Smithland Weather Victims Sing To Lift Spirits

After a couple of years with mild winters, those of us living in the middle part of our country had almost forgotten what a real winter was like. Mother Nature hastened to remind us the middle of this month when she sent us bone-chilling temperatures and several inches of snow.

Another brutal winter was in 1950, which cut a swath of destruction across the country– from  tornadoes in the south, a paralyzing blanket of slush in the midwest and  snow and ice dumped on the northeast.  The tornadoes killed 48 people and injured hundreds.

When two large rain-swollen rivers meet and merge, a flood is sure to happen. The result in 1950 was an inundated Smithland, Kentucky business district with part of the residential area being covered by water, too. Parts of Smithland were flooded from early January through February. [1]

The residents of Smithland knew how to deal with disaster when their options were few.

“From the Pacific Northwest to New England, the northern half of the nation was barraged by almost every weapon in winter’s book – snow, rain, freezing drizzle, high winds and sub-zero temperatures.

“Flood refugees at tiny Smithland, Ky., held a community sing to bolster their spirits. More than 200 people sang “It Ain’t Gonna Rain No More” and “River Stay way From My Door” as the Cumberland and Ohio Rivers, which join near the town, climbed steadily higher …

“The Red Cross served coffee, donuts and punch, and county clerk Gabe McCandless reported, “Yes, sir, everybody was kinda cheered up and felt much better when the thing was over.”[2]

 Maybe we could learn something from Smithland residents of 1950.

 

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[1] “Where Cumberland Meets Ohio,” Evansville Press, Evansville, Indiana, Thurs., 16 Feb 1950, page 1, photograph.

[2] “Tornado – Battered Southern Sections Get Flood Misery; All Northern Half of U.S. Feels Winter,” Clinton Daily News, Clinton, Oklahoma, Tues., 24 Feb 1950, p. 1, Newspapers.com accessed 18 Feb 2021.

Published 25 Feb 2021, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http:wkygenealogy.blogstop.com/

Clara Barton and the Ohio River Flood of 1884

The winter of 1883-1884 was particularly severe throughout the Ohio Valley with large quantities of snow and ice  and very low temperatures. When the thaw began the first of February 1884, the water started its trek down the Ohio River.

It was soon evident that a large flood was coming. Evansville, Indiana was designated the center of relief efforts due to its location on high ground.  U.S. Relief Boat Carrie Caldwell  made two trips in February and March 1884 to deliver aid to those in need.

On the first visit, the middle of February, stops were made at the following Kentucky towns:  Uniontown, Caseyville, Carrsville, Weston, Ford's Ferry, Birdsville and Smithland, as well as a number of towns on the Illinois side of the river. [1]

Uniontown:  The town is in terrible condition, every house, about 700, is in water from the second story to the roof.  All business, except for the necessaries of life, has stopped and what little there is, is done from the second floor through the windows into boats.  Water is at the top of the lamp post in front of the Methodist church. John Castella's house with chimney floated down the river.

Caseyville:   The place is all under water with the exception of a few houses. Water is 12 feet deep in the streets.  There were about 100 needy people.

Weston:  Town is in 10 feet of water and all 25 houses are submerged.

Ford's Ferry:  Town has about six good houses, all under water. The wharf boat was tied to a tree.

Carrsville:  Population 250 with 75 houses. Only five families had to leave their houses. 100 people suffering in immediate vicinity and 1000 rations left with R.A. Crotser.

Birdsville:  Half under water. Met R.M. Johnson, postmaster.

Smithland: This town of 600 is entirely under water. After wind during previous night (Feb. 19), not a sound house on Front Street. W. Ellis' large storehouse, back of Planter's Hotel, is a complete wreck, while the river is full of floating household goods and furniture. 30 houses swept away last night and three-fourths of the people are destitute. The town is flooded back to the hills, being 15-20 feet deep in the streets.  The only brick house standing is the Court House.  Sickness abundant and medical services in constant demand.

Conditions were  noted in all towns along the river on a return trip to Evansville. Conditions were worse on the return trip.  In Uniontown, 61 houses were destroyed by the storm. The following suffered losses: John Roesch's distillery, Williams' tobacco factory  and Gus Franklin lost $5000 worth of dry goods.

A second trip down the Ohio River was made one month later.  The town of Caseyville, Kentucky was in deplorable condition with all streets  impassable and  52 demolished houses. Mr. W.A. Delaney was seen riding on horseback carrying a coffin to bury his child who had died of pneumonia the previous day.  

The town of Weston, in Crittenden County, was comprised of 300 people. Thomas Lamb,  town trustee chairman, stated that at Lamb's coal mines and at Bell's coal mines, there are about 51 people needing aid.  Rations were left at most of the towns along the river.

As flooding  improved, the emphasis changed from necessities for life to assisting those left homeless or their homes were in ruins.  It was then the involvement shifted to the Red Cross Association, which was organized for the relief of those suffering by war, pestilence, famine, flood, fire and other calamities. Heading this organization was Miss Clara Barton, who established her headquarters in Evansville.

A steamboat owned by Capt. John H. Troop and named for his father,  Joshua V. Throop, a native of Eddyville, Kentucky and  former resident of Smithland, Kentucky, was put at the disposal of Miss Barton to carry emergency supplies to those left homeless by the flood or whose homes were badly damaged. [2] The J.V. Throop was the first inland vessel in America to fly the American Red Cross flag and, according to regulation, it flew just below the American flag.

A Red Cross Relief Committee was formed with the objective of visiting every town along the Ohio River between Evansville and Cairo and to find the most needy and deserving families. Miss Barton's plan was to load a boat with bedding and clothing for distribution and to supply money to indigent families. [3] Coal was also added to the list of needed items.  Miss Barton and her workers left Evansville on March 8th and headed toward Cairo.

Among the towns in dire need of aid was Smithland, one of the oldest  on the Lower Ohio. "While the water was at its highest stage, a terrific cyclone or tornado struck the town, driving waves up against the second stories of buildings, crushing brick buildings. The scene in Smithland was one of  utter desolation - fragments of wooden buildings everywhere."[4] 500 bushels of coal, along with clothing, bedding and cash were left in Smithland. [5] 

The last voyage of relief of the J.V. Throop left on May 25 with a load of clothes, plows and tools, groceries, furniture, and  household items for those who had lost so much during the flood and tornado. The people who had accompanied the Red Cross expedition on the Throop in March sent to Capt Throop a flag, along with a letter, to express their appreciation.[6] 

It is certain that the Red Cross, under the leadership of Clara Barton, and the steamer J.V. Throop enabled the residents along the Ohio River to survive during the flood of 1884 and to rebuild after the flood.

Fifty years after the flood of 1884, a plaque was erected on the site of the house where  Clara Barton lived while directing relief of those living along the Ohio River.

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[1] E.P.M. Ames. Official Report of the Relief Furnished to the Ohio River Flood Sufferers, Evansville, Ind. to Cairo, Ills., (Evansville, IN: Journal Co., 1884), 31, 47-49, 69, 72.

[2] "River News," Evansville Daily Journal,  7 Mar 1884, p. 3.

[3] "Red Cross Society," Evansville Daily Journal, 17 Mar 1884, p. 2.

[4] Ibid.

[5] "Red Cross Association," Evansville Daily Journal, 18 Mar 1884, p. 1.

[6] "The Red Cross," Evansville Daily Journal, 25 May 1884, p. 8.

Plaque dedicated to Clara Barton, Founder of the American Red Cross

On present site of Deaconess Hospital (Midtown campus)

Evansville, Indiana
Dedicated May 12, 1934

Published 25 October 2018, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

From The Photo Gallery - 1897 Flood Smithland, Kentucky

Reverse:  "This view is from cemetery hill looking North west."  This photo of the 1897 flood in Smithland, Kentucky was sent to Mrs. Mamie M. McCawley in Sarcoxie, Missouri from her husband, Alfred McCawley, both former residents of Smithland.  None of the people pictured have been identified.

This photo is shared through the generosity of Jerry Bebout, Livingston County, Kentucky.  Click on the photo for an enlarged view.

Published 17 September 2018, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog,  http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

What a Year!

No more New Year's resolutions for me!  I make them and then I break them. From now on I am going to focus on what I have accomplished during the past year and think about, but not transcribe, what I would like to accomplish during the next 12 months. Fair?  I think so.

I continued to work on my Wolstenholme family during 2015. My 3rd great-grandfather, Hugh Wolstenholme, remains a bit of a mystery. Oh, there is a lot of information to be found about him online, but very little seems to be documented.  If you type his name into Google, up pops a long article on  NCpedia . How impressive is that!  The traditions are wonderful, but are they true?  I have been trying to prove or disprove them for some time and have not had much luck. It seems he just didn't leave many courthouse records and, naturally, there are no cemetery records.

Hugh Sr. participated in England's last revolution in  Pentrich in 1817. Because he took the wrong side during this fight and because he did not want to share the fate of his cohorts, Hugh fled England for the United States, leaving behind his wife and young children.  A big event is planned in 2017 to commemorate this revolution. I was honored by being asked to write a chapter on Hugh for a publication on the participants in the revolution.  What a thrill it would be to attend this event!

In July, we went to Pack Memorial Library in Asheville, North Carolina to see if they had anything about old Hugh. Because he was so colorful and his life so eventful, I was sure there would something, but, alas, there was not one thing found in their loose files or in a book of local history.  In fact, I left a biographical sketch of his life for their files. Maybe another Wolstenholme descendant will visit the library and see that sketch. 

One of the traditions about Hugh Sr. says that he taught (later President) Andrew Johnson to read when Johnson was just a poor apprenticed tailor in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is said Hugh visited his tailor shop when Johnson later moved to western Tennessee. I have found references to Johnson being taught to read while serving as an apprentice in a tailor shop, but the tutor is never named.

On the positive side of this research, I did learn that Hugh's son, Henry F. Wolstenholme, made uniforms for Asheville Confederate  soldiers during the Civil War. Because they were in the cavalry, the seat of the pants had a double thickness.  That bit of information has been added to my growing stack of interesting trivia.

I have enjoyed the Wolstenholme research and don't get discouraged as there is always something else to check.

In 2016, Seth Flood (died 1778/1779 Henry County, Virginia) is my research target. He is shrouded in mystery and it is time to find out just who he really was.  With a name like Seth and a wife named Comfort, I doubt that he was a native of Virginia. I'm thinking Massachusetts or maybe even New Hampshire.   

The only other thing on my list for 2016 is to slow down and enjoy life a little more. The past year has been far to hectic. I will let you know next year if I was successful.

 Published 1 January 2016, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

Flood of 1950

If you live along the rivers in western Kentucky, you soon learn to expect flooding. It doesn't happen every year, but often enough that you pay attention to the river levels when heavy rains follow the melting of large amounts of snow - a sure formula for flooding. 

That's what happened in 1950. Heavy rains followed snow in December 1949 and, by mid-January 1950, the rivers had reached flood stage. The Evansville Courier of 13 January 1950 reported that several families in Livingston County were forced to evacuate their homes and the flood waters had begun invading the business district of Smithland. Most of the businesses of Smithland had closed due to the high water. The Methodist church was dispensing groceries and supplies to evacuees.

Eddyville and Kuttawa, in Lyon County, were also flooded.  The Cumberland River at Eddyville reported that water was near the ceilings of some business houses and one brick building had collapsed from pressure.  Schools in Eddyville and Kuttawa were closed.

Sturgis, Union County  appeared to be the hardest hit of western Kentucky communities. The Tradewater River, from which Sturgis drew its drinking water, had backed up. Backwater from the Tradewater as well as from the Ohio River and creeks and streams was rising and threatening to flood much of Sturgis. One hundred families or more in the south and east sides of Sturgis had been evacuated and were being housed in churches, vacant houses and buildings at the old airport.

Western Kentucky wasn't the only area experiencing flooding.  The little town of Rosiclare, Illinois, on the Ohio River, was under water and 80 families had moved to higher ground.  In Shawneetown, Gallatin County, Illinois, flooding extended along a 200 mile expanse and it was feared that there would be a crack in the giant levee protecting the city.

The Red Cross estimated 5000 people were made homeless in the flood area of the Ohio River and its tributaries. While the flood of 1950 didn't cause nearly as much damage as the flood of 1937, it was destructive and proved once again that man often fights a losing battle against Mother Nature.

Published 19 March 2015, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

Flood of 1945

This is not the first year Kentucky has dealt with flooding from the Ohio and Cumberland Rivers. The most devastating floods occurred in 1884, 1913 and 1937, but floods in other years  caused problems. One such flood was that of 1945.

The Livingston Leader (published in Smithland, Kentucky) on 15 March 1945 stated that the Ohio River had risen during the past week  from the river to U.S. Highway 60 (Adair Street).  The overflow had covered the town's main business and residential areas. In two places, the flood waters had even crossed the highway. Goods and belongings had been removed  from businesses and homes in advance of the water so that loss in that respect would be light. However,  40 families were out of their homes with 35 of those homes being underwater. Also underwater were over 20 places of business. The water had passed the old Methodist church on Mill Street and covered the entire lower floor of the Bush (Bush-Dallam) house.   Fortunately, the flood did not reach the wells supplying water to the town.  School was closed for two weeks until all danger of flooding had disappeared.

There have been floods  in Smithland since 1945 - in particular, 1997 and 2005. Each time  flooding is predicted, the community gathers itself together and tries to stop the flood waters.  Residents living along the rivers today, again, face possible flooding. The National Guard plus local residents and jail inmates have worked hard to construct a flood wall to stop the flow of water into the town.  Let's hope they are successful.

Copyright on text and photographs

by Brenda Joyce Jerome, CG

Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog

http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com

Ohio River Floods

 



Folks living along the Ohio River are seldom surprised by the river spilling over its banks onto farm land, roads and houses. It happens just about every year. 2008 has been an especially hard year with high water damaging homes and occasionally closing schools because of roads under water. The river levels have been much higher, though.

Four of the greatest floods of the Ohio River valley occurred in 1884, 1913, 1937 and 1997. In 1884, it was reported in the Evansville Daily Courier that the towns of Smithland in Kentucky and Golconda, Elizabethtown, New Liberty and Shawneetown in Illinois were partly underwater.

The flood of 1913 almost destroyed the town of Caseyville in Union County. The town hall floated off and when a livery stable started floating away, it was caught and tied to a tree.

The Great Flood of 1937 is still fresh in the minds of many. I can remember my parents talking about people who were displaced by the flood moving in with friends and relatives who lived on higher ground. This flood would also play a part in the demise of the little river town of Weston in Crittenden County, Kentucky.

Since the earliest settlement, Weston has had problems when the river was on the rise. In 1886 the Ohio River high water played havoc with the business of John S. James at Weston. The following details are taken from Crittenden Circuit Court case file #446, which can be found at the Kentucky Dept for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort, Kentucky.

John S. James, plaintiff, against The Evansville & Cairo Packet Co., Defendants.

The plaintiff states that the defendants are an incorporated Company owning and running a line of steamers between the cities of Evansville Ind. and Cairo Ill. on the Ohio River, and is known as the Evansville & Cairo Packet Co.

He states that he is the owner of a steam saw mill situated on the Ohio River at Weston, Crittenden County and that he had at great expense built a logway extending from his mill down into the River for the purpose of hauling sawlogs from the river up to his mill, which is situated on the bank of the river. He states that he also had a log float attached to his logway and that the defendants while navigating the Ohio River with their steamer Hopkins on or about the [blank] day of [blank] 1886 carelessly and recklessly ran their steamer Hopkins into and over the logway and float thereby tearing down and destroying the same and rendering it unfit for use and the log float was a total loss.

That in order to repair the logway so as to render it of use to the plaintiff for the purposes intended, he was compelled to and did expend the sum of $115.13 in repairs. In addition, he was deprived of the use of the logway for 10 days to his damage in the sum of $15per day. He says by reason of the destruction of the logway & float, he was been damaged in the sum of $265.13. Wherefore he prays for judgment against the defendants. [signed] John S. James by Blue & Blue (attorneys).

Published 7 April 2008, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog,  http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/