Putting Loafing Streams to Work · the Building of Lay, Mitchell, Martin, and Jordan Dams, 1910-1929

This is the story of the human effort that went into completing one

of the most complex feats of engineering in Alabama history, the building

of four major hydroelectric dams by the Alabama Power Company.

Between 1910 and 1930 the Alabama Power Company built

four major hydroelectric projects: Lay Dam (1914), Mitchell Dam (1923),

and Jordan Dam (1929) on the Coosa River and Martin Dam (1926) on the Tallapoosa

River. When the turbines began spinning and electricity began to flow

from the power houses to farms, towns, and cities, Alabama moved from the

19th into the 20th century.

Constructed in remote areas of the state, the dams were

unique projects, yet they all had elements in common. The company had to

build transportation networks to get men and material to the sites. Workers,

skilled and unskilled, black and white, were recruited, brought in, housed,

and fed. When wives and children joined the men, worker camps became towns,

with schools, churches, medical clinics, and recreational facilities. These

towns were at once a reflection of their culture--and a look into a future

that electricity would make possible.

Putting "Loafing Streams" to Work is the story of

life in the towns and on the jobs. This story will help us better understand

the impact of Alabama Power's early activities and how Alabamians responded

to the forces of industrialization.