In this episode, The Cemetery Detective explores Bell Cemetery and Skull Island Cemetery. Keith has become fascinated with cemeteries that are affected by flood waters both natural and man-made. Keith kayaks on the Tennessee River from Chickamauga Dam upriver to Harrison Tennessee where he investigates homesteads that were flooded in 1940 after the dam’s completion. Bell Cemetery is on a wooded hilltop on John A Patten Island. From here, Keith paddles upriver past Sequoyah Nuclear Power Plant which overlooks Skull Island. Once on the shore of Skull Island, Keith investigates a cemetery and the grave sites that were moved from Norman-Eldridge Cemetery prior to 1940.
Chickamauga Dam Upriver of Chattanooga, TN
In 1936, the Tennessee Valley Authority began construction on the Chickamauga Dam a few miles upriver of Chattanooga, Tennessee.
As part of the dam’s construction and the eventual flooding and creation of Chickamauga Lake, TVA commissioned the relocation of grave sites from 24 cemeteries within this newly created flood plain. Chickamauga
dam was constructed using limestone from a nearby quarry. I am always interested in visiting area quarries. Understanding an area’s geology allows me to find similarities in rock used by local gravestone carvers.
Old Harrison, Tennessee
Chickamauga Dam was completed in 1940. The waters began to rise immediately flooding several communities. One of these flooded communities was the town of Old Harrison, Tennessee. Long before the waters came up and overtook their land, residents made provisions to move to higher ground. In the final days, town residents threw elaborate parties celebrating the fact that their land would be consumed by the lake.
One of Chickamauga Dam’s purposes is to provide downstream flood control of the greater Chattanooga area. As part of their flood control initiative, TVA lowers lake levels during winter months. Areas of Old Harrison that are submerged in summer are visible from November through mid-April. Exploring during this time of year lead to my finding abandoned foundations and a few relics of years-gone-by. In Old Harrison, I discovered an old asphalt roadbed.
The road was once in daily use. However, it now lies unusable and is underwater through much of the year. Though the outside temperature began the day fairly warm in the sunlight, temperatures dropped as the hour went by and the river water was almost ice cold. Before leaving Old Harrison, I donned additional protective foul weather gear as protection against the cold.
Bell Cemetery
Bell Cemetery rests on a wooded hilltop upon John A. Patten Island. Bell Cemetery was in use in the mid 1800’s. It now lies abandoned. Though I found indications of several grave sites, I only discovered one gravestone. For me, Bell Cemetery is a fine example of a remarkable phenomenon of abandoned cemeteries. There was minuscule evidence of a cemetery being on this land.
In a few more years, all physical indications of this being a cemetery will cease to exist.
Sequoyah Nuclear Power Plant
Sequoyah Nuclear Power Plant lies on the Tennessee River approximately at river mile 484. Steam rising from its two cooling towers billow over Skull Island one mile further upriver. Sequoyah first went into operation in 1981. According to TVA’s website, the fission reactor core generates steam that turns a turbine to generate enough electricity to meet the needs of 1.3 million homes in the Tennessee Valley. As I paddle past, I am reminded of a story of two young brothers buried in Skull Island Cemetery.
Skull Island Cemetery
Skull Island comes into sight. Though this island is accessible via roadway, approaching by kayak gives me a better indication of the river’s impact. Grave sites in Skull Island Cemetery were moved here from Norman-Eldridge Cemetery prior to its land’s flooding in 1940 upon the completion of Chickamauga Dam. This cemetery is in disuse and it’s only maintenance is performed by the caretakers of Skull Island or an occasion visit by area school children who take an interest in the property.
Since Skull Island contains a campground, I set up a tent and spend time practicing night time photography and light painting photography shortly after sunset.