Artist captures the heartbreaking history of Lake Chatuge
Arts & Entertainment March 15, 2020
HIAWASSEE, Ga. – Marty Hayden relocated to Towns County from Pennsylvania a decade ago, and the gifted artist discovered a way to honor the history of a community that he has grown to love. Hiawassee is coined a “lake and mountain paradise” but the construction of Lake Chatuge – a manmade reservoir commissioned by the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1941 – left heartache and hardship in its wake. Approximately 3,500 acres of rich farmland and generational homesteads were eradicated by the lake’s arrival. Schools, churches, and businesses stood in the way of the project, and 532 gravesites were transferred to area cemeteries.
Marty Hayden
“The more that I dug into the history, I locked into this thing about Lake Chatuge,” Hayden said, explaining how conversations with the local community inspired the emotive, in-the-works art piece. “Working at the college, there was a lot of people that started coming up and telling me about their family history, and how they were just uprooted, and they had to move, and they only had so many months to get out…,” Hayden said. “So that really touched me. I said that must have been something.”
Hayden was employed as a night supervisor at Chic-fil-A on the Young Harris College campus for five years, prior to retiring last week. The artist explained that he conducted ample research for the sketch and that retirement will afford him the time to complete the re-creation.
“Luckily, online, I stumbled across several photographs. Some of them had to do with the Chatuge water tower, the intake tower. I got pictures of that. I got some of the pictures of the equipment, and then I started getting this vision that the best person to translate this to me was somebody’s mamaw,” Hayden said. “So if you can just imagine back in 1941, you’ve got about a 90-sum-year lady and she’s sitting in her cabin that she grew up with generations, and she’s staring out her window, and she’s watching everything disappear. Sitting in her lap she has the exact paper.”
While the nation was immersed in the news of World War II, the local population focused on the inevitable change that Lake Chatuge would surely bring.
The painting’s sketch.
“This is just a sketch, and I did this over the weekend because I knew the (Towns County Historical Society) meeting was coming up,” Hayden explained. “But that’s going to be the size of the painting. The painting is going to be all the way in color, it’s going to be framed, and I’m going to donate it to the historical society.”
Hayden estimated the completion of the painting in late March. The gracious artist said that he plans to frame the original sketch and auction the artwork to benefit the Towns County Historical Society.
Local philanthropists honored for generous contributions
Featured Stories, Fetching Featured March 15, 2020
HIAWASSEE, Ga. – The Towns County Historical Society honored Betty Phillips and her late husband, Dr. Richard Allen Schmidtke, at its March meeting for their generous financial contributions toward the preservation of local history.
“This is a resolution in honor of Betty Phillips and in memory of Dr. Richard Allen Schmidtke by the Towns County Historical Society Executive Board, and Betty had another meeting she’s gone to, and (nephew) Kris is accepting this on her behalf,” Towns County Historical Society Vice-President Jerry Taylor said.
Kris Phillips accepted the recognition on Betty Phillips’ behalf from historical society officers.
“And the resolution is; whereas Betty Phillips is a lifetime member of the Towns County Historical Society who has provided immeasurable support to our organization; and whereas Dr. Schmidtke held advanced degrees in mechanical engineering; and whereas he served his county with distinction in World War II, mainly as staff sergeant in the U.S. Army and the Manhatten Project as a 19-year-old who helped with the design of the ‘Fat Man’ Nagasaki bomb and other notable projects; and whereas he retired to the north Georgia mountains and adopted Towns County as his home; and whereas he married Towns County native Betty Phillips and became a life member of the Towns County Historical Society; and whereas by their anonymous generosity they supported the historical society and the Old rock jail Museum; and whereas Dr. Schmidtke passed away March the 27th, 2017. Therefore, we, the Executive Board of the Towns County Historical Society, honor Betty Phillips and the memory of Dr. Schmidtke on the anniversary of his passing by acknowledging the identity of our anonymous benefactors this 9th day of March 2020. Signed, Sandra Green, President; Jerry Taylor, Vice-President; Tyler Osborn, Secretary; Francis Shook, Treasurer; and Mary Ann Miller, Membership Secretary.”
Plaque presented in honor of Betty Phillips and Dr. Richard Allen Schmidtke.
In addition to a framed resolution, a plaque was presented in honor of the benevolent couple.
“This plaque is in recognition of Betty’s many years as a member of the historical society and all the contributions, financial contributions, that she and Dr. Schmidtke have given over the years,” President Green said. “And as everyone knows, that knows Betty Phillips, they know how devoted she is to the cause of veterans. And so the plaque will be at the Old Rock Jail Museum in front of the veterans’ display room in honor of Dr. Schmidtke and Betty in honor of her love for the veterans.”
Phillips has graciously hosted an annual program for Towns County veterans each summer since 2014.
“I know she’ll appreciate that very much,” Kris Phillips said.
