Toccoa Falls is 186 foot high, higher than Niagara Falls but with just a faction of the volume. In the late 1890s the large valley at the base of the falls was the site of a popular summer resort featuring a 58 room inn, a bowling alley, tennis courts, and lakes for swimming and boating. To provide power for the resort and the small town of Toccoa, a dam was built at the top of the falls with pipes delivering water to a power plant in the valley. In 1907 the valley, power plant, and the falls were bought by Richard A.
Forrest who established a small Christian college on the site using the
inn for lodging and classrooms. The falls is a money making
venture for the college but the fee to visit is just a few dollars. 
A small sign near the base of the falls gives a brief account of a tragedy that occurred when the dam broke on November 6, 1977. The original dam was built in 1899 for the power plant which used by the college until 1957. During that period additions and repairs were done to the existing dam most likely incorrectly by inexperienced students. The dam broke after four days of heavy rain, sending 176 million gallons of water rushing into the valley. The 35foot‐wall of water swept away a campus trailer park killing 39 people and injuring 60.
Geez, the dam giving way was a real tragedy! The falls looks beautiful.
ReplyDeleteA volunteer firefighter inspected the dam shortly before it failed and thought everything was okay. So they were concerned. It's a shame that they didn't get people to move to higher ground just in case.
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