Local authors to discuss the villages of Flagstaff Lake

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Kenny Wing and Alan Burnell, authors of The Lost Villages of Flagstaff Lake.

RANGELEY – Kenny Wing and Alan Burnell, authors of The Lost Villages of Flagstaff Lake will give a lecture at The Wilhelm Reich Museum’s Conference Center on Dodge Pond Road on Monday August 1 at 7 p.m.

Burnell talks about the “why” Flagstaff was created and Wing will talk about the towns and show pictures of Flagstaff, Dead River, and Bigelow that are in the book and some that aren’t. There are stories with the pictures and everyone will get much enjoyment from them.

“In 1928, the Maine legislature passed a bill condemning a 25-mile section of the upper Dead River Valley to inundation, destroying the villages of Flagstaff, Dead River and Bigelow. The bill authorized the construction of a dam at the river narrows at Long Falls and the subsequent creation of Flagstaff Lake. The properties in these towns were obtained by the process of eminent domain, and residents were forced to relocate. In the spring of 1950, Flagstaff Lake was officially created when the gates at Long Falls Dam were closed. It remains a controversial project today.”

On the 60th anniversary of Flagstaff Lake, Kenny Wing and Alan Burnell wrote a book entitled The Lost Villages of Flagstaff Lake chronicling the events leading to the creation of Flagstaff Lake. This book contains over 200 exhaustively researched photographs that depict the people, buildings and events of these three villages prior to them being flooded by the creation of Flagstaff Lake. Most of the photographs have never been previously published.

Alan L. Burnell has been coming to the area for over 40 years to hunt, fish and recreate. He and his wife now permanently reside in Eustis. Kenny R. Wing of Eustis is the first generation of his family not born or raised in Flagstaff Village and has resided and worked in the Dead River Valley his entire life.

Signed copies of the book will be available for purchase

Admission for all programs is $10.00 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under. Refreshments will be served.

Tickets are available at the museum office & bookstore and The Rangeley Chamber of Commerce. For additional information call 864-3443 or e-mail wreich@rangeley.org

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