Beneath the waters of Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley lie the footprints of towns, farms, churches, and crossroads communities that once thrived along the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers.
When the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) built Kentucky Dam in the 1940s—and, decades later, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed Barkley Dam—the promise of flood control, navigation, and electricity reshaped not just the landscape but the lives rooted in it.
Some places, like Gilbertsville, Ky., were lifted and rebuilt on higher ground. Others, like Birmingham, slipped quietly beneath the rising water, their streets and foundations preserved only in memory and map.
And in the stretch between the two lakes—now known as Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area—entire rural communities were eventually cleared away, leaving behind only stories of the people who loved the land.
In this article, I will focus on the “lost towns” of Kentucky Dam.
Aerial view of the original town of Gilbertsville in western
Kentucky on the banks of the Tennessee River, before construction
of Kentucky Dam in the 1940s.
The town of Birmingham in Marshall County, Kentucky, is the best-documented town erased by Kentucky Lake. Located on the west shore of the Tennessee River, it was founded in 1849 as a river port. With fewer than four hundred residents, the town lacked the economic base or location that would justify rebuilding a full town site. Residents dispersed instead of attempting to relocate as a community.
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| In 1961, TVA dropped Kentucky Lake to an unusually low level, exposing remnants of Birmingham for the first time in 15 years. (Paducah Sun, March 12, 1961) |
Roads, foundations, and structures remain under the waters of the lake today and can often be spotted when the water level is at its lowest during winter pool.
Another lost community, Newburg in Calloway County, was actually a tiny river hamlet rather than a town, but it did have a post office. The post office closed in 1943 and the few village residents moved out. The homes, surrounding farms, and cemetery were flooded when Kentucky Lake filled in 1944.
Numerous other low-lying river settlements, such as ferry landings, timber camps, and church communities, disappeared. These were simply acquired and cleared before flooding of the lake occurred.
In Marshall County alone, TVA acquired over 35,000 acres. Across the region, thousands of residents had to move. Several major highways were moved, and rail lines were relocated to higher ground.
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| This example of a TVA land acquisition map shows the location of Newburg, Ky., before it was inundated by Kentucky Lake |
A major portion of the project dealt with relocating cemeteries. A total of 126 cemeteries, from community or church sites to small family plots, were disinterred and moved. During the process, TVA mapped both original and reinterment sites. If families objected or could not be located, some graves were left. Of 28 graves in the Newburg cemetery, for example, most were relocated to a nearby cemetery, but five remained in place. At winter pool, remaining grave markers can sometimes be spotted on a small island.
There was no single resettlement town for those displaced by Kentucky Dam. Many families bought or built homes above the flood line, often staying within the same county. Some moved to other Tennessee or Cumberland River towns to keep their river-connected livelihoods. Often, younger residents moved to cities to work in wartime industries or other TVA projects.
Some families relocated further inland between the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. They would be forced once again to relocate within the next three decades due to construction of Barkley Dam and the creation of Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area.
Watch for future posts about the families affected by those relocation projects.
SOURCES:
Multi-award-winning author Marie Wells Coutu finds beauty in surprising places, like undiscovered treasures, old houses, and gnarly trees. All three books in her Mended Vessels series, contemporary stories based on the lives of biblical women, have won awards in multiple contests. She is currently working on historical romances set in her native western Kentucky in the 1930s and ‘40s. An unpublished novel, Shifting Currents, placed second in the inspirational category of the nationally recognized Maggie Awards. Learn more at www.MarieWellsCoutu.com.
When the lights of Broadway dim, Delia leaves the city behind. But will her family welcome her home again?The historical short story, “All That Glistens,” is loosely based on an actual woman from the "Between the Rivers" area of western Kentucky. It was included in the 2023 Saturday Evening Post Great American Fiction collection and is now available free when you sign up for Marie's newsletter here. In her newsletter, she shares about her writing, historical tidbits, recommended books, and sometimes recipes.
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