This is from the Tennessee Encyclopedia of History & Culture. Since this dam pre-dates the TVA, you might try contacting the main library in Chattanooga to see what they have on Mr. Guild & the Chatt. & Tenn. River Power Co. Donna --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hales Bar Dam has the distinction of being the first main-river, multipurpose dam built on the Tennessee River. In order to improve navigation on the Upper Tennessee and provide electricity to the city of Chattanooga, Jo Conn Guild Sr., a Chattanooga engineer, promoted the construction of a privately funded lock and dam which would be turned over to government management in return for the hydroelectric output for a specified period. Congress passed such an act, and the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company began construction on the Hales Bar Dam in October 1905. The construction of the dam and powerhouse was the largest development of its kind in the region. The dam itself measured almost one-half mile across and sixty-three feet high. The project employed over five thousand men, requiring the construction of a small village to feed and house the workers. Completion of Hales Bar, originally scheduled for 1907, was delayed by flooding and problems with the limestone foundation, and the project was not completed until 1913. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) acquired Hales Bar Dam in August 1939 as part of the Tennessee Electric Power Company purchase. Unable to overcome the foundation and leakage problems, the TVA demolished Hales Bar in 1968 and replaced it with Nickajack Dam, 6.4 miles downstream. Patricia Bernard Ezzell, Tennessee Valley Authority See Also: JO CONN GUILD; TENNESSEE RIVER SYSTEM; TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY; TEPCO

Is that the dam that was so controversial because they took\basically stole, so much of the land away from the people by forcing them to sell for little or nothing . There were a lot of movies made on this including the documentaries showed in school classrooms. I can remember watching the same black and white movie each year with it flooding . As a child it was so scary to me and I had\ have such a fear of floods , which I am sure is due in part to those awful movies. Most people at the time did not have electricity in their homes, and had no use for the electricity it brought or generated. Nor did they want it ---------------- Betty ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike & Donna OBrien" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2006 7:12 AM Subject: [TNMARION] Hales Bar Dam... | This is from the Tennessee Encyclopedia of History & Culture. Since this dam pre-dates the TVA, you might try contacting the main library in Chattanooga to see what they have on Mr. Guild & the Chatt. & Tenn. River Power Co. | | Donna | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Hales Bar Dam has the distinction of being the first main-river, multipurpose dam built on the Tennessee River. In order to improve navigation on the Upper Tennessee and provide electricity to the city of Chattanooga, Jo Conn Guild Sr., a Chattanooga engineer, promoted the construction of a privately funded lock and dam which would be turned over to government management in return for the hydroelectric output for a specified period. Congress passed such an act, and the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company began construction on the Hales Bar Dam in October 1905. | | The construction of the dam and powerhouse was the largest development of its kind in the region. The dam itself measured almost one-half mile across and sixty-three feet high. The project employed over five thousand men, requiring the construction of a small village to feed and house the workers. Completion of Hales Bar, originally scheduled for 1907, was delayed by flooding and problems with the limestone foundation, and the project was not completed until 1913. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) acquired Hales Bar Dam in August 1939 as part of the Tennessee Electric Power Company purchase. Unable to overcome the foundation and leakage problems, the TVA demolished Hales Bar in 1968 and replaced it with Nickajack Dam, 6.4 miles downstream. | | Patricia Bernard Ezzell, Tennessee Valley Authority | | See Also: JO CONN GUILD; TENNESSEE RIVER SYSTEM; TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY; TEPCO | | | ==== TNMARION Mailing List ==== | *********************************************************************** | PLEASE NOTE: This list is for queries and replies, comments, | requests for help, and other genealogical related information | that is of interest to researchers having a connection or a | possible connection to Marion County, Tennessee. There is no | soliciting or advertising of any item or service for sale allowed. | Betty McBee - list administrator-- [email protected] . | Marion County Web Site: http://www.rootsweb.com/~tnmario2/ | *********************************************************************** | | ============================== | Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the | last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx | |

Betty, I'm not too sure about the history of Hales Bar; I know TVA keeps a lot of history on their dams, but this dam was one they took over and then demolished. I know that the Hales Bar Powerhouse is being renovated for dry boat storage, so maybe they might know where someone could find the history of the dam. (Hales Bar Marina #423-942-4040) Donna macbetty <[email protected]> wrote: Is that the dam that was so controversial because they took\basically stole, so much of the land away from the people by forcing them to sell for little or nothing . There were a lot of movies made on this including the documentaries showed in school classrooms. I can remember watching the same black and white movie each year with it flooding . As a child it was so scary to me and I had\ have such a fear of floods , which I am sure is due in part to those awful movies. Most people at the time did not have electricity in their homes, and had no use for the electricity it brought or generated. Nor did they want it ---------------- Betty ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike & Donna OBrien" To: Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2006 7:12 AM Subject: [TNMARION] Hales Bar Dam... | This is from the Tennessee Encyclopedia of History & Culture. Since this dam pre-dates the TVA, you might try contacting the main library in Chattanooga to see what they have on Mr. Guild & the Chatt. & Tenn. River Power Co. | | Donna | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Hales Bar Dam has the distinction of being the first main-river, multipurpose dam built on the Tennessee River. In order to improve navigation on the Upper Tennessee and provide electricity to the city of Chattanooga, Jo Conn Guild Sr., a Chattanooga engineer, promoted the construction of a privately funded lock and dam which would be turned over to government management in return for the hydroelectric output for a specified period. Congress passed such an act, and the Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company began construction on the Hales Bar Dam in October 1905. | | The construction of the dam and powerhouse was the largest development of its kind in the region. The dam itself measured almost one-half mile across and sixty-three feet high. The project employed over five thousand men, requiring the construction of a small village to feed and house the workers. Completion of Hales Bar, originally scheduled for 1907, was delayed by flooding and problems with the limestone foundation, and the project was not completed until 1913. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) acquired Hales Bar Dam in August 1939 as part of the Tennessee Electric Power Company purchase. Unable to overcome the foundation and leakage problems, the TVA demolished Hales Bar in 1968 and replaced it with Nickajack Dam, 6.4 miles downstream. | | Patricia Bernard Ezzell, Tennessee Valley Authority | | See Also: JO CONN GUILD; TENNESSEE RIVER SYSTEM; TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY; TEPCO | | | ==== TNMARION Mailing List ==== | *********************************************************************** | PLEASE NOTE: This list is for queries and replies, comments, | requests for help, and other genealogical related information | that is of interest to researchers having a connection or a | possible connection to Marion County, Tennessee. There is no | soliciting or advertising of any item or service for sale allowed. | Betty McBee - list administrator-- [email protected] . | Marion County Web Site: http://www.rootsweb.com/~tnmario2/ | *********************************************************************** | | ============================== | Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the | last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx | | ==== TNMARION Mailing List ==== *********************************************************************** PLEASE NOTE: This list is for queries and replies, comments, requests for help, and other genealogical related information that is of interest to researchers having a connection or a possible connection to Marion County, Tennessee. There is no soliciting or advertising of any item or service for sale allowed. Betty McBee - list administrator-- [email protected] . Marion County Web Site: http://www.rootsweb.com/~tnmario2/ *********************************************************************** ============================== Find your ancestors in the Birth, Marriage and Death Records. New content added every business day. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13964/rd.ashx