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Lake
Norman History |
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Artist's
rendering of Cowans Ford Dam prior to construction.
(Used
with permission of Duke Energy.) |
- The
Eswataroa Indians (commonly referred to as "Catawba
Indians") live for hundreds of years in and around
the area that is currently Lake Norman. ("Eswataroa"
means "Great River" - referring to the once
mighty Catawba River.)
- February
1, 1781 — On the current site of Cowans Ford
Dam, Militia General William Lee Davidson is killed
in a Revolutionary War battle.
- 1901
— Associates of James B. Duke began purchasing
Catawba river valley bottom land to prepare for creation
of a lake for hydroelectric power generation.
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September
28, 1959
- North
Carolina's Governor Hodges at the groundbreaking
of Cowans Ford Dam.
(Used
with permission of
Duke Energy.) |
June
22 , 1905 — Southern Power incorporates in the
state of New Jersey.
- 1906
— Southern Power Company (predecessor of Duke
Power Company) begins purchasing lands for the Cowans
Ford/Lake Norman development. At this early date,
Southern Power refers to what would later become Cowans
Ford/Lake Norman as "Mountain Island Development No.
2" (No. 1 being today's Mountain Island Hydro Station).
Southern Power continues acquiring land for Cowans
Ford/Lake Norman until the late 1950s. J. B. Duke
begins acquiring lands for the South Carolina generating
stations as early as 1899, but not until 1906 for
the Cowans Ford Development.
- 1911
— The
first metal bridge over the Catawba River in what
is now the Lake Norman area is completed by James
W. Brown and B.A. Troutman of Mooresville. (It was
located approximately 1/2 mile downstream from the
current NC Highway 150 bridge location.)
- September
28, 1959 — Construction starts on Cowans Ford
Dam. Hundreds of people turn out for a groundbreaking
ceremony. The dam is dedicated five years later on
September 29, 1964. The dam blocking the Catawba River
is what forms Lake Norman.
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1959
- The Catawba River
during the construction of Cownas Ford Dam.
(Used
with permission of Duke Energy.) |
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1961
- The first concrete is poured.
(Used
with permission of Duke Energy.) |
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1962
- Water
pours through the spillway at Cowans Ford Dam.
(Used
with permission of Duke Energy.) |
- October
27, 1953 — Norman A. Cocke Sr. is elected fifth
president of Duke Power. Lake Norman will later be
named after him.
- October
4, 1956 — Duke Power shows interest in building
a nuclear reactor around Charlotte.
- May
15, 1957 — Duke Power announces it's plans for
the construction of Cowans Ford Hydro Station.
- January
29, 1962 — Duke Power Board of Directors approves
the donation of 1,328 acres of land to the state of
North Carolina for what will become Duke Power State
Park.
- March
10, 1962 — The taintor gates at Cowans Ford Hydro
Station are officially closed to begin the impoundment
of Lake Norman.
(It would take 11 months for the lake to fill.)
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1962
- Cowans
Ford Dam under construction.
(Used
with permission of Duke Energy.) |
- August
15, 1962 — Duke Power announces publicly it's
intention to donate land near Troutman to the State
of North Carolina.
- February
1963 — Cowans Ford Dam fills, Lake Norman is
complete.
- September
30, 1963 — Commercial operation begins at Cowans
Ford Hydro Station Units 1-3.
- September
29, 1964 — Cowans Ford Dam is officially dedicated.
(This date marks the end of Lake Norman's construction.)
Governor Terry Sanford announces that Duke Power might
construct a nuclear station on Lake Norman.
- March
1, 1965 — Marshall Steam Station Unit 1 begins
commercial operation. The station was named after
Edward Carrington Marshall, a president of Duke Power
in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
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1963
- The
first of four turbines being lowered into place.
(Used
with permission of
Duke Energy.) |
- June
4, 1965 — Duke Power State Park officially opens
to the public.
- November
17, 1969 — Plans for the McGuire Nuclear Station
are announced. The station is to be named after William
Bulgin McGuire, president of Duke Power from 1959
to 1971.
- February
24, 1970 — Duke Power officially announces it's
formal intent to construct the McGuire Nuclear Station
on Lake Norman. The chosen site is announced to the
public.
- April
1, 1971 — A groundbreaking ceremony is held at
the future site of McGuire Nuclear Station.
- September
12, 1981 — McGuire Unit 1 puts out its first
kilowatt-hours of electricity. Unit 1 will begin commercial
operation Dec. 1 of that same year. Unit 2 will start
producing electricity in 1984.
- June
23, 1993 — The Lake Norman Times hits newsstands
for the very first time.
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1963
-
Cowans
Ford Dam is complete.
(Used
with permission of Duke Energy.) |
Spring
1999 — The North Mecklenburg Chamber of Commerce
becomes known as the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce.
- May
2002 — This Web site (LakeNormanMonster.com)
is launched and presses the question "Is there a monster
in Lake Norman?"
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1970
-
Construction
of McGuire Nuclear Station begins.
(Used
with permission of Duke Energy.) |
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1974
-
McGuire
Nuclear Station is well underway.
(Used
with permission of Duke Energy.) |
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| Timeline
facts reprinted with permission of the Lake
Norman Times and Duke Energy. Timeline updated March
2003. All photos used with full permissison of Duke Energy.
Photographs in this section are copyright © Duke
Energy and may not be reporduced without prior permission
of Duke Energy. |
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