Imagine the Manitowish Waters chain of lakes 16.5 feet higher than today’s summer water levels! That was the original plan created by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1878.

Join us at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 29^st at the MAC and discover how the river drive logging era and Rest Lake Dam became the anchor for Manitowish Waters. Learn about pre-dam conditions along the chain and how logging drives modified the lakes, streams and shorelines. Today, Rest Lake Dam has a unique operating order, which started in 1914 through a grassroots effort to protect riparian property. Over time, Rest Lake Dam has taken many forms, and its operations have been legally challenged four times.

Local historian Jim Bokern will share new photos, historic maps, documents, research and stories that are guaranteed to deliver new and exciting historic insights and, perhaps, a better understanding of how the dam operates today.