A water rescue that occurred 50 years ago during Hurricane Agnes will be re-enacted during a special event at Historic Poole Forge on Saturday, June 25, at 3 p.m.

Dawn Ekdahl, executive director, explained that during the historic flood in 1972, the Conestoga River overflowed its banks, flooding the Poole Forge grounds and eventually taking out the Route 23 bridge.

"The re-enactment will tell the story of Maggie (McDowell), the tenant in the West Tenant House," Eckdahl said, noting that Maggie was saved by climbing onto the combine of a neighbor, Frank Weaver.

Weaver will bring his 1967 Massey Ferguson combine to the event, and Ekdahl will play the role of Maggie. A narrator will explain how the story unfolded.

"The woman was rescued from the building, which is now my office, so I will be coming out the window and onto the combine as part of the re-enactment," Ekdahl said, adding, "The combine is not the exact one but very similar. (Weaver) sold the original some years back."

Weaver recorded the story of the rescue in a handwritten document. In the history, he stated, "At Poole Forge, where Route 23 crosses over the Conestoga, is the site of the Poole Forge Mansion. It's on high ground but the West Tenant House - where 80-year-old Maggie McDowell lived - that was on lower ground."

Weaver explained that the water continued to rise, and Maggie and her maid, Anna Martin, retreated to the second floor. Then, the Carnarvon Fire Company was called to save them. "Several firemen waded through chest-deep water, fastening a 1-inch safety rope along the fence posts as they went," Weaver wrote.

They first situated Maggie in a boat, but it was overturned, dumping her and two firemen into the water. "They managed to get her to a tree and tied her to the tree," the history stated. "Then they ran a rope from the tree back to the window that they had left from and finally got her back into the house. (Anna) got (Maggie) into dry clothes and covered her with blankets."

When Weaver heard about what happened, he drove his combine to rescue the women, who used a series of wooden planks to walk onto the giant tractor. "With several firemen and Maggie on board, we carefully and slowly drove the combine back through the flood waters to the highway to a waiting crowd of relieved neighbors and friends," Weaver wrote, noting that the firemen, Anna and two dogs were also eventually rescued.

The public is encouraged to watch the re-enactment, especially those who may have witnessed it first-hand. "There are still some people around who stood up on Route 23 to watch (the rescue)," Ekdahl added.

Historic Poole Forge is located at 1940 Main St., Narvon (Churchtown), along Route 23, 3 miles east of the Shady Maple complex. For more information, call 484-797-5302, email hpf1940@gmail.com or visit http://www.historicpooleforge.org or http://www.facebook.com/pooleforge.