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The Fontana Dam, built in 1941 above the Little Tennessee River in western North Carolina, is the tallest dam in the eastern United States. The main purpose of the dam was to create electricity for ALCOA, the former owner of the land on which dam was built. ALCOA was producing aluminum for ships, aircraft and munitions for the war effort. As a consequence, many small towns, villages and homesteads were flooded by the newly created Fontana Lake. To assuage displaced communities, the plan was to build a road from Bryson City to Deals Gap along the river, to allow people to travel and to provide access to their ancestral lands and cemeteries. Since then, only a small, seven miles long, section, was built, leading to nowhere. The locals call it The Road To Nowhere—a broken promise.
Lakeview Drive East, Bryson City, North Carolina, 28713
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