weвЂ™re focusing on exploring our great home state of North Carolina. Stuart & I continue to travel on many trips by ourselves and have become active boomer travelers. This is The GloveTrotters website (Stuart, Ramie, Sean & Tiana)! As our kids get older opportunities to all travel together are becoming rarer. Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse вЂ“ An OBX Treasure.13 Things to Explore on Ocracoke Island.

Road to nowhere nc