Hundreds of people were forcibly removed from their land in 1944 for the creation of Lake Fontana, which was built to generate electricity during World War II. In addition to flooding out homes and communities, the lake flooded the main road that led from Bryson City to Tennessee. That rendered several more communities inaccessible.

So those communities — 216 families to be exact — were removed from their homes as well. The land — 44,000 acres to be exact — was eventually turned over to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The federal government promised to rebuild the flooded road “as soon after the present war as funds are made available,” and even signed a pact to that effect now known as the 1943 agreement. The road would provide access to the isolated 44,000 acres and the former communities therein. While families would never be able to live there again since it became part of the park, they would at least be able to return to visit their family graves and reminisce at their home sites.

With the dam built and the water backing up, they were told to move quickly, that they could return to collect their possessions later when the road was built. So they left behind their furniture, vehicles, canned food in the cellar, even crops in the field.

They are still waiting for their road.