Tennessee Valley Authority

Map and Surveys Division Grave Removal Section Bryson City, North Carolina
July 31, 1943

Mr. L.B. Cook
Marion, North Carolina
Dear Mr. Cook
The construction of Fontana Dam necessitates the flooding of the road leading to the Proctor Cemetery located in Swain County, North Carolina, and to reach this cemetery in the future will be necessary to walk a considerable distance until a road is constructed in the vicinity of the cemetery, which is proposed to be completed afler the war has ended. We are informed that you are the nearest surviving relative of a deceased who is buried in this cemetery.
We have interviewed various relatives of the deceased who are buried in this cemetery and they have requested that the graves of their relatives remain undisturbed. We are enclosing a remain agreement for the grave of your relative and if it is your desire that this grave be left undisturbed, please sign, filling in where possible the items checked in red and return in the enclosed franked envelope, postage not required. If it is your desire that the grave of your relative be moved to some neighboring cemetery which is accessible by road, please write us and we will immediately send you the proper papers to sign and the Tennessee Valley Authority will move this grave without cost to you and reinter it in any cemetery of your choice located in Swain County, provided we can secure permission to bury in that cemetery. Your immediate attention to this matter will be appreciated and if there is any additional information you desire concerning the above state matter, please let us know.
Very truly yours,
Tennessee Valley Authority
H.H. Turner-Supv. Grave Removal Section

United States District Court For The Western District ofNorth Carolina Bryson City Division

Civil Action No. B-C-83-172

Citizens ofthe North Shore ---vs.--T.V.A; Department of Interior; Secretary of Interior; Swain County; State of North Carolina; State of North Carolina County of Haywood

The undersigned Jack Prince, who being first duly sworn, deposes and says:

1. That I am presently 77 years of age and living in Fontana North Carolina.

2. That from 1941 until February, 1943, I worked as a surveying engineer for T.V.A in Bryson City N.C.

3. That I was a junior engineer doing surveys on the lands proposed for purchase by T.V.A. and which were later to become part of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

4. That I was instructed, as were the 41 other members of my team, to tell the people in the community and in the areas we were surveying for purchase that they were not to worry as they would have access to the area to be purchased by way of the road that was to be built from Fontana to Bryson City. That we did, in fact, make such statement to these people in the area.

5. That I surveyed various cemeteries in this area to be purchased by the Tennessee Valley Authority.

6. Affiant further sayeth now Jack Prince Subscribed and sworn to before me this 14, day of September, 1983 Notary Public, State of N.C. My Commission Expires; Teresa L Kuykendall August 1, 19,8S