Thread: Ky. Dam before it was a dam

Originally Posted by rnvinc

My mind seems to stay in this alert mode......

Recon genetics has anything to do with it? I was fleshing a deer hide yesterday about 4 PM when it hit me that you were the one who posted the thread. Man, too many hours at the studio and no time on the lake are making me crazy! You know it's been a long week when you sit at work thinking about things you posted on the net.LOL! That's also why I don't have internet at my studio. I would never come home except to change underwear. That wouldn't fly with Ms.V.

Originally Posted by mrdux

Quicksilver, was the marina the boat basin or Van Winkles?

The Boat Basin,, That's it... Van Winkles was downstream a bit.

Thanks!

[QUOTE=mrdux;859224]Recon genetics has anything to do with it? I was fleshing a deer hide yesterday about 4 PM when it hit me that you were the one who posted the thread. Man, too many hours at the studio and no time on the lake are making me crazy! You know it's been a long week when you sit at work thinking about things you posted on the net.LOL! That's also why I don't have internet at my studio. I would never come home except to change underwear. That wouldn't fly with Ms.V.[/QUOTE]

:D:D:D:D:D

Hi,

Great post about Gilbertsville and Birmingham prior to the impoundment of Kentucky Lake. I'm a historian who is writing a book on the fate of Old Eddyville, Old Kuttawa and Between the Rivers as Barkley Dam and Lake were created. I just want to be clear about something I believe you mistakenly implied here. You are aware that while Birmingham was indeed flooded, Gilbertsville never was, correct? The actual, historical site of Old Gilbertsville has never been underwater. The site of Old Gilbertsville School is not under the lake, either. This is a common mistake among folks who simply lump the demise of Gilbertsville together with the watery fates of the other towns in the 1940s and 1960s. In fact, Gilbertsville was the only major town to be relocated that was never in danger of submersion. You can visit the very site of Old Gilbertsville today, on foot.

I hope this clarifies any misconceptions you may have about your family history.


The

Originally Posted by rnvinc

I found these pics in my dad's collection...He was born (1930) and raised at Gobbler's Knob which use to be located just up on the hill on the south side of what is now Ky. Dam Marina....

He has told me stories of walking to Gilbertsville school every day across "the bottom peanut patch" which is now the bottom of Ky Dam Marina...

All of these pics are in (I think) 1938....which is 1 year after the "big flood of '37" and right before TVA started construction of KY. Dam....

Ky Dam site from the north looking south.....notice "27 mile island" that starts just south of the RR bridge and farther south you can make out "3 mile island"...these islands still show on present day topo maps of Ky. Lake...of course they are under water now....

Notice the town of "Old Gilbertsville" at bottom center of pic...this town was moved farther down HWY 282 toward Calvert City to allow for the construction of the dam....



Closer pic of Ky Dam site from the north looking south....notice the type of river barge access bridge on the west (right) side of the river was a "spin" type (I have no idea what the actual name is) where the first two sections of bridge spans were attached to an "axle" bridge support that spun 90 degrees to allow barge access thru the brigde...I was told that this section was moved somewhere south and used in some other location for years....

This pic must be right at the start of dam construction because it shows the coffer dam just south of the RR bridge that was built at the section of river that went around the east side of "27 mile island"



Ky Dam site from south looking north...



This is the aerial view of "Old Gilbertsville" which was moved farther west down HWY 282 during the dam construction....



This is a downtown pic of "Old Gilbertsville" ....notice the sign on the side of the brick building in the right hand side of pic..."Overalls...R.D. Smith Gilbertsville KY.....



This is the RR trestle in the bottom right of the aerial photo of "Old Gilbertsville" that led up to the RR bridge that crossed the Tennessee River..



If anyone has more pics relating to this era before Ky. Dam was built please add to this post...I"m really interested in finding aerial photos of the Marshall Co. town of "Old Birmingham" that was just south of "3 mile island"....

Rick don't know why but I can't click on picture says photo not found.

Me too but mine says photo not found

Thread was started by Ricky in 2009, pics are probably gone.

For those interested what an area looked like in the past go the following website.
In the search box type in the area you want to look at.
Once you hit return you will get the current aerial photo of the area.
On the left you will see a list of years from which you can choose.

You can also click the "Compare" button and you will get a split screen so you can set up one year on one side and a previous year on the other.

Historic Aerials