2. North Highland Dam

2. North Highland Dam

The Chattahoochee River was an essential resource in deciding to locate the new city of Columbus, GA in 1828. The city saw the construction of three dams. As the city was established the City Mills dam was built to capture power to grind corn and wheat and saw lumber for the growing community. It eventually generated electricity for the Columbus Railway Company. The second dam generated power for the Eagle Mill in 1951. The final dam is the North Highlands that began generating power in 1900 for the Bibb City Mill. North Highlands Dam is still in operation today. In 2013 the City Mills and Eagle Mill dams were blown up to create the white water recreation course through the center of Columbus.
The Historic American Engineering Record (HAER). (June 2, 1890). Columbus State University Archives, Columbus, GA. MC14 Collection, “Historic American Engineering Record Collection”. Box 1, Folder 7. Footnotes, no. 2.

Mill power