HIST 701 Week 7 - Sunken Towns Outside Raleigh

 




If you live in Durham, Wake, or Chatham counties (NC) outside the Raleigh-Durham area, you have undoubtedly heard of Jordan Lake. It is one of the favorite summertime destinations for recreation. The lake spans about 13,940 acres with a shoreline of 180 miles. The lake is large and deep enough for power-boats, but also has extensions ("fingers") and inlets suitable for kayaks, fishermen, and even a beach for swimming. 

What most people do not know, however, is that Jordan Lake is not a natural lake! Created in response to devastating floods from the 1945 hurricane, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began building the dam in 1967. Completed and renamed in honor of Sen. B. Everett Jordan in 1974–83, it transformed the New Hope River Valley. 

Prior to the flooding of the area, there were railroads and towns that existed. For example, the Durham and South Carolina Railroad was relocated from the New Hope basin to higher ground but its stations were not rebuilt, and the line itself was soon abandoned. Many farming families were relocated as the project was developed and several roads in eastern Chatham County were either rerouted or taken out of commission completely. Some of these tracks and roads were never demolished, but simply allowed to flood over. When the lake is at low water volume, many of these roads can still be seen.



Seaforth, Pea Ridge, and Farrington are just a few of the small towns that were wiped off of the map, but as recently as 2023-2024 when the waters levels were at historic lows, these ghost towns began to emerge. Historians flocked to the site, along with the descendants of the people who used to live there, to catch a glimpse of and document the decaying structures and artifacts. Before the reservoir was filled, archaeological excavations were performed to record the history and salvage any artifacts deemed historically significant.

The lake area is also a haven for herons, beavers, otters, osprey, and even bald eagles. In fact, Jordan Lake has one of the largest concentrations of bald eagles east of the Mississippi—the area has seen flocks of up to 40 at once.

This summer, as you head on out to Jordan Lake to go on a boat, hike the shore, or even just hanging up a hammock to relax, take a moment to reflect on the history of the lake and how much has changed in just one generation-- and how much could still change in another 50 years! 

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