1 Reply Latest reply on Mar 14, 2019 11:21 AM by Rebecca Collier

    Seeking information about WPA construction of Grand Lake O' The Cherokees (Oklahoma)

    Sandra Shannon Newbie
    Sandra Shannon Mar 13, 2019 7:10 AM

      Seeking information about towns and sites flooded by WPA construction of Grand Lake O' The Cherokees (Oklahoma). WPA funds were authorized in 1937 to build a hydroelectric dam in northeast Oklahoma on the Neosho River (also known as the Grand River). The dam was completed in 1941. The resulting lake with 1,300 miles of shoreline (Grand Lake O' The Cherokees, or Grand Lake) flooded Osage and Cherokee sites, the towns of Bernice and Echo, and farms and farmland. I have read that c. 1936 $125,000 of federal funds were appropriated for a survey. I would love to get my hands on the survey as well as identify any repositories/sources of information in DC that may have information about what built resources and sites were lost to the flooding. Any advice would be appreciated.

        • Re: Seeking information about WPA construction of Grand Lake O' The Cherokees (Oklahoma)
          Rebecca Collier Ranger
          Rebecca Collier Expert Mar 14, 2019 11:21 AM (in response to Sandra Shannon)

          Dear Ms. Shannon,

           

          Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!

           

          We searched the National Archives Catalog and located a series titled Oklahoma Indexes, 1935-1943 that serves as an index to the Oklahoma Project Files. The index is available on three microfilm publications (T935, T 936, T937).  The Project Files are only available on microfilm but the quality of the accessioned microfilm is poor and it is not available in the National Archives microfilm reading room. In order to view the film, a researcher must first determine the official project number of the project using the indexes (T935, T936 & T937).

           

          For access to and/or copies of the microfilm, please contact the National Archives at College Park - Textual Reference (RDT2) via email at archives2reference@nara.gov.

           

          We hope this information is helpful. Best of luck with your research!

           

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