Brimmer Bridge 1906

Brimmer Bridge 1906

• The Event:

  On May 3, 1923, the Brimmer Bridge Reservoir Dam, recently completed by the Bangor Railway & Electric Company, gave way, releasing a large volume of water down the Union River into Ellsworth. 

   
• The Flood:

  The floodwaters overflowed the Union River, causing significant damage to downtown Ellsworth, including buildings being swept off their foundations and infrastructure being destroyed. 

   
• Damage:

  The damage to Ellsworth was estimated at $300,000, and the floodwaters swept away buildings like the Dirigo moving picture theater, the Aiken Building, and numerous yachts moored at the Ellsworth Foundry. 

   
• Historical Context:

  The flood was a significant event in Ellsworth's history, and it's often referred to as the city's "third destruction". 

   
• Other Bridges:

  While the Brimmer Bridge Reservoir Dam is the primary focus of the 1923 flood, other bridges in Ellsworth, such as the Infant Street Bridge and the Main Street Bridge, were also affected or destroyed during the flood. 
  
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  Graham Lake was formed by the construction of a dam across the Union River in the 1920’s. The dam is located at Patriot Road in Ellsworth. State Route 180 originally crossed the dam and terminated at RT 179. Due to the deteriorating condition of the dam, RT 180 was re-routed to the road it is today after years of road construction and temporary bridges. Patriot Road is the original section of RT 180. It has also been referred to as Eagle Road from the RT 179 side. Graham Lake was designed as a reservoir to aid in the control of the flow of water for the Ellsworth Dam; a water turbine power generating dam located by the Ellsworth Library. The Ellsworth Dam created Leonard Lake in Ellsworth. The Town of Mariaville does not control the dam that creates Graham Lake. The owners/operators of the Graham Lake Dam have changed several times. The Bangor Hydro electric company got its name in part from its original affiliation with hydro-electric power generation (dams). Bangor Hydro sold the Graham Lake and Ellsworth dams. 
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