Many organizations in
Indiana and Ohio are commemorating the 1913 flood all this year.
In April, 1913, the floodwaters were still bursting levees
down the Mississippi River, and national discussion of the calamity had only just
begun. Centennial exhibitions, talks, and other events continue throughout the
rest of 2013. Below, all events are listed by date. Pay attention to the state
because they are about evenly split between Indiana and Ohio. Nearly a dozen events
below are new for this April update. Please contact the sources listed for more
information (unless you have questions specifically about the talks I
personally will be giving).
If you attend or host a 1913 commemorative event, please do let
me know how it goes—a paragraph about what it covered, who was there, and how
you felt. Include some photographs. Also, please send
me clippings, PDFs, and/or URLs to 1913 centennial flood and tornado
stories run in local newspapers or online. Don’t forget links to podcasts or
videos. Soon, I plan to post a roundup of accounts of events and links to
centennial articles to share with people in distant regions… and so memories
don’t fade away, as they did after 1913.
In progress now through April 28. Coshocton, OH. Special exhibit “The Flood of 1913” of nearly 50 photographs and
postcards from flooded Coshocton County, from the collection of Joe and Donna
Kreitzer, will be displayed at the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum,
300 North Whitewoman Street (Roscoe Village). $3.00 adults, $2 ages 5-16. For
information, contact museum director Patti Makenke at (740) 622-8710 or jhmuseum@jhmuseum.org
.
In progress now through April 30. Hamilton, OH: Exhibit "The
Destruction of Industrial Hamilton During the 1913 Flood," Heritage
Hall Museum, 20 High Street. Hours and other information appears on the website
for the Heritage Hall Museum. . See also "Photos telldramatic story of 1913 flood"
and "Work continues on 1913Flood commemoration."
 | |
|
In progress now through April 30. Noblesville, IN. Exhibit of eight original photographs commemorating the 1913
flood in Noblesville, which is on the White River, from three different
collections in the Hamilton East Public Library (One Library Plaza,
Noblesville, 46060). The exhibit “The
Great Flood of 1913,” displayed in the Indiana Room, also includes
newspaper headlines and enlarged copies of local newspaper articles. For
details, contact the Indiana Room 330-770-3206.
The 1913 flood is still the flood of record in Noblesville.
In progress through April
30. Oxford, OH. Display on the "Flood
of 1913: Dayton" at the Smith Library of RegionalHistory featuring
materials from the Smith Library collection. 15 S. College Ave., Oxford, OH
45056. For details and information, call 513-523-3035.
In
progress now through April 30. West
Lafayette, IN. The West Lafayette
Public Library, 208 W. Columbia, West Lafayette, will display photographs from
the Tippecanoe County Historical Association’s Permanent Collection in an
exhibit 100th Anniversary Commemoration of the 1913 Great Flood and Its
Destruction in Tippecanoe County. The exhibit will feature narratives about
the great flood in Indiana towns and across the Midwest, as the monumental
spring 1913 storm system generated tornadoes and floods that devastated the
industrial north from Nebraska to the Atlantic seaboard and down the
Mississippi. For more information, contact Kathy
Atwell, Executive Director, Tippecanoe County Historical Association, at
765-476-8411 ext. 208.
In progress through May 4. Hamilton, OH. A two-month series of events for Great Miami River Flood of 1913 Centennial is cosponsored by the
city of Hamilton, the Michael J. Colligan History Project, Miami University
Hamilton's Downtown Center, the Butler County Historical Society, Lane
Libraries, Heritage Hall, the Fitton Center for the Creative Arts, and other
local organizations. For more information, contact Curtis
W. Ellison, Michael J. Colligan History Project, (513) 461-1131 or
download the latest schedule of events. Individual events
are listed below.
In progress now through May 5. Dayton, OH. The Dayton Art Institute, in its Special Exhibition Wing,
will present a suite of three exhibits that commemorate the centennial of the
1913 Flood. The three are “Storm,”
an exhibit of large-scale paintings by April Gornik; “Watershed,” based on the new publication by the Miami Conservancy
District that contrasts historical images documenting the flood and its
aftermath with Andy Snow’s contemporary photographs depicting similar views;
and “Riverbank,” consisting of
images and information about development along the Great Miami River. Details
about the exhibit, hours, admission, and contact information appear at the DAI website.
 | |
|
In
progress now through May 25. Peru, IN.
Exhibit “Submerged: The Great 1913 Flood in
Peru, Indiana” at the Miami County
Museum, Ulery Annex. The exhibit will include objects and archival material
from the museum’s collections and highlight stories about what caused the
flood, destruction of homes and businesses, stories of rescuers and those who
perished, local media coverage, community support from our neighbors, and
rebuilding of the city. Come visit us and share the powerful images and
stories, as well as listen to readers speak the words from 1913 flood letters.
See events listed for the Miami County Museum, 51 North Broadway, Peru,
IN 46970; 765-473-9183; or email admin@mcmuseum.org.
In progress now through December 31. Indianapolis, IN. Opening of the Indiana Historical Society's ninth You Are
There experience, a special exhibit at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana
History Center "1913: A City Under
Water" commemorating the Great Flood of 1913, and addressing the
environmental effects of local urban flooding. Visit a reconstruction of the
Wulf’s Hall Relief Station
http://www.indianahistory.org/indiana-experience/you-are-there/1913-em-a-city-under-water-em on the west side of downtown Indianapolis in
the days following the flood. Exhibit is a collaboration of the Indiana
Historical Society with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and
other organizations. More information appears at "Thinking About OurRelationship with Water"
on the IHS blog. Hours, admission, and other information is at http://www.indianahistory.org/plan-your-visit/hours-and-admission
. Scenes from the making of the exhibit appear at http://www.indianahistory.org/blog/2013/02/26/making-of-you-are-there-1913-a-city-under-water
.
 |
| Part of the outdoor exhibit Flow: Can You See the River? Indianapolis Museum of Art |
Ongoing. Indianapolis, IN. Not specifically related to the 1913 flood, but definitely
intended (among other things) to give visitors a feel for flooding is the
permanent outdoor installation Flow: Can You See the River? in the Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park adjacent
to the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Most striking is the set of trees girdled
with red ribbons that give a viewer a sense of how high the water would be for
a "100-year flood" (a flood with 1% chance of happening any given
year). There is a PDF brochure with a map at the exhibit's microsite.
April 14 (Sunday). Tiffin, OH. [NEW LISTING!] At 3:00 PM there will be a memorial service for Tiffin’s 1913 flood victims at
the former South Washington Street Methodist Church, 230 S. Washington St., in
downtown Tiffin. The doors open at 3. According to Lisa Swickard, author of Calamity and Courage: Tiffin’s Battle During
Ohio’s Deadly 1913 Flood (see “Book Report! 21 Books and Films About the Great Easter Flood and Tornadoes”), “The memorial service will be very cool. It's based on the original memorial
service that was conducted for the flood victims, even before the bodies of
William Klingshirn and William Axline were recovered. We're doing essentially
the same format: reading the names of the victims, re-telling the story, the
mayor is going to talk about the building of the flood wall and it's importance
to our city, and an antique club will be presenting the mayor with a plaque
honoring Louis Jones, the man from the tiny town of Kansas, Ohio, who dredged
the river and built the bridges and the flood wall. Afterward, we may venture
to Greenlawn Cemetery for a wreath-laying ceremony.”
April 18 (Thursday). Brookville, OH. [NEW LISTING!] At 7:00 PM, Scott Trostel—author of And Through the Black Night of Terror and
Letters From the Attic (see “Book Report! 21 Books and Films About the Great Easter Flood and Tornadoes”)—will present a talk on the 1913 flood in the northern Miami
Valley, followed by a book signing. Clay Township Historical Society, 8992
Welbaum Rd., Brookville, OH 45309. Trostel will be giving similar talks and
book signings at other venues and times on April
23, May 1, May 21, June 12, July 31, and December 5. For details about
those venues and times, see the upcoming events on Trostel’s website. (Note: The June 12 luncheon event requires advance registration.)
April 19, May 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31 (Fridays). Dayton, OH. [NEW LISTING!] At
7:00 PM one Friday in April and every Friday in May, Leon Bey of Gem City
Walking Tours conducts “The Great Dayton
Flood Walk.” Reservations are required for the two-hour walk; for ticket
information, contact Bey (937)274-4749 or see
his website. For background about Bey, see "Ghosts in Dayton? tour guide tells where they
are."
 |
Feature
article in March 2011 issue of The Rotarian by Trudy E. Bell on how
through the 1913 flood Rotary discovered its humanitarian mission
|
April 24 (Wednesday). Rocky River, OH. At 7:30 AM (yes, that’s 7:30 in the morning), at the
Lakewood–Rocky River Sunrise Rotary Club, Trudy E. Bell, M.A. will present a
talk “The Great Easter 1913 Tornadoes and Flood: How Rotary Discovered Its
Humanitarian Mission.” In 1913, Rotary, then a fledgling business service
organization, was only five years old. But how Rotarians everywhere instantly responded to the
devastating tragedy transformed the whole meaning of service. At the Don Umerley Civic Center, 21016
Hilliard Blvd., Rocky River, OH 44116. Visitors welcome. Come early for a light
breakfast ($5.00) preceding the talk. Directions
are on the Rotary Club’s website.
April 26 (Friday) to April
30 (Tuesday). Riverside, OH. [NEW LISTING!] From 5:00 to 8:00 PM on Friday and daytime
hours on the other days, the free “1913 Dayton Flood Exhibit” includes a display from the Wright State University
Libraries as well as many other items from the flood era, including books,
articles, pictures, and interesting historical pieces related to the
communities before and after the flood. Riverside Historical Society has
prepared a timeline and aftermath document for visitors. Riverside Historical
Society, Airway Shopping Center, 4930 Airway Road. PO Box 31066, Riverside Ohio
45437. For exact hours each day, contact Judy Horn, President, 937-252-7242 or 937-254-1591.
May 13 (Monday). Rocky River, OH. [NEW
LISTING!] At 12 noon, at the
Lakewood–Rocky River Noon Rotary Club, Trudy E. Bell, M.A. will present a talk
“The Great Easter 1913 Tornadoes and Flood: How Rotary Discovered Its
Humanitarian Mission.” In 1913, Rotary, then a fledgling business service
organization, was only five years old. But how Rotarians everywhere instantly responded to the
devastating tragedy transformed the whole meaning of service. At Rocky River Memorial Hall, 21012
Hilliard Blvd., Rocky River, OH 44116. Visitors welcome. Come early for a light
lunch ($12.00) preceding the talk.
August 9–11 (Friday–Sunday). Dayton, OH. [NEW LISTING!] At the 30th Annual Germanfest Picnic, the Culture Display at the Heritage Booth will feature “The 1913 Flood—And How It Affected German Dayton.” The exhibit will focus on the disastrous impact of the Flood on Dayton’s German Community. The free exhibit will be open from August 9 at 5 PM to Sunday, August 11 at 6 PM. Carillon Historical Park, 1000 Carillon Blvd. Dayton, OH 45409. More information on the Germanfest Picnic, including schedule and parking information, is at the website of the Dayton German Club. (Note that Carillon Historical Park is also the site of a new permanent exhibit Great Flood of 1913—see "Plans to commemorate the 100th anniversary of region's greatest catastrophe." .)
August 28-29 (Wednesday-Thursday). Columbus,
OH. The 2013 Ohio Statewide Floodplain Management Conference, an annual
training event on many aspects of floodplain management, will commemorate the
100th anniversary of the 1913 flood. The conference is a cooperative effort of
among the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Ohio department of
Natural Resources (ODNR), and Ohio Floodplain Management
Association (OFMA). Doubletree Hotel, Columbus/Worthington. For
information, contact Alicia Silverio at (614) 265-1006 or e-mail her.
September 11 (Wednesday). Angola, IN. [NEW LISTING!] For the annual conference of the Indiana
Association for Floodplain and Stormwater Management, to be held at Pokagon
State Park near Angola, Trudy E. Bell will be both a plenary speaker and also
speaker in a breakout group on the 1913 flood in Indiana. More details will be
posted closer to the time on the INAFSM website and at my 1913 flood web page.
December 5 (Thursday). Venue to be announced (Ohio). [NEW LISTING!] At 7:00 PM, Scott Trostel—author of And Through the Black Night of Terror and
Letters From the Attic (see “Book Report! 21 Books and Films About the Great Easter Flood and Tornadoes”)—will be keynote speaker for the annual dinner of the Shelby
Soil & Water Conservation District on the 1913 flood in the northern Miami
Valley. For details see Trostel’s website.
ANYWHERE (accessible
nationwide or even worldwide)
April 18 (Thursday). Worldwide. World Amateur Radio Day. Each year on April 18, amateur
(ham) radio operators internationally celebrate World Amateur Radio Day, the
day in 1925 that the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) was founded. This
year 2013 is special, because 100 years ago during the 1913 flood in Columbus,
Ohio (see this 1964 obituary of one of the radio amateur heroes),
and elsewhere were the first recorded instances of amateur radio being used to
provide communications in a natural disaster. The theme for 2013 is thus “Amateur
Radio: Entering Its Second Century of DisasterCommunications.”
Indianapolis
NOAA website on the
1913 flood, is focusing on Indiana, with dramatic photographs along with maps
and data useful for any local organizations planning events.
The Miami Conservancy
District in southwest Ohio, although not planning any commemorative events
itself, has launched a new website http://1913flood.com/ to publicize 1913
centennial events in the region. The MCD also plans to release a centennial book A Flood of Memories in March.
 |
First
page of the article in the January 2013 newsletter The Buzz outlining
some of the 1913 flood centennial outreach plans of the Silver Jackets
|
The Silver Jackets is a consortium of Federal and State agencies devoted to
reducing the risk of flooding and other natural disasters as well as enhancing
response and recovery efforts--in part by raising public awareness.
Collaborating agencies include the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), NOAA, and agencies in 33
states. Among other programs, the Silver Jackets are using the centennial of
the 1913 flood to raise public awareness, including highlighting the effect of
the natural disaster in different communities. It series of web pages--click
the tab "Historical Info" under "The
Great Flood of 1913: 100 Years Later" --summarize the
multistate storm system with riveting quotes and photos. The Silver Jackets
also publish a
newsletter and other documents. In the January 2013 newsletter, the
article "The Great Flood of 1913 Not to Be Forgotten"
on pages 8 and 9 discuss some of the Silver Jacket's outreach plans for commemorating
the 1913 centennial. More about the Silver Jackets outreach events appear in
the presentation by Sarah Jamison, NOAA. See other events listed at http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu/1913Flood/awareness/events.shtml and follow them on Twitter at #1913flood and
#SilverJackets.
The Ohio Emergency Management Agency is planning a
number of events, which will be posted at this Facebook Page.
©2013
Trudy E. Bell. For permission to reprint or use, contact Trudy E. Bell at t.e.bell@ieee.org
Next time: Through Tornado and Flood: Rotary Discovers Its Humanitarian Mission
