Building a New Future

In the early 1930s, with Wilson Dam serving as the starting point for the newly formed TVA and its river development plan, a new era of prosperity began in the region. TVA undertook one of the largest U.S. hydropower construction programs ever, beginning with Tennessee’s Norris Dam, named after the senator, and by the end of 1944 had built 16 dams and employed more than 50,000 workers. These dams controlled flooding and greatly improved navigation. TVA also completed a 652-mile shipping channel, made possible by Wilson Dam’s taming of Muscle Shoals, stretching from the Ohio River near Paducah, Kentucky, to Knoxville, Tennessee, and increasing regional trade by more than 400 percent in just a decade. TVA’s work transformed the Tennessee Valley economy by creating jobs, promoting growth, and renewing hope.

Alabama · United States