The dam that changed Hartwell forever

Fog used to settle in the bottomland in the 1940s and hang over the Savannah River as it meandered its way from Hart County to the Atlantic Ocean, blanketing the rolling foothills of Northeast Georgia and the farms that dotted the landscape. Dirt roads crisscrossed the hills, connecting farms and...

Shown in this undated photo is a group of men at the Hartwell Dam construction site. Construction of the dam began in 1955, after being authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1950.
Shown in this undated photo is a group of men at the Hartwell Dam construction site. Construction of the dam began in 1955, after being authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1950.

Fog used to settle in the bottomland in the 1940s and hang over the Savannah River as it meandered its way from Hart County to the Atlantic Ocean, blanketing the rolling foothills of Northeast Georgia…