If you know Dale Hollow Lake, you’ve likely heard of the town that drowned: Willow Grove and the submerged schoolhouse that sits near Willow Grove Marina. But few realize that beneath the lake’s shimmering surface lie evidence of underwater cemeteries—remnants of communities forever changed when the lake was created.
How Many Graves Were Relocated?
When the Dale Hollow Dam was completed in 1943, the rising water covered entire valleys, homesteads, and cemeteries. Before the flooding, hundreds of graves were relocated.
According to the 2018 Dale Hollow Lake Explorer (article: “Dale Hollow Dam Celebrates 75th Anniversary”), more than 2,000 gravesites were moved from what would become Dale Hollow Lake.
The Largest Cemetery Relocated on Dale Hollow
Unknown to summer boaters, the largest relocated cemetery once stood where people now ski and tube and fish and swim in front of The Lake House on Dale Hollow. Although the cemetery name could not be found, the area is known today as Gum Grove or Duncan Bottom. In this area, when water levels drop each fall and winter, an island emerges—rich in history and mystery.
Kayakers and boaters often explore the island during cooler months. Thanks to its sandy bottom, new artifacts and relics resurface every year: arrowheads, fragments of carved flint, shells, and even remnants of structures once part of the cemetery.
According to Darren Shell’s “Haunted Dale Hollow,” the cemetery once contained 147 burials and was documented by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as the largest relocated cemetery on the lake.
What Remains of the Cemetery Today
Only during the very lowest water levels is the cemetery walkable without getting wet, but in late November, there was only about a foot of water covering the cemetery, and it was easily explored using a good pair of muck boots.
Wading through the area reveals decayed wooden fence posts marking the old boundary, flat concrete grave vault slabs, and other intriguing remnants such as a small wooden door lying on the sandy floor.
Nature and Memory Intertwined
The island isn’t just a historical site—it’s also a wildlife refuge. Bald eagles, juveniles, egrets, and sandhill cranes often rest and feed here, making it a rare meeting place of natural beauty and deep history.
Exploring this area offers more than a glimpse into Dale Hollow’s past—it’s a reminder of the lives, communities, and memories that rest beneath its waters.
Sources
- Haunted Dale Hollow by Darren Shell
- 2018 Dale Hollow Lake Explorer, article: “Dale Hollow Dam Celebrates 75th Anniversary”