Washing against five Georgia counties, Lake Lanier, is one of America’s “most beautiful,” according to various publications like The Travel. While it might be a popular destination spot for the vacation-goer looking for a taste of Southern charm, it’s important to understand what’s below the surface. A caution sign might not be permanently plastered along the 700 miles of shoreline, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t temporarily been taped up in various locations. If that alone doesn’t give you the creeps, you’re in for a wild read.
The lake is said to be filled with dark whispers and haunted secrets, as it has a long history of visitor deaths and, being a man-made lake, an even longer history of racial violence. From boating incidents to drownings, there have been more than 200 deaths between 1994 and 2023, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division. In fact, in 2023, 13 total drownings were reported, which is 10 more compared to the second-highest region of Allatoona. It’s estimated that 700 deaths have occurred since the late 1950s, when the lake was completed.
So just how did one of America’s top cabin getaways become one of the most feared? Well, the woodsy wonderland’s murky waters also have quite a murky past. Legend has it that a now ghost town is what haunts the waters of Lake Lanier.
Oscarville’s history and transformation
Before it was a man-made lake, it was a predominantly Black town known as Oscarville in Forsyth County. Georgia was known to be an epicenter of segregation and racial misconduct, and Forsyth County was a target in the early 1910s. It all began when three Black men were accused of sexually assaulting a white woman. These men were arrested, lynched, and executed. Afterward, more than 1,000 Black community members were driven out until the 1990s. NPR calls it “racial cleansing.”…