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Underwater Ghost Towns of Appalachia

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The mid-twentieth century was a bustling time for the construction of new lakes in Appalachia. Whether for flood control or nuclear power, many lakes were created to improve the lives of folks living in these mountains for a variety of reasons. However, most people are unaware that beneath many of these lakes, there were once towns and communities who were forced to relocate prior to the construction of the lakes. And, there are still remnants of these communities under the water.


Let’s take a look at three of these towns today, shall we? Today, we’re going to remember three underwater ghost towns that succumbed to the chilly mountain lakes that buried them  — Gad, West Virginia, Yale, Kentucky, and Jocassee Valley, South Carolina.


Gad, WV — Summersville Lake


Summersville Lake is a pristine mountain lake in central West Virginia that attracts outdoor recreationists from far and wide. In 2023, Summersville Lake State Park, West Virginia’s newest state park, was established along the lake’s northern shore in Nicholas County. Summersville Lake was formed by a rock-fill dam on the Gauley River, and has the distinction of being the largest lake in West Virginia. To scuba divers, it’s also known as “The Little Bahamas of the East” because the waters are usually fairly warm and the clarity is remarkable. Sounds like it’s time to plan a visit there, huh y’all?


But, beneath the clear waters of “The Little Bahamas,” there lie the remnants of Gad, West Virginia, known by some as the Appalachian Atlantis. Much of the town is still intact, and can be seen by divers who explore the lake.


Gad was a farming community on McKee’s Creek that existed from the 1800s to the 1960s. Though it was a small community, its impact is still felt in the area. Many folks can trace their family lineage back to Gad. It’s said that Gad also had a sawmill, church, school, general store, and post office — all hallmarks of a rural Appalachian town in the 19th century.



Photo Cred: TheSCETVGuy on YouTube


However, Gad’s story came to an end in the 1960s when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers purchased the town along with the properties of all the residents and businesses. The people living and working in Gad had to be relocated to create Summersville Lake, which was constructed to control flooding in the Kanawha Valley of West Virginia. Six family graveyards had to be relocated. Residents were moved from land that their families had farmed for generations, and some old timers never recovered from the shock of losing their farm. 



Photo Cred: TheSCETVGuy on YouTube



Interested in Appalachian ghost stories? Read more about them here.


Here’s a fun fact for y’all: the dam holding back the waters of Summersville Lake is called, as you might guess, Summersville Dam. However, it was very nearly named the Gad Dam. Traditionally, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers names a dam after the closest town, but local officials got their panties in a twist about the name Gad Dam. So, they went to the next closest town for a name — Summersville. If you ask me, I think it’s a Gad Dam shame. 


To learn more about Gad, check out this awesome YouTube video by TheSCTVGuy: Gad, WV


Yale, KY — Cave Run Lake


Approximately 70 miles east of Lexington, KY, Yale was a community on the Licking River in Bath County. It was established by the Sterling Lumber Companty in 1897. The Licking Valley Railway was opened in Yale in 1896 and ran until 1899, when it was succeeded by the Licking River Railroad, which operated until 1913. According to the Kentucky Atlas & Gazetteer, “The railroad was owned first by the Sterling Lumber Company and later by the Yale Lumber Company and was a narrow-gauge line that hauled lumber, freight, and passengers along a route that was eventually 32 miles long and connected to the Chesapeake and Ohio at Salt Lick.”





Much like Gad, before it was flooded by Cave Run Lake, Yale was a thriving farming community. Very little is known and documented about the town’s history. However, I did find something that I found incredibly interesting — a quote from a woman who grew up in Yale. This quote comes courtesy of the Around Town website, which I highly recommend you check out.




According to Debbie Hunt Cochran, former resident of Yale, “The community of Yale was located in the southeastern corner of Bath County, bordered by the Menifee County line and the Licking River. In 1913, when Yale Lumber Company sold out and left the area, all the equipment was shipped off, the remaining lumber was sold and the company houses were disassembled and shipped to Morgan County to be rebuilt in a lumber camp there. The land that was owned by the mill was given to Malvie Johnson, whose husband had been killed in an accident in the mill a few years before. Eventually, my grandfather bought the land from her, and when dad and mom married, they passed it on to them. My family lived on the farm until I was 12 years old, and we had to leave due to the construction of Cave Run Dam. I loved the community of Yale! I have so many wonderful memories of living there”




If you’re interested in reading about more underwater ghost towns in Appalachia, click here.


I don’t know about y’all, but there’s something kind of sad about reading the memories of a place that someone can no longer go to. But, I’m very glad that we have Mrs. Cochran’s quote to shine a bit of light on what life was like in Yale, Kentucky.



Construction of Cave Run Lake began in 1965 and was completed in 1973. It was created to control flooding in the lower Licking River valley. 


Jocassee Valley, SC — Lake Jocassee


Y’all, this next one is personal for me, because Lake Jocassee is in my backyard. As a born and bred native of the South Carolina mountains, the story of the Jocassee Valley just hits different.


Lake Jocassee is a stunning, pristine lake in the Upstate of South Carolina. Most of the land surrounding the lake is protected, which adds to its untouched beauty. In fact, there are less than 50 homes on the lake, most of which were grandfathered in when the lake was constructed. The only easy, public way to access the lake is through Devils Fork State Park, which has a boat ramp, camping spots, and a kayak launch. It’s a hugely popular site in the summertime, drawing folks from across the southeast.


Duke Energy completed construction of Lake Jocassee in 1973. It was created for hydroelectric power and flood control, and is part of the part of the Keowee-Toxaway Hydroelectric Project, owned and operated by Duke Energy.


Jocassee is also known for its supremely clear waters, making it a popular spot for scuba divers. Visibility is usually over 15 feet, and is up to 50 feet in many spots. Today, these scuba divers are the only folks that get to lay eyes on the ghost of the beautiful valley beneath the waters  — Jocassee Valley. 


Though most man-made structures were demolished before Jocassee Valley was flooded, the Attakulla Lodge still stands at the bottom of Lake Jocassee. The Lodge operated as a bed and breakfast for nearly half a century before closing to the public in the 1960s. The exact date when Attakulla was built is not known, however, is is estimated to have been some time in the late 1800s. 




Attakulla Lodge resisted the crushing fate of bulldozers because Duke Energy technically did not own the land it sat on when the lake was flooded. The Fletcher family owned the land, and they didn’t sell it to Duke until after the valley was already underwater. 




Interestingly, some divers have also reported seeing standing forests at the bottom of the lake, saying that it’s like “walking through the woods on a moonlit winter's night.”


If you want to read more about what the Jocassee Valley was like before the flood, check out Debbie Fletcher's book, Whippoorwill Farewell: Jocassee Remembered. (This isn't an affiliate link, I just think it's cool)


Final Thoughts


Alright folks, here’s where we leave the land of facts and go into my opinion. 


Thinking about the beauty lost at the bottom of Lake Jocasse just makes me sad, y’all. I’m not sure how else to put it. Even though the lake was constructed over 20 years before I was born, I feel like Jocassee Valley is a place I should have seen with my own eyes. Jocassee Valley is whatprompted me to start researching these underwater towns and communities in the first place. I firmly believe these places should be memorialized somehow.


My hippie brain feels uneasy with the thought of man made lakes in general. I understand why they were constructed, but I also have the capacity to carry that understanding and my uneasy thoughts at the same time. What can I say, I’m talented that way. Although I do love Lake Jocassee, it just feels wrong somehow that an entire livelihood and sum of memories is sunken beneath the surface. Lakes also tend to attract loud, carpetbagger Yankees and casual tourists who treat the area poorly, which frankly pisses me off. 


Let’s end this one on a happy note, shall we? Y’all now know the stories of these towns buried beneath the waters, which is a powerful thing. Tell your friends about them, and let’s not let the memories of these places die. 


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