Floods

[BobLane]

June 7, 2008: The flood of Columbus.

Dear friends, This bad situation of flooding has brought back some memories of a similar flooding when I was about 11 or 12 years old, maybe spring of 1946 or 1947. It wasn’t on the Republic’s list of floods but is still in my memory banks.
At that time the city dump was located along White river on the South of the Second Street Bridge. I seem to remember there was a squatters site about like that of “Death Valley” where Mill Race park is now located. Men came up from Southern Indiana and Kentucky to get jobs in Columbus. Some brought their families with no place to house them, so squatter’s shanties started to be built along White River on the south banks. It was a horrid place to bring families, or to house 2 or 3 men so they could work and get their families into suitable housing.
Then came the flood, all those shanties were under threat of being washed away and anyone in them would go with the flood. My dad knew someone who lived there with his wife and little girl. Perhaps it was a fellow worker who worked with him at the foundry. Dad took me with him, borrowed a truck and drove there from our house on Fifth street to get this family safely out. He took me to help with packing out whatever household goods that were salvageable, got them into a very small apartment the Red Cross had found for them. We worked well up in the night and early morning helping this family and some others.
It was a time when friends and neighbors helped one another without thought of expense or bother; we just did what needed to be done. Thankfully we have witnessed that trait coming out of people in today’s emergency, giving a hand to help. Thank the Lord, that trait is still alive in this country.

[nancs]

Ever since the ‘weekend of the June 2008 flood,’ and as I looked at the many photos forwarded to me, I found myself mentally ‘returning’ to Hawcreek flooding of my youth in the 1940s. Actually, I thought that I had posted those memories ‘somewhere’ on the message boards, but search as I have, I can’t find that post. Perhaps, that is okay, as since I would have written that some long time ago, I have, now, at my fingertips, access to the Sanborn Maps, and can more accurately document some of the story.

To the best of my recollection, and yes, counting on my fingers, my parents had our home built on 7th Street, south side of the street, no more than a block, if that, from the banks of Hawcreek, in 1940. Our property ran north and south, behind the first three homes on the east side of Cottage. The area directly to the east of our home was the ‘pasture field’ that we, along with the Talkington and the Atkins families rented from Gretrude Doty, whose residence was on Cottage/east side. Both of my parents grew up in this immediate area--------with my dad’s family living in the second house south of 7th and Cottage on the east side, and my mom lived, at least for a while, in the house almost directly north of my home, on the north side of 7th St. All of this area is now Cummins and/or part of the ‘new street’ that runs along the rechanneled, perhaps dredged a better word, Hawcreek .

When my parents built their home there, according to the story I heard my dad tell, many folks told him that he was ‘crazy’ to build that close to Hawcreek as he would be subject to basement flooding, or worse. My dad ‘insisted’ that was not a problem--------------as, on the back part of our property there was a barn-----------with ‘below ground’ stalls, like a basement, with the hay mow being what was visible above ground---------and that ‘underground stall area’ had NEVER flooded, and the barn had been there for years. How many ‘years’ I never knew------------the Sanborn maps of 1912 have clarified that fact, and our barn is shown to be in existence in 1912. In 2008--------I do have to wonder about the record floods of 1913-----------I never heard my parents mention ‘those floods,’ but they would have been just ‘toddlers’ then------------obviously our barn must have ‘survived’ those 1913 floods.

On with the story-------------Often during the spring months of my youth, Hawcreek would overflow its banks-------and completely flood the ‘pasture field,’ as well as, that area on the east side of the 7th Street bridge/Pleasant Grove, also the Saddle Club grounds at the end of 8th Street, that being the immediate area that I was aware of back then. Never, ever, not even one time did the ‘basement part’ of our barn have any water in it, nor our house for that matter. I do recall that folks living over in the vicinity of 10th and Pennsylvania having water in their basements. Additionally, I can recall other flooded ‘bottom land’ that we often rode through on the horses on Sunday breakfast rides--------31/Washington, en route to Denny’s, and Nigger Hill, en route to the Junction.

In the 1940s thread I have posted photos of this 7th Street area. Frequently, I have referenced those photos. Check out: 1940s thread/under 'by decade,' p. 4, reply # 36. There was a 4-5 foot stone wall on the north side of the pasture field that I would presume kept water from flooding 7th Street, and a 2-3 foot stone wall that bordered our property. Yes, my folks could ‘fish’ out their bedroom window, for sure, but never once did we get water in our basement, nor in the barn. Slightly north and east of our home, another house (where my mom lived, at least in high school) had a similar type ‘wall’ going toward the creek. The ‘bottoms’ of that property would have some flooding, but the house was not affected.

Another thought, of photos that I saw of the 2008 flood-----a picture at the east end of 6th Street, and a flooded Cummins building. In my day, that would have been 'Fulk's Mill.' My recollection, as the 'pasture field' did go on south of 6th, along Hawcreek, Fulk's Mill sat quite a ways up from the level of the creek. From the 2008 photos that I saw, homes there at 6th and Cottage were involved in flooding------Old Mrs. Tanner's house being one on the NW corner. Additionally to the south of 6th Street there was an old dump area, that was a short cut for horseback riders coming from State Street area. Seems to me that there was a levee along in there somewhere. Would that have been 'flood prevention measures' back then???

Brings me to thinking about access to Saddle Club grounds-----------to access by car from 8th Street, going through an alley by the homes there, you had to go down an incline, and then be more on the level of the creek. From the end of 8th Street, pedestrians, bike riders, and ones on horseback would access this area down a rather steep, rugged bank. Homes were situated right there at the end of 8th Street. Yes, Saddle Club grounds flooded each spring, but did not affect those homes on 8th Street.

The 2008 photos that I have seen of this area----------well, I was, and still am shocked, it was all flooded. Something just beyond my comprehension. The one house in the group of homes west of Saddle Club grounds that still exists at 8th and Short Central had extensive flooding. And knowing the family that lived there, as well as another family in a home even closer to Saddle Club grounds---------they never were affected by flooding in my youth.

In 2008, yes, I can relate to the debris that these flood waters left in their wake. As it was my task, after the water receded, to search through the pasture field and remove any item that might pose threat of injury to one of the horses. Was amazing some of the things that I found---------a wash tub, as an example--------and that was like finding a ‘gold mine’ as I ‘hooked’ that up to my horse and drug it around tossing the debris into that, saved me a lot of trips to dispose of the junk. And NO, the golf balls I found, I was not as enterprising as RER/Bob, and they went into the trash along with much broken glass.

In conclusion, of sharing my memories, to one and all affected by the floods of 2008, you continue to be in my thoughts and prayers during this time of recovery.

Nanc

[Bob Lane]

Babs, look in the Republic I think this week was an article about a local company that was cleaning up washed out computers. Depends on how old yours is as to whether it would be worth it. Bob Lane

[Babs]

Thanks Bob, but I believe that company was restoring computers and giving them to anyone who was in school if I am thinking of the same article you are thinking about. Our neighbor did give us the name of a small computer company on Central Avenue where he thinks it might be possible to get a new video card and still have the computer working. We will check that out tomorrow. Be nice if it is not too expensive so we shall see. Don primarily wants to keep this computer because he has all his auction records stored on it. Also it only used floppy discs to save records and our newer computer only uses CD's so there is not an interchangeable avenue with these two.
Thanks again.

[home]

Re: Bartholomew County/Columbus Indiana Flood Of 2
« Reply #146 on Nov 25, 2008, 4:13pm »

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[The following press release was distributed immediately following the President and Governor's declaration of the Disaster Areas due to the 2008 floods in the state of Indiana. HOME, a non for profit organization formed for the sole purpose of assisting Indiana Farmers with emergency flood relief assistance has had a very hard time identifying and receiving applicants to receive grant money. If you are in need of assistance please contact HOME, DeAna Owens @ 765-318-8025]

Hoosier Organic Marketing Education
8463 S SR 39
Clayton, IN 46118
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.indianacertifiedorganic.com/farmassistance

7/16/2008

Press Release: For immediate distribution

Indiana Floods of 2008: Disaster Assistance for Family Farmers


Hoosier Organic Marketing Education (HOME), an Indiana-based non-profit organization, has received grant funds facilitated by Farm Aid and OpUSA for emergency flood relief for Indiana family farmers. Operation USA's mission focuses on children and others most vulnerable in the wake of manmade and natural disasters. When Operations USA decided to help Midwest farmers affected by recent flooding, they reached out first to Farm Aid. Operations USA knew that Farm Aid, with its history of working with farmers and farm organization in communities across the country, could identify farm organizations in flooded areas that could accept grants and get assistance to farmers who needed it most.

These funds are granted to provide direct emergency assistance for those who have faced losses during Indiana’s recent floods. Family Farmers who are in need of emergency funds for food, clothing, utilities or health care related to this emergency should contact HOME immediately.

Funds will be distributed to those whom HOME has identified as most in need via a cash payment of $300.00. We know it will not resolve all of the challenges you face right now. We simply hope it helps in some measure to get you through this difficult period.

We urge you to remain in contact with the organizations in Indiana that are dedicated to providing assistance to family farmers. It is very likely that you will need other types of assistance during the coming weeks and months, and keeping a close connection to those organizations may help speed delivery of aid. If you are outside of Indiana and not familiar or connected to support groups in your region, contact Farm Aid toll free at 1.800.FARMAID (1.800.327.6243). They will do what they can to find help for you.

[LINDA CARMER]

Sept 1, 2006 17:23:48 GMT -5 David Sechrest said:

After reading Margie's post on the Postcard board today, something she said really stood out. Her statement about "I remember standing on one of them and watching the water during the 1937 flood" got me to thinking that we didn't really have an area to discuss natural or man-made disasters. Every town has 'em, and Columbus is no different.

I don't remember the dates, but I DO remember some major floods in Columbus in the early 1960's. The one I remember most was before Death Valley was cleaned up. Dad took me there after one such event, and I recall standing on the railroad tracks and seeing all the shacks underwater. It must've left quite an impression on me...

[guest]

I can remember seeing the floods also.I felt so sorry for all whom had to go thru all of that if they were living there at the time of the highwaters. need to ask Linda if she would happen to know if a Paul Carmer. Sorry if I am askindg in the wrong place