Presentation to focus on lost Presumpscot River

In the summer of 2024, a dam malfunction caused the water in Dundee Pond in Windham to drain, offering a short-lived glimpse of what the Presumpscot River looked like before industrialization.

Whitney Falls reappeared in Windham in 2024 as part of the
'Lost River,' a part of the Presumpscot River, which was 
swallowed up when a dam was built creating Dundee Pond 
more than 100 years ago. The 'Lost River' returned in the
summer of 2024 when a dam malfunction drained Dundee
Pond. PHOTO BY ABBY WILSON     

It showed the ribbon of river below the dammed-up waters, giving new insight into the river which once flowed and the human history that was lost. It revealed clear remnants of the Cumberland & Oxford Canal, farm foundations, mysterious holes, and ancient artifacts.

At 7 p.m. on Monday, July 13 at the Little Meetinghouse, 719 Roosevelt Trail in Windham, retired University of Southern Maine Professor Mike Shaughnessy will give a presentation and lead a discussion about the lost wildness of this “river of many falls.” The river derived its ancient name from the Abenaki language spoken by the first people of the region, who fished the river's abundance and lived along the shorelands there for centuries.

This area of the Presumpscot River was the site of an original canal project dating back to the late 1700s. During this time, many dams were being built along the Presumpscot River for hydroelectricity. The pond was not flooded until 1910, however, which means the last time this landscape featured a river was over 100 years ago.

On May 17, 2024, a gate malfunctioned at Dundee Dam near Dundee Park in Windham. It is a hydroelectric project on the southern end of Dundee Pond, and the malfunction resulted in water being drained out of the pond there.

The Dundee Dam is owned by Presumpscot Hydro, the licensee of the Dundee Hydroelectric Project, and is operated by Relevate Power Management of New York. According to the company, one of the dam’s two deep sluice gates, used to pass large amounts of water during flooding events malfunctioned, sticking in the open position.

The dam gates were original components of this historic 1913 dam, and while proper maintenance has kept them in service for over a century, one of the gates reached the end of its useful life unexpectedly. The gate was located at the very bottom of the 52-foot structure, and subsequent repairs could only safely begin once the pond had been emptied.

That malfunction revealed geography and culture of an earlier time, most notably the re-emergence of the Presumpscot River, free-flowing again after nearly 125 years and acres of stumpage – old forest land that preceded the flooding of land that made way for construction of Dundee Dam in the early 1900s. It unveiled landscape such as the mile-long section of the old Cumberland & Oxford Canal, a watery hand-dug thoroughfare of the 19th century that transported goods between Long Lake and Portland, and the eroded remains of at least three locks used to raise and lower the barge-like freight boats along the channel’s 20-mile route 150 years ago. The Whitney Locks, located directly across the pond from Dundee Park, a double system consisting of two concave ditches with vertical tree trunks positioned against the banks to avoid cave-ins was uncovered.

This free presentation by Shaughnessy is sponsored by Windham Historical Society.

Though the dam has been repaired and the rushing waters silenced, Shaughnessy will explain to those attending his presentation what the river was, and what it can be once again. He will talk about the rich history of the Presumpscot River and its uses over the centuries.

Shaughnessy is the founding member and president of the Board of the Friends of the Presumpscot River organization. It is the mission of this group to restore and protect water quality, river habitat, native fisheries, and create recreational opportunities.

He lives in the historic Conant Homestead which sits along the Presumpscot River and is within a short walk to Saccarappa Falls. Situated nearby there is a monument and a memorial plaque that pays tribute to Chief Polin, leader of the Abenakis.

For further details about the presentation, visit windhamhistorical.org/ <