Dundy
County Nebraska Genealogy Trails| Dundy
County Nebraska Genealogy Trails |
| Dundy County Republican River Flood - 1935
The Republican Valley Flood - 1935 I was in Denver working the spring that the Republican River Valley flooded. My folks were still living on the Cherry Creek farm and that creek also flooded. There was so much rain west of us that it flooded all the creeks that ran into the river. My
mother said the water came up to the steps on their front porch and she
was ready to take Lloyd and Floy and climb the bank in back of the
house. The
bridges all along the river were washed out and someone rigged up a
foot bridge so people who lived west of St. Francis could get into town
for supplies. The flood forever changed the river. When I visited the Powell Place in later years, the river was in the “wrong” place. The roads were flooded, so they were also different. I knew the Barnhart family who lost their mother in that flood. The Faylor family also lost their parents and family members. -- Alice (Crabtree) Gregory Republican River Flood of 1935 The
Republican River Flood of 1935 was the most devastating disaster in the history
of Dundy County. On May 30, 1935, heavy rainfall in eastern Colorado and
southwestern Nebraska between 20 and 24 inches caused the banks of the
Republican River and its tributaries to overflow. Floodwaters up to twenty-feet
deep swept away livestock, farmhouses, automobiles, and bridges. An estimated
113 people lost their lives in the flood, including many Dundy County
residents. The communities of Parks, Max, and Benkelman were devastated in
terms of physical damage and economic hardship as a result of the flood. An
emergency Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) camp was established in Benkelman in
June 1935 to assist in reconstruction efforts in the flood area. Communities in
Dundy County have persisted despite the impact of the Republican River Flood of
1935.
~A Clipping found among Alice Gregory's papers - probably from The Benkelman Post |
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