Ghosts of Flagstaff and Dead River, Maine
N 45° 14.072 W 070° 21.822
19T E 392959 N 5009909
Flagstaff and Dead River were tiny towns in Maine that were flooded as part of a hydroelectric expansion project. Rumor has is that not everyone left before the town flooded.
Waymark Code: WMFGVX
Location: Maine, United States
Date Posted: 10/18/2012
Views: 7
In the 1950s, the Central Maine Power Company advised the residents of the tiny towns of Flagstaff and Dead River, Maine, that their homes were being condemed as a public emminent domain law, and the towns were to be flooded to increase the size of Flagstaff Lake, to produce additional electricity for the folks that lived downstream.
Sadness and depression set in, and the residents gave in to the demands of the Power Company. Farms, homes, lives, dreams, would all be flooded. The families began to pack up, selling their property to the Power Company, feeling powerless themselves, and becoming bitter. All but one man, and his dog, who made the decision to stay, come hell or high water.
There is a song by Slaid Cleaves, on his 2004 album "Wishbones", called "Below" that is said to refer to the overtake of these towns and the feelings that overcame the townspeople. You cancheck the song & video out on YouTube:
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There are blogs that talk about folks who have visited Flagstaff Lake, when the water is low, how it is possible to see the old foundations of the buildings that were flooded, the holes where the cellars used to be, and other artifacts. Old timers talk about how in the winter "the lake gets hungry", and about tales of deep, low voices that can be heard if you paddal over the old townsite.
Here are some videos of the town just before it was flooded, and the as the flood occurred:
The Plan to Flood Flagstaff:
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The Flooding of Flagstaff
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