Relocation of Mattie Randolph and Family
To provide flood control and power production for the Tennessee Valley, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) constructed a series of dams along the Tennessee River and its tributaries. The damming of long stretches of rivers placed thousands of acres of Tennessee farmland under water. The legislation-creating TVA gave the project the right of eminent domain, meaning landowners would have to move but the government would pay them a "fair" price for the land and assist them in their relocation.
One example of a family’s refusal to cooperate with TVA’s program was Mattie and Jim Randolph, near the Norris Dam project. Mattie Randolph would not let TVA personnel come onto the property and even threatened them with a shotgun. She was considered the “A-1 bluffer and problem case for the TVA.”
Notes Relating to the Relocation of the Randolph Family, dated December 11, 1935. National Archives Identifier: 656692
View and download the notes relating to the relocation of the Randolph family in the National Archives Catalog. This summary is one example of the many records held at the National Archives at Atlanta, GA. You can explore more of our holdings by visiting our online Catalog or by visiting the National Archives at Atlanta. This record is located within Record Group 142: Tennessee Valley Authority, Series: Family Removal and Population Readjustment Case Files, 1937–1948. Many of the records in this collection have yet to be digitized. We encourage researchers to visit us onsite to explore these records and learn more about the archival collections held in the National Archives at Atlanta.