Bringing Hydroelectric Power to the Catawba River: The Duke Brothers Perspective
The Duke Brothers were very involved in the tobacco industry, one of the brothers James B. Buchanan Duke, known as Buck, was the president of five companies known as the American Tobacco Company (Jacobs, 2004). James and his brother Ben, had also invested in the textile industry, but discovered that
the textile industry was not running at its full potential because a more efficient power source was needed (Gleasner & Gleasner, 1986). During this time, mills needed to be located beside a waterfall or else operated by their own cumbersome individual steam-powered engines, in order to receive electricity
(Gleasner & Gleasner, 1986). The world’s largest hydroelectric plant was opened at Niagara Falls in the early 1890s; this plant was able to provide electricity more than 20 miles away from the plant (Gleasner & Gleasner,
1986). When the Duke Brothers learned this they began learning as much as possible about hydroelectric power and slowly buying property in North and South Carolina around rivers (Jacobs, 2004).
In 1899 Ben Duke needed to have his appendix removed, so he went to his doctor Mr. Gill Wylie (Gleasner & Gleasner, 1986). While Ben was recovering from the surgery, Dr. Wylie knowing that the Duke Brothers were interested in hydroelectric plants shared his knowledge on hydroelectric plants; Dr. Wylie had already began experimenting with a small hydroelectric plant in South Carolina (Gleasner & Gleasner, 1986). The Wylie brothers had big plans that hydroelectric was the answer to developing the south, however, they were
missing one piece to the puzzle, money to finance the project (Gleasner & Gleasner, 1986). Dr. Wylie finally convinced the Duke Brothers to help the Wylie Brothers and working with the Catawba Power Company (Gleasner & Gleasner, 1986). The Duke and Wylie Brothers joined with William States Lee an engineer
that had traveled to New York with plans developing for hydroelectric power in the Piedmont of North Carolina (Jacobs, 2004).
On April 30, 1904, the group created the Southern Power Company with plans to use the Catawba River to create hydroelectric power (Jacobs, 2004). Lee went to New York to observe the hydroelectric power company on Niagara Falls (Gleasner & Gleasner, 1986). When he returned he had very detailed plans of how to bring hydroelectric plants to the Catawba River (Gleasner & Gleasner, 1986). Lee was apprehensive to present the plans to the Duke Brothers because of the eight million dollar estimated price to complete the project of building hydroelectric plants on the Catawba River. After presenting the plans and estimated cost, the Duke Brothers were ready to support the project (Gleasner& Gleasner, 1986).
Locals in the area thought the Southern Power Company were crazy because they wanted to bring hydroelectric power to the area. During that time homes were not wired for power and there were very few businesses in the area that were prepared to use electricity (Gleasner & Gleasner, 1986). Still, the Southern Power Company was looking at the big picture. If hydroelectric power was brought to the area, it could bring a more efficient source of power to the area and in return bring more people to the area (Jacobs, 2004). Textile mills would no longer need to be built beside a waterfall for a source of power (Jacobs, 2004). And the mill owners began to discover that electricity was a cheap and more dependable source of power, also allowing increased production because of its reliability (Gleasner & Gleasner, 1986). The Mooresville Cotton Mills were one of the first to take advantage of electricity in the area (Jacobs, 2004). The mill owners began to want electricity to be installed in the mill workers homes however, the Southern Power Company’s original intent was to supply electricity to industries (Gleasner & Gleasner, 1986). After electricity was proven to be a safe source of power, a new door was opened for the Southern Power Company. The Southern Power Company’s first power line ran from Mt. Holly to Mt. Island and then north to Statesville ("Iredell's countryside changed," 1974). In 1911 Statesville became connected to a second power line that ran through the area from Lincolnton ("Iredell's countryside changed," 1974). Soon people started installing electricity in their homes and
upgrading from wood stoves to electric heat and appliances (Gleasner & Gleasner, 1986). Businesses and industries were drawn to the area because of the reliable source of electricity (Gleasner & Gleasner, 1986). Between 1911 and 1924 during high usage times, the Southern Power Company had to fall back on
several small coal- fired steam-electric stations that were recently built (Gleasner & Gleasner, 1986).
Construction at Cowans Ford Dam
On September 28, 1959 the process was started to build the dam at Cowans Ford, with Gov. Luther Hodges creating the first rock blasted from the riverbed
(“Cowans ford- final,”1964).Cowans Ford Dam is the eleventh dam on the Catawba River, created by Duke Power (“Cowans ford- final,” 1964). However, the actual construction didn’t begin until 1960 when the cofferdam was completed to divert the flow of the river away from the future dam (Jacobs, 2008). Then rock had to be blasted out of the riverbed down to the level for the foundation of
the dam. (Jacobs, 2008). A steel trestle was built to cross over where the dam would be built, the purpose of the trestle was for trains to deliver concrete to the location where the work was being completed (Jacobs, 2008). From
there large cranes on top of the trestle would lower buckets of concrete into the position to be poured (Jacobs, 2008). The first bucket of concrete was poured on September 1, 1960 by Duke Power’s president W. B. McGuire (Jacobs, 2008). Duke Power Company employed 840 men to work on the dam (Eisele, 1962).
The men worked two full shifts and there was a third shift for the maintenance crew that also worked on the dam (Eisele, 1962).According to the article Cowans Ford- Final Big Dam Along Catawba
“Cowans Ford Dam, located about 25 miles southwest of Statesville, contains 900,000
cubic yards of earth fill, with a center span of concrete 1,279 feet long. The concrete
span contains 390,000 cubic yards concrete– enough to build a three foot sidewalk four
inches think and 2,000 miles long. The dam is a mile long.”
The completed dam was 130 feet high (Furr, 1988). The total concrete structure is 7,387 feet long (Gleasner & Gleasner, 1986). Three hydroelectric stations began producing power around the
middle of 1964 and a fourth hydroelectric station was expected to be completed in 1968 ("Dedication of cowans," 1964). Together the three hydroelectric generators were capable of creating 262,000 kilowatts and with the completion of the fourth generator the station would be at full capacity of 350,000 kilowatts
("Dedication of cowans," 1964). The four generators at Cowans Ford can produce the same amount of power as the ten other dams in the Catawba River together ("Dedication of cowans," 1964). The multi-million dollar dam at Cowans Ford was completed in September of 1964 ("Dedication of cowans," 1964). The dedication
service was held on Tuesday September 29, 1964 at Cowans Ford Dam ("Dedication of cowans," 1964).
(“Cowans ford- final,”1964).Cowans Ford Dam is the eleventh dam on the Catawba River, created by Duke Power (“Cowans ford- final,” 1964). However, the actual construction didn’t begin until 1960 when the cofferdam was completed to divert the flow of the river away from the future dam (Jacobs, 2008). Then rock had to be blasted out of the riverbed down to the level for the foundation of
the dam. (Jacobs, 2008). A steel trestle was built to cross over where the dam would be built, the purpose of the trestle was for trains to deliver concrete to the location where the work was being completed (Jacobs, 2008). From
there large cranes on top of the trestle would lower buckets of concrete into the position to be poured (Jacobs, 2008). The first bucket of concrete was poured on September 1, 1960 by Duke Power’s president W. B. McGuire (Jacobs, 2008). Duke Power Company employed 840 men to work on the dam (Eisele, 1962).
The men worked two full shifts and there was a third shift for the maintenance crew that also worked on the dam (Eisele, 1962).According to the article Cowans Ford- Final Big Dam Along Catawba
“Cowans Ford Dam, located about 25 miles southwest of Statesville, contains 900,000
cubic yards of earth fill, with a center span of concrete 1,279 feet long. The concrete
span contains 390,000 cubic yards concrete– enough to build a three foot sidewalk four
inches think and 2,000 miles long. The dam is a mile long.”
The completed dam was 130 feet high (Furr, 1988). The total concrete structure is 7,387 feet long (Gleasner & Gleasner, 1986). Three hydroelectric stations began producing power around the
middle of 1964 and a fourth hydroelectric station was expected to be completed in 1968 ("Dedication of cowans," 1964). Together the three hydroelectric generators were capable of creating 262,000 kilowatts and with the completion of the fourth generator the station would be at full capacity of 350,000 kilowatts
("Dedication of cowans," 1964). The four generators at Cowans Ford can produce the same amount of power as the ten other dams in the Catawba River together ("Dedication of cowans," 1964). The multi-million dollar dam at Cowans Ford was completed in September of 1964 ("Dedication of cowans," 1964). The dedication
service was held on Tuesday September 29, 1964 at Cowans Ford Dam ("Dedication of cowans," 1964).