Laserfiche WebLink
<br />LaVei'rne Babcock can tell when J.S:-'Ste-tson's Modern Dairy (located <br />at the present Gregory Ranch) was flooded and it was impossible to get <br />,in or out of there. <br />Guillums Pond and Ice House used to be where the Oak Creek Motel now <br />sets and the water would surround the entire property. The pond was <br />maintained year around but it's primary purpose was to supply the town <br />people with ice in the summer. During the winter ice blocks would be <br />cut and stored between straw in the big barn. When the hot days of <br />summer came, so did Mr. Guillum with his horse and wagon and blocks of <br />ice for those old ice boxes. I remember chasing after the wagon, <br />begging for a chip of ice! More often than not , we would get a chip to <br />suck on. What a treat! The last time that area really flooded was when <br />Evelyn and Virgil Phillips owned the property. The barn was torn down <br />and the pond filled in. <br /> <br />In 1950 the Ball Park was totally under water and <br />later, high water washed out the railroad and a bridge <br />the two huge culverts by the county barn. <br />The boys at the county shop, Joe and Paul Turon and <br />should remember how many times the water flooded around the <br />barn where the senior apartments are now. The last time <br />surrounded the building making it look like a river barge. <br />i Mrs. Anderson should recall the many times the water backed through <br />the culverts and flooded the area across from her. Once I nearly <br />drowned thinking I could walk all the way across it. <br />One year they let the water run between Andy Black's building <br />the barber shop onto the main street and down it's center. When <br />water quit running the street was knee deep in mud. It became a <br />dream for those who tried to drive down it. <br />The bridge by the sewer plant was always in trouble! Some years it <br />was a huge lake, all the way back to Earl Ray's. I'm sure the Cedillo <br />family recall the springs when the water reached into their kitchen or <br />when Mrs. Kern's yard was under water. I do remember the spring when <br />Fred and Francis Stewart came to town with their horses and wagon to get <br />supplied before Trout Creek became impassable. They had to ford the <br />water by the sewer plant and nearly lost their team and wagon. <br /> <br />several years <br />had to replace <br /> <br />Pete <br />old <br />it <br /> <br />Koler <br />county <br />totally <br /> <br />and <br />the <br />bad <br /> <br />------------------------------------------------------------------------------ <br /> <br />If People would sit and think about it, visualizing the town as it <br />was, (seeing buildings where there are none today) removing those that <br />are now, (but were not then), recalling the people who knew what to <br />expect and who knew,how to prepare for flooding! Especially how calmly <br />those old-timers reacted and took care of the situation, it would be <br />instruct i ve! <br />Jack Baker had a slow and easy manner---Les Gregory was steady and <br />sure---others were equally skilled in the way they handled emergency <br />situations--Fay Hall, Herman Dunkley, Melvin Myers, Bernard Kuskie, Joe <br />Petronovich (who I'm sure no one realized took care of the plant) and <br />- aL_-cour5jtL,_J:l)e,years _ that John Yur i ch worked. And th1s years flood-- <br />,the Flood Of 1934--sh:J\'lillO us how the' people of Oak Creek can and do . <br />w9r~,to~ether 1n th~ t1me of a cr1s1s. <br /> <br />Sincerely ----------------------------------M.Y.----------------____ <br />