Pictures of the 1951 Flood

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=200 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="03fc8c00dkelyh.png"> <div> <B> </B></div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="18" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="11"><B>   </B><A HREF="id286.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Flood Was 54 Years Ago"><B><IMG SRC="0420b120.png" border=0 width="11" height="18" ALT="next" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A><B>     </B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="18" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="18"><B>  </B><A HREF="id91.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Flood of 51"><B><IMG SRC="04312120.png" border=0 width="18" height="18" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A></div> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="77" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 30 WIDTH="71"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="30" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="71" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><B>Photographs From the Photographic Collection of Morgan Williams</B></I><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>Photographs:</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id170_m.htm#the_great_ottawa_flood_of_1951" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="Pictures of the 1951 Flood"><B>The Great Ottawa Flood</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id170_m.htm#junior_and_senior_high_schools___library" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="Pictures of the 1951 Flood"><B>Junior and Senior High schools - Library</B></A></div> <div> <B>Gambles</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id170_m.htm#where_were_morgan___meredith_during_the_flood" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="Pictures of the 1951 Flood"><B>Where Were Morgan & Meredith During The Flood</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id170_m.htm#malott_s_hardware_store" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="Pictures of the 1951 Flood"><B>Malott's Hardware Store</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id170_m.htm#looking_south_on_main_street" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="Pictures of the 1951 Flood"><B>Looking South On Main Street</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id170_m.htm#looking_northwest_on_main" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="Pictures of the 1951 Flood"><B>Looking Northwest On Main</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id170_m.htm#nobody_but_the_turtles_get_excited" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="Pictures of the 1951 Flood"><B>Nobody But The Turtles Get Excited</B></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=94 BGCOLOR="#FF3300" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0403c5e1dvmwlb.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B>Ottawa High School Class of '57</B></FONT><B>     |    </B><B> </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ottawa High School Class of 57"><B>home</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id91.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Flood of 51"><B>Flood of '51</B></A></div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=386 width="100%" colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Pictures of the 1951 Flood</I></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <A NAME="the_great_ottawa_flood_of_1951"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>The Great Ottawa Flood Of 1951</B></div> <div> <B>Ottawa, Kansas</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="34ceeee0.jpg" border=0 width="750" height="494" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="752" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 32 ><NOBR><div> The Marais des Cygnes river crested in July, 1951, at a higher water level than at any time in recorded history, 42.25 feet. </div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 49 WIDTH="746"><div> The book, "DISASTER of 1951" has 30 pages in it with around 45 full-page photographs. On the back cover it says: "If You Want A Copy Of This Book Mail $ 1.00 to J. B. Muecke, Ottawa, Kansas with your name and address."    The book was printed by Tallman Printing.  </div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><IMG SRC="462ee160.jpg" border=0 width="750" height="534" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <bR> <div> <I> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="752" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 32 ><NOBR><div> <I>With the water receding, the grim aspects of utter destruction was apparent.  The modern Acorn lunch lies in the water at the left.</I></div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 276 WIDTH="746"><div> According to Muecke's book  the rain started at 3:50 PM Monday, July 9th and ended at 1:00 PM Thursday, July 12th.  The duration of the storm at Ottawa was 69 hours.  The heaviest one hour of rain was between 6 and 7 AM Wednesday  July 11th, when 3.01 inches fell on Ottawa.  Ottawa received a total of 10.83 inches of rain and Quenemo a total of 9.91 inches.</div> <bR> <div> The Marais des Cygne river had risen to 20.5 feet by 7 PM Tuesday, July 10th.  It had risen to 40.5 feet by 7 PM Wednesday, July 11th.  The river rose 20 feet in one day.</div> <bR> <div> The crest of the great flood at Ottawa came between the hours of 11:00 PM Wednesday, July 11th and 1:30 AM on Thursday, July 12th. THE OFFICIAL CREST OF THE RIVER WAS 42.25 FEET.   Flood stage in Ottawa is 24 feet so the river was 18.24 feet over flood stage at the crest.</div> <bR> <div> By 7 PM Friday the 13th the river had fallen to 37 feet.  By 7 PM Saturday the 14th the Marais des Cygne had fallen to 33.5 feet, still almost 10 feet above flood stage.</div> <bR> <div> So do you remember where you were during the Great Ottawa Flood of 1951?  Send an e-mail to the <A HREF="mailto:Webmaster@ohs57.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:Webmaster@ohs57.com">Web Master </A>and tell us what you remember about the great flood.   All of the members of the OHS Class of 1957 who lived in Ottawa at the time should remember the flood.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></I></div> <bR> <div> ============================================================================</div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="junior_and_senior_high_schools___library"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Junior and Senior High schools - Library</B></div> <div> July 51 Flood  From Hickory Street Looking N. W. </div> <div> <I><IMG SRC="33cee630.png" border=0 width="750" height="611" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <div> <I> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="752" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="746"><div> <I><B>Photographer -- Leo Beller Ottawa Kansas      </B></I></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></I></div> <div> <I><B>                                                                                                                                           .</B></I></div> <div>  </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <A NAME="gambles_1"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Gambles Store</B></div> <div> Ottawa, Kansas</div> <div> <I><IMG SRC="33eee0a0.jpg" border=0 width="750" height="522" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <div> <I> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="752" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 34 WIDTH="746"><div> <I><B>Photo contributed by Morgan Williams      </B></I></div> <div>  </div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 98 WIDTH="746"><div> July 11, 1951. This was during the Great Flood on the Marais des Cygnes River.  The Gambles Store was at 128 S. Main Street, two blocks from the river on the west side of the street.  This photograph was taken several hours before the river crested.  The Marais des Cygnes River crested at Ottawa around midnight Wednesday, July 11, 1951 at 42.25 feet, which is 18.25 feet over flood stage.</div> <bR> <div> In the photograph from left to right are: Donna Cartmill, employee of Gambles, Al Williams, manager of Gambles, with hat [Father of Meredith (OHS '57), Morgan (OHS '57) , Margaret Ann and Martin Williams].</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></I></div> <div> <I><B>                                                                                                                                                           .</B></I></div> <bR> <div> ===================================================================================================</div> <div> <B> <A NAME="where_were_morgan___meredith_during_the_flood"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>So Where Were Morgan And Meredith During The Flood?</B></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="752" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 343 WIDTH="746"><div> Meredith and Morgan Williams missed the great Ottawa Flood.  They were with Ottawa Boy Scout Troop 74, which left on Sunday, July 8th (before the rain started) for one week of summer camp at Camp Nash, near Bonner Springs, Kansas.  Camp Nash is in the bluffs directly overlooking the Kaw River.  The Troop also included Larry Bancroft, Wally Henning, Will Channon, Frank Johnson and scoutmaster Bob Pence.  They arrived on Sunday the 8th and were to go home the following Saturday, the 14th.  However, it started raining on Monday July 9th and keep on raining until Thursday, July 12th.  It got muddier and muddier at the camp.  The Kaw River started to rise rapidly and by Wednesday the 11th a full raging flood was in progress along the Kaw River and the road leading into the camp was under water.  The Scouts were high on the bluffs overlooking the river and could look out and see the river and the bridge at Bonner Springs.  They had a great view ti watch the Kaw River rise, crest and then go back down.</div> <bR> <div> It was amazing to say the least, and they had great fun during all of this. However, they didn't know about flooded businesses and homes back in Ottawa.</div> <bR> <div> By Saturday the 14th, the Kaw River was still in flood stage and the Scout Troop could not get home and their parents could not come and get them.  The Scouts at the camp could not get out and the incoming Scouts could not get in.  Bob Pence needed to get back to help with his families Pence and Bales grocery store so he hiked out and made it to an airport in Kansas City and took a private plane to Ottawa.</div> <bR> <div> The Scouts ended up getting to stay at Camp Nash an extra week while the Kaw, the Marais des Cygnes and other rivers went back to normal.  All of them came back with many merit badges.  The Scouts left Camp Nash the following weekend, Saturday, July 21st.  On the trip back they were taken through the industrial/river area of Kansas City, Kansas to see the flood damage.  By the time they got back to Ottawa the river was back to below flood stage.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 29 WIDTH="746"><bR> <div> <I><B>Contributed by Morgan Williams</B></I></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <div> ================================================================================================</div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="malott_s_hardware_store"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Malott's Hardware Store</B></div> <div> Ottawa, Kansas</div> <div> <I><IMG SRC="340ee690.jpg" border=0 width="750" height="617" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <div>  </div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="752" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="746"><div> <I><B>Photograph By Robert Blair             </B></I><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" ><I><B>From Photographic Collection of Morgan Williams             </B></I></FONT></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 65 WIDTH="746"><div> Irvin Malott, owner and operator of Malott's Hardware Store, 116 S. Main, standing knee deep in flood water looking at the damage to his hardware store.  Probably on Wednesday or Thursday, July 11 or 12, 1951.</div> <bR> <div> The Marais des Cygnes river crested at midnight Wednesday, July 11, 1951, at 42.25 feet, or 18.25 feet over flood stage. </div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div>    <I><B> </B></I></div> <div> <I><B>                                                                                                                                                                    </B></I><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Comic Sans MS" ><I><B>    .</B></I></FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div> ==============================================================================================</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="looking_south_on_main_street"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Ottawa Flood, Looking South On Main Street</B></div> <div> One Hundred Block of Main</div> <div> <I><IMG SRC="342ee880.jpg" border=0 width="750" height="648" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <div>  </div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="752" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="746"><div> <I><B>Photograph By Robert Blair       </B></I><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" ><I><B>From Photographic Collection of Morgan Williams    </B></I></FONT><I><B> </B></I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 49 WIDTH="746"><div> The grand Main Street full of water.  The great '51 Flood Looking South on Main Street from the one-hundred block.  The First National Bank sign on the right of the photograph is at the corner of 2<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >nd</FONT> and Main.</div> <bR> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div>  <I><B> </B></I></div> <div> <I><B>                                                                                                                                                                 </B></I><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Comic Sans MS" ><I><B>     .</B></I></FONT></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><B>                                                                                                                                                                                     </B></I><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Comic Sans MS" ><I><B>..</B></I></FONT></div> <bR> <div> =================================================================================================</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <A NAME="looking_northwest_on_main"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Ottawa Flood, Looking Northwest On Main Street</B></div> <div> One Hundred Block of Main</div> <bR> <div> <I><IMG SRC="457ee7d0.jpg" border=0 width="750" height="637" ALT="Ottawa 51 Flood - Robert Blair - 2" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="752" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="746"><div> <I><B>Photograph By Robert Blair       </B></I><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" ><I><B>From Photographic Collection of Morgan Williams    </B></I></FONT><I><B> </B></I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 32 ><NOBR><div> Stores on the West Side of the Street: Colby's, Tauy Theater, Ottawa Herald, A&P Grocery.</div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> ===============================================================================================</div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="nobody_but_the_turtles_get_excited"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><B>In Ottawa -- During Floods Nobody But The Turtles Get Excited</B></FONT></div> <div> <I><IMG SRC="7baeec80.jpg" border=0 width="750" height="456" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="752" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <I><B>Black and white photograph postcard published by J. B. Muecke, Ottawa, KS, January 1955                                    </B></I><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Comic Sans MS" ><I><B>       .  </B></I></FONT></div> <div> <I><B> </B></I><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" ><I><B>From Collection of Morgan Williams    </B></I></FONT></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 81 WIDTH="746"><div> This original photograph was taken at 2nd and Main Street in Ottawa looking northeast by Ottawa photographer J. B. Muecke.  The flood waters from the Maris des Cygnes river are rising into the business district.  </div> <bR> <div> Three large river turtles and a gigantic river serpent, quite typical for the Maris des Cygnes, have escaped from the rapidly rising flood waters.  The great flood in Ottawa was in July, 1951. </div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B>                                                                                                                                                          </B></I><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Comic Sans MS" ><I><B>  .</B></I></FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>