Rich Mongeau in the 1980s with his Hagenflaggon and Rich Mongeau today in 2009 visiting Gregory Kelly's Hobby Shop.
Rich Mongeau is truly a genius. I think Rube Goldberg took lessons from him. What sets Rich apart is his uncanny ability to see an old can opener or adding machine, take it apart to the gears and motor, and then rig it all up into a operating contraption he calls a Hagenflaggon. He gets that word from his Norwegian roots acquired while growing up in southern Minnesota. Rich even fabricates his own parts from surplus wood or metal, to make pulleys and governors.
Today Rich is about 82 years young. The Hagenflaggon pictured, has been disassembled. Rich now creates wooden stake-bed trucks, about three feet long, very colorful, with a pull string for 2- to 3-year-olds. In the bed he cuts up old 2-by-4s, sands off the rough edges and stacks them in for kids to play with.
My friend Rich is a rare treasure in Long Beach.
Gregory Kelly
Tustin, Ca.
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