Flagstaff, Maine
Encyclopedia
Flagstaff is a ghost town
and former town
in Somerset County
, Maine
, United States
, near the existing town of Eustis
and about 20 miles north of Rangeley. The town was physically abandoned and dismantled (and legally disincorporated) in 1950 to allow construction of a hydroelectric dam on the Dead River, which enlarged Flagstaff Lake
and submerged the site of the settlement.
The song "Below" by Slaid Cleaves
on his 2004 album Wishbones refers to the destruction of the town, although it is not mentioned by name. The lyrics specifically mention the Dead River, and its general location.
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
and former town
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
in Somerset County
Somerset County, Maine
Somerset County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 52,228. Its county seat is Skowhegan.-History:...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, near the existing town of Eustis
Eustis, Maine
Eustis is a town in Franklin County, Maine, United States. The population was 685 at the 2000 census. Eustis, which includes the village of Stratton, is a popular recreation area.-History:...
and about 20 miles north of Rangeley. The town was physically abandoned and dismantled (and legally disincorporated) in 1950 to allow construction of a hydroelectric dam on the Dead River, which enlarged Flagstaff Lake
Flagstaff Lake (Maine)
Flagstaff Lake is located in Somerset County and Franklin County, Maine in the United States. The North Branch Dead River and South Branch Dead River join in the lake, forming the Dead River....
and submerged the site of the settlement.
The song "Below" by Slaid Cleaves
Slaid Cleaves
Slaid Cleaves is a singer-songwriter born in Washington, D.C. and raised in South Berwick, Maine and Round Pond, Maine. An alumnus of Tufts University, where he majored in English and philosophy, Cleaves lives in Austin, Texas....
on his 2004 album Wishbones refers to the destruction of the town, although it is not mentioned by name. The lyrics specifically mention the Dead River, and its general location.
External links
- Music video for Slaid Cleaves "Below" set to a slideshow of photos of Flagstaff
- Windows on Maine - The Plan to Flood Flagstaff - Maine PBS
- A map of Flagstaff and its surrounding area pre-flooding
- "Brian M. Chick" of Wilton Maine and Patrick M Shaw of Strong Maine also, composed a song and music video "Remember Flagstaff", released on Brian Chick's Welcome To My Life CD, in 2010. The lyrics and video Portray what it might have been like for the folks of Flagstaff and Dead River trying to keep there towns and homes from being overtaken. It was a powerful struggle of pride verse's progress.