Posted in Tennessee
July 09, 2016
Most People Have No Idea There’s An Underwater Ghost Town Hiding In The American South
Have you ever been to Butler, Tennessee? If you visited now, you’d know it’s a small town on the banks of Watauga Lake, just a stones throw from Boone in neighboring North Carolina. It’s built on the backs of strong, hard working Tennessean folk who have a deep love of their land and the wits about them to fight those intense winter months that rage at the end of the year. The real question is: do you know the secret of Butler? It’s not quite what it seems, and here’s why…
We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. We believe that supporting local attractions is important now more than ever and we hope our articles inspire your future adventures! And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nominate/
The Butler you can visit nowadays is actually the second version of this sweet Tennessee abode. The original town is way down at the bottom of Watauga Lake.
As part of the TVA initiative, Watauga Lake was created in the 1940s. The original Butler was prone to flooding and the abundance of water in the area made it a great place for the dam.
Interesting fact? Butler has gone down in history as the only town TVA flooded out. The dam they built is also the only earthen dam created by TVA.
761 families were relocated, a few of whom decided to rebuild Butler in a safer, definitively drier, spot. They earned the town the name, "The Town that would not Drown," giving Butler a solid foothold in Tennessee history.
Now Watauga Lake is one of the most beautiful, quiet and secluded spots in the state. It bolsters a darling East Tennessee community and edges the Appalachian Trail. It's only a few, the lucky few, that know the water they're puttering around in? Hides and entire town, deep beneath the surface.
Did you know the secret of Watauga Lake? Check out some other creepy Tennessee secrets!
