A look back at the communities that once stood where Lake Red Rock now stretches will be the focus of a special history program tonight.
The program begins at 6:30 p.m. at Coal Ridge Community Church and will feature Iowa author and essayist Dave Baker. He will take attendees back in time to communities including Cordova, Red Rock, Fifield, Coalport, Percy, Rousseau, Dunreath and Oradell.
Those towns and settlements were dramatically affected when Lake Red Rock was created in the 1960s, changing the landscape of Marion County and permanently covering portions of the communities.
The presentation will explore more than just where the towns were located. Attendees will learn how to use historic plat maps, hear stories about the families who lived in the area and discover what may still remain beneath the lake today.
Organizer Mike Montgomery says the program offers a unique opportunity for people to connect with an important part of the area’s past, particularly those whose families once lived in the communities.
The program is free and open to the public. Free-will donations to Coal Ridge Community Church will be accepted.
