Irene Ovredahl Hutchins Fontana Dam and Village Photographs, AV.7022
Abstract
Irene Orvedahl (1912-2003), worked as a nurse at Fontana Dam during World Warr II,
while the dam was under construction. Following the war she became a school nurse
and got married.
The Irene Ovredahl Hutchins Fontana Dam and Village Photographs collection consists
of 64 small black and white photographs of Fontana Village and construction of the
dam, and nurses' picnics and outings.
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Irene Ovredahl Hutchins Fontana Dam and Village Photographs
- Call Number
- AV.7022
- Creator
- Hutchins, Irene Ovredahl
- Date
- 1942 - 1944
- Extent
- 0.010 cubic feet
- Repository
- Western Regional Archives, State Archives of North Carolina
Restrictions on Access & Use
Access Restrictions
Available for research
Use Restrictions
Copyright is retained by the authors of these materials, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law (Title 17 US Code). Individual researchers are responsible for using these materials in conformance with copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials.
Available for research
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item] AV.7022, Irene Ovredahl Hutchins Fontana Dam and Village
Photographs, State Archives of North Carolina, Western Regional Archives, Asheville,
North Carolina, USA
.
Collection Overview
64 black and white photographs, of the construction of Fontana Dam, Lake Fontana and surrounding area, Lake Fontana Village Hospital and nurses' dorms, and nurses. chiefly 2.5" x 3.5" and 2.5" x 4.5"
Biographical/Historical
In the 1940s, with the United States in the throes or World War II, a remarkable project
took place in western North Carolina - the construction of the Fontana Dam on the
Little Pigeon River. At 480 feet, Fontana Dam would become the tallest dam east of
the Rocky Mountains.
It was built by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) between 1942 and 1944, in order
to produce electricity for the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) plants and Clinton
Engineer Works in East Tennessee. The former was producing aluminum to build aircraft,
while the latter was refining methods of enriching uranium for use in atomic bombs.
To build the dam, thousands of workers were needed. However, the site, in the heart
of the Great Smoky Mountains, was remote, so a "village" was created in order to house
and provide services for the construction workers and their families. Prefabricated
houses, dormitories, schools, recreation and medical facilities were built. At its
peak, 5,000 people lived at Fontana Village.
Upon completion of the dam, families and workers moved away and Fontana Village. Government
Services, Inc. took over the property and used it to provide accommodations for visitors
who would travel to see 480-foot high and 2,365-foot-long Fontana Dam.
Irene Orvedahl (1912-2003) was born in North Dakota and grew up in the mid-west. She
worked as a nurse at Fontana Dam during its construction.. Following the World War
II she was a nurse at the Asheville School. In 1952 she married the school's assistant
headmaster, William G. Hutchins.
The Irene Ovredahl Hutchins Fontana Dam and Village Photographs collection consists
of 64 small black and white photographs of Fontana Village, construction of Fontana
Dam, and nurse's picnics and outings.