Monday, April 16, 2012

60th Anniversary of the Naming of Lake Cumberland

Video Traces The History of the Lake

 

Millions of people flock to Lake Cumberland in south central Kentucky for vacation each year, but many people likely don’t know the story of how the lake was created.

Kentucky’s Water Wonderland/The Story of Lake Cumberland is a 50-minute DVD produced by Sentimental Productions that chronicles the history of the lake.  The video includes historic film showing the area before, during and after the construction of Wolf Creek Dam.  The video also includes interviews from residents who witnessed the dramatic transformation of the region.
Construction work on Wolf Creek Dam

In 1941, thousands of people attended a groundbreaking ceremony in Rowena, Kentucky to celebrate the beginning of the project to build Wolf Creek Dam.  World War II delayed construction until 1946 and the dam was completed in 1950.  Rowena was a town that was literally wiped off the map when the lake filled up in the spring of 1951.  Many other homes and businesses in nearby towns were also forced to move to higher ground.




The lake was called Wolf Creek Reservoir until the spring of 1952.  On April 17, 1952 the name was changed to Lake Cumberland by an Act of Congress.
Aerial shot of Wolf Creek Dam

In addition to the historic elements of the program, the video traces the evolution of Lake Cumberland into the tremendous tourism magnet it has become as well as the development of the houseboat manufacturing area through the Lake Cumberland region.





You can watch a short clip of The Story of Lake Cumberland below or go here to access our YouTube channel.

Kentucky’s Water Wonderland/The Story of Lake Cumberland can be purchased online through Sentimental Productions, or call (800) 762-0338.

Bonus features of the DVD include:
-Steamboat days along the Cumberland River
-Additional footage of the construction of Wolf Creek Dam
-Exploring the growth of the Lake Cumberland region
-How the look of houseboats has changed over the years

1 comment:

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