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<br />, <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The Myth of the Dugouts <br /> <br />Finally, in our search for flood history in Erie, we were <br /> <br />told of the "dugouts". They are connected with some of the <br /> <br />earliest of Erie's local legends. We were led to believe by one <br /> <br /> <br />old timer43 that, after a particularly large flood in Erie's past, <br /> <br />several people who had been flooded out temporarily moved to the <br /> <br />top of the hill on the east bank of Coal Creek. It was implied <br /> <br />that the depressions, known locally as the dugouts, were formed <br /> <br />as a result of excavations for basements and in preparing founda- <br /> <br />tions for new homes. <br /> <br />This notion is given some credence in the fOllowing account, <br /> <br />which appears in the book Erie: Yesterday and Today: <br /> <br />There was a French settlement in the north part of Erie <br />where the Alaux and Jabot families lived. A flood in <br />this area of town destroyed their homes, and they were <br />forced to move into other areas of the town.44 <br /> <br />It is not known if "other areas" refers to the dugouts or not. In <br /> <br />any event, the authors of the book indicate that the dugouts were <br /> <br /> <br />probably formerly occupied by Indians45, which suggests their <br /> <br />creation may not be flood related or that the original inhabitants <br /> <br />had a better understanding of floodplain management than the white <br /> <br />man. The use of the dugouts in the 20th century is best summarized <br /> <br />by the following statement from the above source: <br /> <br />Altogether about a dozen families lived here in these <br />dugouts but all moved out as soon as they could prepare <br />or find houses elsewhere.46 <br /> <br />43Conversations with Joe Fletcher, Erie resident, 1980. <br /> <br />44sociology and History classes of Erie High School, Edition <br />2, page 48. <br /> <br />4S'b'd <br />~, <br /> <br />Edition 1, page 12. <br /> <br />46ibid. <br /> <br />-19- <br />