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 Fontana - A Pocket History of Appalachia Paperback, 238 Pages, 120 Photos ($20.00)Some areas in the southern Appalachian mountains are known for mining, others for lumber production. Many have Indian place names and most preserve some remnants of their pioneer heritage. But few locales experienced all the cultural and social changes that are indicative of the entire region. The area affected by the construction of Fontana dam and lake situated along the Little Tennessee River in western North Carolina is one of these special places. Endowed with tremendous natural resources but geographically isolated, the area was both coveted and avoided. A wild land in the very heart of the great Cherokee Nation, the area hosted the culmination of Cherokee removal along the infamous Trail of Tears. Early explorers and traders ventured into its wildness in search of natural treasures. Hardy settlers hacked out a living in its forest primeval. Then in an amazingly short period of time, lumber barons, large scale miners, and other industrialists transformed the area from pioneer settlements to the forefront of American technology. Part of it was chosen for the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The completion of a massive wartime public works project drastically altered the natural and cultural complexion of the place. Then finally, as is fashionable in most of Appalachia today, tourism and recreation evolved as the primary economic activities. Lance Holland has crafted an enlightening and entertaining narrative that clothes the bones of history in a manner that allows the reader to become emotionally involved in the experiences being described. He is a man of varied talents: back country guide; builder; co-author, Hiking Trails of the Smokies; location scout/manager for motion pictures including The Last of the Mohicans, The Fugitive, Nell, My Fellow Americans, Forces of Nature, and many others; and producer/director of historic documentaries including Nantahala - Land of the Noonday Sun, and Hiking on Hazel Creek. He lives in the Stecoah community of western North Carolina in the heart of the Fontana area. |
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