Ela Dam near completion

This image shows men working below the Bryson Municipal Plant, more commonly known as Ela Dam, near completion. The dam, which is on the Oconaluftee River near its confluence with the Tuckasegee River, was built in the mid-1920s by Smoky Mountain Power Company and purchased by the Nantahala Power & Light Company in 1942. The photographer was “Doc” Kelly Bennett (1890-1974), a prominent pharmacist in Swain County, NC. Owner of the Bryson City Drug Company, Bennett served as alderman and mayor of Bryson City, on the Swain County Board of Education, as well as several terms as NC State Senator and NC State Representative. He participated in numerous other initiatives and organizations. Known as the “Apostle of the Smokies,” Bennett was an instrumental figure in the movement to create the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He was also an avid photographer, skillfully documenting a wide variety of people, places, and events in Swain County and the surrounding area