Newspaper coverage on Norris was extensive. This essay aims to give a brief overview of the kinds of news articles that Norris elicited, in addition to providing citations. Given the nature of copyright law, it will not be possible to provide readers with the actual articles themselves.
In 1933, three people were named as consultants to aid in planning a model town for workers at the Norris Dam, by Earle Draper the director of land planning and housing at the TVA. The three people were: Henry V. Hubbard (professor of planning at Harvard), consultant in town planning; Eliel Saarinen, architectural consultant and; Tracy B. Augur, special consultant in Community Planning [1].
The town got its name, indeed it was a “monument” [2] to Senator George W. Norris of Nebraska. The formal naming of the town was undertaken in November 1934 to honor the Senator who had “led a 12-year fight for Government operation of Wilson Dam, at Muscle Shoals, and the development of waterpower resources of the Tennessee River” [3]. As a residential community owned and operated by the TVA, Norris was meant to be a place where people rented houses. Even Arthur Morgan, the then Chairman of the TVA rented a house in Norris at $45- a month [4]. In 1934,
The Washington Post, whilst covering the building of Norris, remarked that Norris was a “city which reflects tangibly the ideals behind President Roosevelt’s Tennessee River development program” [5]. Furthermore, the article thought that the town had “no counterpart for beauty and sheer livability” [6] comparing its amenities to those available in the wealthiest homes in cities such as New York and Chicago. As a “scientifically planned city” where old mountaineers’ shacks had made for homes which brought “smiles to architect and housewife alike” [7]. But Norris was more than just another company town, it was the epitome of modernity and what made it modern and convenient was electricity. Newspaper articles extolled the virtues of electrification revolutionizing life in the Tennessee valley [8]. Residents did not always have it easy in the meandering streets of Norris though. In 1937, David Lilienthal, the TVA director was found looking for his own residence! Lilienthal had supposedly gotten lost after taken a wrong turn. [9]
Norris was also an important example of regional planning. Hence, students of regional planning, as well as teachers visited Norris as one of the first instances of complete town planning by the TVA. These groups often stayed in town and interacted with its residents in addition to inspecting the Norris dam [10]. By 1948 however, the mood had changed. Morgan was no longer leading the TVA. In fact, by as early as 1940, the TVA supposedly had plans to sell Norris [11] however, the onset of the Second World War delayed those plans [12]. By 1948, that plan was being brought to fruition. Norris was up for sale, with a minimum bid of $1,849,750 [13]. The town was bought in June 1948 by Henry David Epstein at $2,107, 500 a full $257,750 over the minimum acceptable price [14]. At the time, Epstein planned to run Norris “on the same high plane established under the TVA” [15]. Epstein proceeded to sell individual homes to their owners. In 1953 the Epstein group sold its remaining Norris real estate to a corporation formed by Norris residents and known as the Norris Corporation. The town, including 340 buildings and an area of about 4,000 acres (16 km2), was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 as an historic district, designated the Norris District[16].
[1] “Three Named to Plan Norris Dam Model Town,”
The Washington Post, September 19, 1933, 2.
[2] “Model Village in Tennessee Honors Norris: Town Built by the TVA to House Workers on $34,000,0000 Dam,”
The Washington Post , November 25, 1934, 15.
[3] Ibid., 15.
[4] Ibid., 15.
[5] “Norris Rises As Fulfillment of TVA Miracle: Tennessee Wastes Turned to Thriving Sector Over Night,”
The Washington Post , February 14, 1934, 9.
[6] Ibid., 9.
[7] Ibid., 9.
[8] “New Era of Power Revolutionizes Life in the Tennessee Valley,”
The New York Times, November 29, 1936, RPA2.
[9] The Associated Press, “Lilienthal Gets Lost in His Modern TVA Town,”
The New York Times, January 10, 1937, 89.
[10] “48 New York Pupils Reach Norris Dam: Lincoln High School Party, With 12 Teachers, Will Study Regional Planning of TVA,”
The New York Times , January 30, 1938, 3.
[11] Special to the New York Times, “$1,849,750 Minimum Set for Town by TVA,”
The New York Times , March 13, 1948, 2.
[12] John N. Popham, Special to The New York Times, “TVA ‘Model Town’ Sold at Auction: Sale of Homes Promised by Buyer,”
The New York Times, June 16, 1948, 1.
[13] Ibid., 2.
[14] John N. Popham, Special to The New York Times, “TVA ‘Model Town’ Sold at Auction: Sale of Homes Promised by Buyer,”
The New York Times , June 16, 1948, 1; John N. Popham, Special to The New York Times, “Norris, TVA Town, on Block Tuesday: Minimum bid of $1,849,750 set for Community —Citizens to Make Offer,”
The New York Times , June 13, 1948, 51.
[15] Popham, “TVA ‘Model Town’ Sold at Auction,”1.
[16] See
National Register of Historic Places