The Dike That Saved Dandridge

Dandridge, with Shady Grove, Oak Grove and Rankin, was first slated to go under Douglas Lake. Townspeople are said to have appealed to Eleanor Roosevelt, noting that Dandridge was the only town named for Martha Washington, and a saddle dam was built to protect it. It is one of ten small earthen dams alongside the main structure, faced with gravel and riprap on the lake side. The project moved 525 families and thirty-two cemeteries, and the floodgates closed 382 days after work began, a pace that set a record.

What the plaque says

The Dike That Saved Dandridge A portion of the town of Dandridge would have been flooded by the waters of Douglas Lake if the Tennessee Valley Authority had not built a dike. The top of the dike is an elevation of 1009 feet, seven feet above the dam's crest gates. All of the business district, the Jefferson County Courthouse, county jail, and approximately 1000 feet of Highway 92 would have been below the maximum water level of the reservoir. Dandridge was the center of opposition to the Douglas Dam due to the loss of over 60,000 acres of fertile agricultural land. The Douglas Reservoir was critical to providing the power needed for the Manhattan Project in Oak Ridge. Begun in 1942, construction on the Douglas Project was completed within 382 days to capture the 1943 winter rains and to produce the needed hydroelectric power.

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Blant's Hill — steps away
• Battle of Dandridge — steps away
• Battle of Hay's Ferry — 3.9 mi
• Stokely-Van Camp, Inc. — 6.1 mi