Hazel Creek - Life and Death of an Iconic Mountain Community

[@jimcollins8097]

My dad was raised on Eagle Creek and went to school at Proctor. His brothers worked at the copper mine and grandmother and my aunts ran a boarding house for the miners. Grandad drove the Shey steam engine that took the copper or down to the mainline.

[@vanessaautrey7316]

Thank you for showing this.Thats where my mother was born but they moved after the TVA took their land which is in the lake now. It was good memories for her. Especially the Calhoun house which was her Grandfather.

[@dwaynegeorge6665]

My great grandpa, George Higdon, built the Calhoun house. The Calhouns moved out after a while and my great grandpa and family moved in. My great grandma, Dixie Dean Higdon is buried up there.

[@mildredrharmon4032]

My dad was a sawmiller all his life and my moms uncle worked with wrought iron! Both sides of my family have been in these mountains for a very long time!!!❤

[@knightingalesaid]

Thanks do much for sharing that great story. I love the mountains.

[@sheyannebarton1235]

My grandmother is Mildred Cable Johnson, thanks for this.

[@LarryVickery]

"Fulfillment of a promise", but sad for the people forced to evacuate.

[@melaniewhitfield7]

Thank you for talking about Hazel Creek. My ancestors were from there. It's nice to make a connection.

[@sheyannebarton1235]

Who are your family?

[@cjstaylor8382]

That is one incredible photo at 1:58 minutes. A sawmill that looks to be built on a precipice with workers shelters off both hills and stacks of lumber between. Is this right?

[@pantherdev8660]

The government and Swain county, NC finally agreed on $53 million for the lost roads underwater by Fontana Dam. It was heartbreaking for the owners of property condemned by the government and their children. But I as a part time N.C. resident have enjoyed the park and the creek as much as anyone ever would. A magnificent place to camp, fish, hike and just enjoy the land of the mountains. Love it every time I think about it. I will always leave it as I find it. Thank you .

[@sheyannebarton1235]

I wish you'd told anybody that the park service provides boat transportation to a different area every 1st sunday during the spring and summer to visit each cemetery so we can put flowers on each grave and have music and then we all eat food everyone brings. Anyone can come. Well...after Covid-19 anyways.

[@sherriestinnett8212]

These are my people. My grandma was born their and Moses proctor is my 4th grt grandpa.. Is The picture you show as you just start talking about Moses proctor actually him and his wife? I ask for my family genealogy because I have a lot of proctor family pics but I do not have that one.. would really love to have it if it is really of Moses & patience

[@smallhours7092]

Moses is my 3rd great grandfather. I was also wondering if the photo shown was of Moses and Patience.

[@youshowmeyours]

There was a promise for them so get their land back after the government paid them off to leave. But no one knows they can still get their land back today. I'm just not someone anyone will listen to. I don't have the pull. You should do a historic piece on it.

[@ilvdonho]

This man obviously has no family that lived in this area during the time of Hazel Creek. The government made a promise and then waited until those complaining so much about the road grew old and passed away. By that time, there were men like Dr. Pierce, who have no connection to the place other than a fishing/camping spot, expounding on what a great thing the government did. They broke their promise. Period.

[@JustJoeT]

Final, $35M payment made Saturday on infamous 'Road to Nowhere ... wlos.com/news/local/final-payment-made-saturday-on-infamous-road-to-nowhere 5 days ago - The final payment was made Saturday, for the project in Swain ... COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) 6/30/18

[@vanessaautrey7316]

@@bradcook6807 but the promised rd led to family graveyards you can only get there by boat and then walking which old people cannot do.