Profile Essay

Jake Talsky

Doctor H.C.

English 1102

7 April 2024

        Sitting in the passenger seat, I impatiently waited to arrive at Lake Lanier with my father. The winding roads and spotted forests were distracting me from how endless the car ride seemed to be.

About an hour into the drive, I offered to my father, "I can drive if you want."

        Admittedly, I needed something to excite myself on the long drive, so driving myself would be a good distraction. We stopped at a gas station to refill the car, switched seats, and continued towards the lake. Soon enough, we arrived, and I instantly felt more relaxed. I've visited Lake Lanier almost ten times now, and I've enjoyed it every single time. As I stepped out of the car, a soft breeze greeted me, nostalgic and calming. The sun emitted a warm blanket of light. There were fewer people compared to my other visits: only a couple of families and a few others. I assumed this was due to the time of year I was visiting. According to Marquise Francis, a credible author and graduate from Syracuse University's Newhouse School, Lake Lanier has nearly 11 million visitors each year (Francis 1).

        In one direction, a group of guys were boarding their boat and speaking about the new motor they got for it. In another direction, a young boy and his parents were playing in the water and laughing. Francis states, "The 59-square-mile body of water with hundreds of miles of shoreline is the most popular lake in the Southeast" (Francis 1). With many different recreational activities to participate in, such as fishing, kayaking, boating, and swimming, Lake Lanier has become the perfect vacation spot for millions of individuals. Its immense size and diversity allow people to find the perfect place to stay on the lake at any time of the year.

I overheard the little boy ask his mom if he should jump off a rock into the water: "Should I jump momma?"

She excitingly said, "Yes!" and the little boy jumped in.

        It reminded me of the previous summer when I had visited a jumping rock at Lake Lanier with my extended family. My youngest cousin was unsure about jumping off the rock and asked me if I would go first. I smiled, knowing, no matter how confident she had always seemed to be, she was a little scared in this moment.

I told her, "Make sure to jump far so you don't hurt yourself."

        I glanced at the glistening water and took a jump, looking back at her as I did. I celebrated as I hit the water and reappeared to show her it's not as scary as it looks.

After a minute or two of hesitation, the entire family counted her down: "Five! Four! Three! Two! One!"

        Surprisingly, she didn't jump right after the countdown ended; she wanted to count down by herself. After some self-motivation, she leaped into the water, emerging with a smile. Marla Cimini, an award-winning writer who received the USA TODAY 10 Best Local Expert honor as a journalist, argues that being near water, especially lakes, makes people both happier and healthier (Cimini 1). Being near water and swimming releases brain chemicals such as serotonin and therefore makes people happier. The dangers of Lake Lanier are often forgotten by visitors on the lake because they are naturally happier and healthier while there. A term known as "blue mind" refers to the "mildly meditative state we fall into when near, in, on, or under water" (Cimini 1). Cimini also notes the close proximity of Lake Lanier to many individuals: "If you look at a map of the U.S. or world, there is blue everywhere — rivers, lakes, ponds — and not to mention pools and what we call 'domesticated water.' You don't have to go far" (Cimini 1). Most Lake Lanier visitors are from Georgia or other states surrounding the lake due to its close proximity.

        After this quick memory, my dad and I left the marina and visited a small beach nearby. This beach was pretty rocky and was only about fifty feet in length, but it was a beach I had visited multiple times before. As I approached the shoreline, I focused on the slow-moving water both close and far away from me. Since this was low-season, there were few boats on the water, so the water was barely moving. It was serene and calming, but in a way kind of eerie.

        The history of Lake Lanier highlights the main arguments as to why the lake may be haunted. These theories are circulated around the racial history specifically. Author and professional writer for StyleBlueprint and graduate from Washington & Lee Zoe Yarborough states, "[Lake Lanier's] creation was controversial from the start because no one agreed on what it was to be used for" (Yarborough 1). Some argued that the lake was to be used for hydroelectric power, others argued that the lake should not be created in the first place. Inevitably, the lake was created and the towns and landmarks where the lake was to be made were said to be relocated before the lake's creation. Discovery Channel's show Expedition X claims that there are still twenty cemeteries at the bottom of the lake though. (Yarborough 1). These towns belonged to many different black communities, and as stated in the article, "in the 1920s and '30s, there was a forcing-out of Black people and a mass transferring of their land by — and to — white people" (Yarborough 1). An estimated 250-700 families were displaced due to the creation of the lake. Individuals argue that the creation of the lake on top of cemeteries, and the unjust displacement of families create the dangerous and haunted environment of Lake Lanier.

        I turned around and walked back up to my dad. He was standing next to a couple having a barbeque, and he was starting to talk with them. He introduced me to the couple, and they said they have been living at Lake Lanier for almost thirty years. They also mentioned they have a barbeque at this beach every Sunday afternoon. The barbeque smelled irresistible: The smell of the spices and cooked meat on top of the aroma of pine trees was perfect.

"Would you like something to eat?" the couple offered.

        My dad thanked them for the offer but explained that we were going to get food on the way home from the lake. I was disappointed because I was getting hungry, but it wasn't a big issue. Walking past the grass onto the gravel-filled parking lot, memories of my visits to Lake Lanier flooded my mind, evoking melancholic emotions. The place and the people around me made me miss this lake, almost like a second home where I could relax by the water or play games on the beach. I hoped to revisit the lake soon and enjoy it as always.

        The observations I took at the lake were much more abundant and descriptive than I had expected. I have taken notes before on pictures of places before, but I have never taken notes of a place in person. It was a completely different process for me because it allowed me to understand the place in a third dimension. I could view different parts of the lake from different angles and places. I have visited Lake Lanier multiple times before, but I have never taken the time to observe the lake itself. It gave me a new perspective on the place I have been so many times.

        The only documentation I had ever taken here was photographs and videos, but I had never taken notes or made an in-depth examination of these. Doing this as well as taking notes in person allowed me to thoroughly engage in the landscape of the lake. It slowed down time around me and enabled me to truly appreciate the area.

        I observed the lake through sitting and taking notes, walking around and taking notes, and taking notes on the pictures and videos I got of the lake. It was interesting to really observe the people who were there at the lake as well. I was not just interacting with the people nor was I just noticing the people were there and ignoring it, I was taking in what they were saying. I tried to understand how the things that they were saying related to the lake itself. For example, the couple who lived at the lake had experienced the lake more than probably anyone else around. They loved the lake enough to decide to want to live there for so long.

        Other horrible events have occurred at Lake Lanier throughout its seventy-four-year life span. An example of this is three incidents which occurred all recently between the dates of July 27th – July 31st, 2023 (Kenney 1). One man was electrocuted, another drowned, and another went missing, all within the same week. Tanasia Kenney, a real-time reporter based in Atlanta Georgia and a graduate from Kennesaw State University, states, "Game wardens responded on Saturday, July 29, after a 27-year-old man went under while swimming near Van Pugh Park on Lake Lanier and vanished, authorities said in a news release" (Kenney 1). WSB-TV stated that all three of the events were unrelated, which is shocking. More than 200 people have died at Lake Lanier between the years of 1994 and 2022.

        Some people argue that these incidents and the nearly 200 others may have occurred due to the history of the lake. The lake is not necessarily haunted by ghosts, but, rather, it is haunted by its history; a history that no individual wants to face. Oscarville, the town which Lake Lanier was built upon, plays a major role in these haunted beliefs. The unjust removal of families and the lake being built on top of cemeteries is the most brought up reason as to why the lake may be haunted.

        I also tried to think about how the darker side of Lake Lanier played into each thing I observed. I recognized how the water was so still it was eerie. It caused me to focus on what could be under the water rather than the surface of the water. Lake Lanier being built on top of old towns brings this into consideration for me. It made me think about the lake's dangers in relation to recreation, like the boy jumping into the water. The beach I had visited was beautiful and calming, but it also was a place where a shooting had occurred once before.

        Before this observation, I had never thought about any of these things when visiting the lake. I visited to enjoy my time and have fun. I had viewed the lake as a backdrop or greenscreen. Now that I have done this observation, though, I have been able to create a shift in perspective. A perspective in which I was able to appreciate where I was and its beauty in a more profound way. Now that I have visited the lake solely for observation and thinking, I have a new view of the lake. With this new view, I recognize both its beauty and also its mysteries: thinking about what lies beneath the surface of Lake Lanier.

Works Cited

Cimini, Marla. "'Blue Mind': Why Being near the Water Makes You Happy." USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network. www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/2017/11/13/blue-mind/857903001/. Accessed 13 Nov 2017.

Francis, Marquise. "Georgia's Lake Lanier Has Claimed over 200 Lives. Why Do People Believe It's Haunted?" Yahoo! News, https://shorturl.at/wBXZ8 Accessed 24 Mar. 2024.

Kenney, Tanasia. Man Electrocuted, Another Drowns, Another Missing at Lake Lanier, Georgia Officials Say. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=5e6fa3ec-5538-3008-b9a5-808616cb34b6. 31 July 2023.

Yarborough, Zoe. "Is Lake Lanier Haunted?" StyleBlueprint. styleblueprint.com/everyday/the-most-controversial-haunted-lake-in-america-gas-lake-lanier/. Accessed 8 Feb 2024.