The Great Flood of 1913

In the last 20 years or so, we've had several "floods of the century" in Morgan County, Indiana. There was a horrific flood back in 2008, I recall.

One hundred years ago (on March 25), we had a huge flood around these parts. Thanks to Civil War veteran and local photographer/newspaper publisher J. P. Calvert, we have a photo or two, which my Library included in this nifty handout.

Downtown Mooresville is situated high atop a hill (not a big hill, but still), so it has never flooded.  But folks living in the lower areas of town or in the surrounding country--especially near either fork of the White Lick Creek--were not so fortunate. Take the interurban railway bridge, which was situated near today's state road 67 bridge (just south of Kroger in Mooresville) across White Lick Creek:

Interurban Railway Bridge Collapse (March Flood, 1913)

(Click Images to Enlarge)

Water is a powerful, destructive force, sometimes.

The Great Flood of 1913 resulted from heavy rainfall as multiple storms crossed the midwestern states.  The ground was already saturated (or frozen) in many areas, causing rapid run-off that sent rivers bursting their banks throughout the state.  Damage across Indiana reached at least $25 million (that's in 1913 dollars, folks).

The Great Flood of 1913 forever changed many communities.  We have more recently experienced similar disasters in Indiana, but that March flood a century ago echoes from the distant past.  Few eyewitnesses remain.  We should record their memories before they are gone forever.  These are historic events on the grand stage, and we should preserve the information for future generations.

Mooresville's Oral History DVD

Lots of folks visit Mooresville (Indiana) Public Library, and some of them are interested in the history of Mooresville, Indiana and vicinity.

 

 

The MPL Indiana Room has loads of local and state historical and genealogical resources, but there is no better source for hometown history than the memories of those who have lived here most or all of their lives.  Oral histories are rich with details that you simply won't find in most printed sources. Thankfully, there is a DVD in the library's collection called Memories of Mooresville (2011), produced by Andrew Marine Video Productions.  It is a superbly-crafted visual record of interviews (in 2008) with several longtime Mooresville (and Morgan County) residents, most of whom have unfortunately passed over since filming.  The speakers were:

• Wanda Rusie Potts (1921-2012), former MPL Indiana Room Librarian (1966-2002);
• Charles W. Nelson (1918-2009);
• Sylvia M. Gregory (1908-2010);
• Evelyn M. Andrews Hine (1913-2012);
• John R. Lambert (1917-      );
• Rachel E. Roberts Ruona (1926-2011)

(Charlie Nelson's obituary appears below--click to enlarge; other obituaries are linked above.)

Their passing emphasizes the pricelessness of their memories, and we are truly fortunate to have their hometown experiences documented.  If I recollect correctly, the project was the brainchild of Susan Haynes of the Mooresville Consolidated School Corporation.  (Mrs. Hine was Susan's grandmother.)  The video was recorded in Mooresville High School's library by MHS teacher Andrew Marine and his crew.  Museum curator Julie Kyle-Lee was an integral participant who helped bring the project to fruition.  (I'm undoubtedly forgetting other important people; sorry about that.)

The Panel had fond memories of Mooresville's

Old Settlers Annual Picnic

The panel discussed a wide range of topics, including local citizens, businesses and hang-outs, leisure activities, schools, technologies, transportation changes, and other recollections from their near-century of living experiences.  If you watch the video, you will learn much about Mooresville history during the 20th century. Some secrets were shared, and many colorful anecdotes will leave you laughing. It is an amazing array of facts presented by those who knew what happened, because they were there to experience it first-hand.

If you are interested in the history of Mooresville (and the surrounding area in northern Morgan County), then you should definitely watch this DVD.  Of course, Mooresville Public Library has the DVD (three copies available to check-out, if you have an Evergreen Indiana [E.I.] library card).  It is a pleasure to share these wonderful glimpses from the past of the place I call home.

Don't have an E.I. library card?  Don't live in or near Mooresville?  Not to worry.  The Mooresville High School Alumni Association has uploaded the complete DVD to YouTube.  Click the player (below) to watch the entire video.

Memories of Mooresville (2011)

by Andrew Marine Video Productions

(courtesy of the Mooresville Alumni YouTube channel)

P.S.  Mooresville Public Library still offers a self-guided walking tour of historic downtown Mooresville, Indiana.  Our promo trailer (below) explains.

"Go Ask Reference" (MPL's Latest Music Video Parody)

Go Ask Reference

by Rachel Montgomery, MPL Teen Librarian, and

Meghan Adams, MPL Adult Programming Coordinator

(Featuring MPL Staff as Lewis Carroll Characters) 

A "Fiery" Landmark Comes Down

A slightly over-forty-year landmark in downtown Mooresville is coming down this month.

 The "Old" Mooresville, Indiana Fire Station

(at the northwest corner of the intersection

between Indiana and Harrison Streets)

Constructed in 1970

Demolished in February, 2013

(Click Images to Enlarge)

According to historian James R. Bruner, the firehouse was built in 1970 by volunteers at a cost of $36,000.  That was an amazing bargain, thanks to the volunteer labor.  What did the building look like before demolition?

(Photo by Chris Allen)

An Online Historical Adventure For African-American History Month

During African-American History Month it might be instructive (and fun) for our library patrons to experience the underground railroad through an online video game. Mission US, in conjunction with WNET Thirteen, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, has such a game: "Flight to Freedom."  Here's a promo trailer that shows us what to expect.

To play the interactive video game, visit the Mission US website and choose Mission 2.  The game immerses the player in the escape of a 14-year-old Kentucky slave named Lucy.  You become Lucy.  Your decisions determine if she escapes bondage.  There were many perils fleeing slaves faced travelling the Underground Railroad, and by playing this game, you, too, will face these dangers.  Who can you trust?  How will you manage to meet basic biological survival needs in unfriendly territories?  Will you reach freedom?

Interactive gaming such as "Flight to Freedom" fuels learners' interests in history and brings the past into sharp focus for modern students.  There is no substitute for "being there," even if "there" is simply a computer simulation.

P.S.  Television viewers first became "eyewitnesses" to historical events watching the television series You Are There (1953-1957), hosted by famous news announcer Walter Cronkite.  On April 17, 1955, the audience witnessed issuance of President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation (January 1, 1863).  I couldn't find a video clip from this episode (or the entire original series, amazingly), but here is a clip from the revival of the program when it aired Saturday mornings on CBS (1971-1972), which I watched when it was first broadcast.  This episode took viewers to the siege of the Alamo.