he Washington County Historical Society is excited to announce an event to launch Images of America: Forest Lake, a brand-new book by author and area historian Justin Brink. The event is on Wednesday, November 1 at 7pm at the Washington County Heritage Center, located at 1862 Greeley Street South in Stillwater. Books will be available for purchase at the event.

Like so many of the places that lined the route from St. Paul to Duluth, Forest Lake came of age as a railroad town and was first incorporated as a township in 1874. Situated on a lake by the same name, it soon became known as a resort town where many residents from the Twin Cities could leave their cares behind for some fishing and sunbathing. Because of its secluded nature, it also attracted well-known gangsters of the era. Minnesota native George “Bugs” Moran had a hideout near the lake, as did the Ma Barker gang. As the resort traffic dried up, progress soon took over, and with it came residential development and downtown revitalization. Today, Forest Lake’s population has increased nearly twentyfold and continues to attract visitors to its pristine lakes.

Justin Brink is president of the Forest Lake Historical Society and a lifelong Forest Lake resident. He serves as a planning commissioner for the city and is a registered nurse by profession. For this book, images have been collected from the Forest Lake Historical Society, the Washington County Historical Society, and the community.

The program is free to the public and no reservations are required.

Event attendees may attend either in-person at the Washington County Heritage Center or virtually on Zoom. The Zoom link may be accessed at wchsmn.org/event/brink

For questions, contact Washington County Heritage Center Site Manager Emily Krawczewski at emily.krawczewski@wchsmn.org or 651-439-2298. The Washington County Heritage Center is open for visitors Tuesday-Saturday from 10am-4pm.