Lake Lanier : The Real History
The history of Lake Lanier reads somewhat like a post-slavery novel we know all too well. Before Lake Lanier came into existence, there was a town called Oscarville that stood where part of Lake Lanier is today. It was a black town with over 1100 residents and formed in the late 1800s.
Photo by ATI
During an interview with 11alive News Georgia, history teacher Lisa Crosby said Oscarville was a thriving community full of carpenters, blacksmiths, farmers, and bricklayers, with farming as their top trade.
Two events in 1912 caused the thriving community to face the harsh reality of hatred. The first incident was initiated by a white woman who claimed a young black man tried to rape her. Five black men would later be accused and arrested. A local Pastor, Reverend Grant Smith, would go to the courthouse after hearing the news of the men being arrested. After questioning the truthfulness of the woman's story, Reverend Smith was beaten by an angry crowd that had gathered outside the courthouse.
Days later a second incident occurred. A young white woman was raped and beaten near Oscarville. The young lady would soon succumb to her injuries. She never gave a description or name of the assailant. In those times when things happened to white women, the angry mobs would always go into the black communities to get someone, and at times anyone.
According to www.clio.com, without evidence, Earnest Knox was arrested, coerced, and pressured with the fear of being hung, so he confessed and named three others, Oscar Danielle, Trussi Jane Danielle, and Robert Edward. Knox was later snuck out of the back of the jail and taken to Atlanta to await trial, all to avoid the angry mob waiting outside to harm him.
Trussi Jane Danielle had charges dropped after the prosecutor and the judge visited her cell and cut a deal with her telling her to testify against Knox and Danielle. Earnest Knox and Oscar Danielle would be convicted and executed.
The black community would be forced out of Oscarville, leaving their homes, businesses,
land....everything.
Moving forward 44 years, the Army Corp of Engineers would acquire the land to build Lake Lanier. Although buildings and trees were removed during demolition, many were not. There are even reports that some burial sites were still intact, that's one of the reasons why people say the lake is haunted. Another reason is in 1954, it is believed by some that a woman drove her car off the Lanier Bridge. There was no physical evidence, only skid marks showing the car driving into the lake.
People believe if you are in the water some spirits will pull you down.
Photo illustration by Alberto Mier/CNN.
