50 States of Folklore - Georgia: Lake Lanier's Hidden Graves cover art

50 States of Folklore - Georgia: Lake Lanier's Hidden Graves

50 States of Folklore - Georgia: Lake Lanier's Hidden Graves

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 Lake Lanier, a massive reservoir created in 1956 near Atlanta, Georgia, is more than just a popular tourist destination; it harbors a deeply troubling history of racial violence and displacement. The lake was constructed by flooding over 50,000 acres of land, forcibly removing more than 250 families, closing 15 businesses, and relocating 20 cemeteries. At the heart of this displacement was the destruction of Oscarville, a thriving Black community that had been violently expelled in 1912 following the death of a white woman, representing a stark example of racial terrorization in the Jim Crow South.

The lake's creation involved systematic erasure of communities, with the government methodically dismantling homes, burning structures, and relocating graves. The process was not only physically destructive but psychologically traumatic, with families watching their generational homes and community infrastructure being dismantled piece by piece. The flooding effectively buried not just physical structures but also the evidence of historical racial violence, creating a metaphorical and literal burial of uncomfortable truths.

Lake Lanier has gained a reputation for being unusually dangerous, with over 500 deaths since its creation, far more than comparable bodies of water. The lake's treacherous underwater environment is filled with submerged structures like foundations, roads, and even an abandoned racing track, creating hazardous conditions for swimmers and boaters. This physical danger has merged with supernatural folklore, most notably the legend of the 'Lady of the Lake', a ghost story stemming from a 1958 car accident, and local beliefs that the lake itself carries the spiritual weight of the historical trauma inflicted on the communities beneath its waters.

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