A History of Lake Norman: Fish Camps to Ferraris

by Chuck McShane

Journalist and historian Chuck McShane traces the triumphs and troubles of Lake Norman from the region's colonial beginnings to its modern incarnation.
On a muggy September day in 1959, North Carolina governor Luther Hodges set off the first charge of dynamite for the Cowan's Ford Dam project. The dam channeled Catawba River waters into the largest lake in North Lake Norman. The project was the culmination of James Buchanan Duke's dream of an electrified South and the beginning of the region's future. Over the years, the area around Lake Norman transformed from a countryside of cornstalks and cattle fields to an elite suburb full of luxurious subdivisions and thirty-five-foot sailboats.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published September 22, 2014

Reviews

[Steven Hix]

After I got my COVID vaccine, I was required to hang around the Walgreens for 15 minutes to make sure I didn't have any immediate side effects. I wandered the aisles for a few minutes before stumbling across this little beauty next to the umbrellas. There was an unmissable typo on literally the eighth word of the book, and I was immediately hooked.

I'm not giving this 5 Stars because it's the best book I've ever read, or even the best book about North Carolina history that I've read this year. I'm giving it 5 Stars because it knows exactly what it wants to be and never tries to be anything else; it's a cute little 130 page book about the area where the author lives, and it has pictures scattered throughout the text, many of them taken by the author himself.

Lake Norman was only created 60 years ago, but the real highlight of the book turns out to be the story of the Catawba region before the lake was created, which makes you really invested in the impact of the dam when it eventually comes along.

Fun facts I learned! The town of Davidson and Davidson College aren't named after each other, and they're not even named after the same person. The Catawba River translates to "The River River." The lake is named after a guy named Norman Cocke, and they wisely went with Lake Norman.

If you live in the Charlotte area and need to kill a rainy day, this is a fun way to do it.

[Marie]

This isn't a long book; Lake Norman was only created in 1959. But it is a decent overview of the area, and includes the history of the region from well before the creation of the lake. It's amazing how much the area has changed from the beginning of last century to the beginning of this one. Where million dollar lake homes sit now, there used to be shacks and fish camps. I found it to be a good overview for this newcomer.

[Lesley Looper]

I enjoyed learning more about the history of Lake Norman. I love lakes and dream of owning a lake house. Also, my first job out of college was in Iredell County, so I was invited to Lake Norman once or twice, "back in the day." This was an informative history of the area and the lake, and a pretty quick read. I'd recommend it for anyone interested in the landscape and history of the Tarheel State.

[Steve Caldwell]

Great book....good simple history of a great landmark in our area. It was a fun read.