Laserfiche WebLink
<br />June 11, 1864 <br /> <br /> <br />The flood reached a point near Third and Santa Fe <br /> <br /> <br />Avenues accdrding to early Pueblo settlers. During the later 1921 <br /> <br /> <br />flood, this same point was reported as being nearly 3 feet de"p, <br /> <br /> <br />probably due to grading-down of the street since 1864. The city <br /> <br />of Pueblo in 1864 was a small settlement of less t.han IDO inhab- <br /> <br />i tants with only a few houses to obstrUlot the floodflow estimated <br /> <br />at 45,000 cubic feet per second. The 1864 flood c:ould have had a <br /> <br /> <br />discharge near that of the 1921 flood ~Ii th the depth and areal <br /> <br /> <br />extent differences being due to channel constricting developments <br /> <br /> <br />and graded streets. Many cabins on the banks of Fountain CreE,k <br /> <br /> <br />behind the present steel works were washed away. No records Df <br /> <br />precipitation or flood stage were recorded on the Fountain Creek <br /> <br /> <br />watershed at that time. <br /> <br />July 26. 1893 <br /> <br /> <br />"Heavy rains at Pueblo broke the levee and did <br /> <br /> <br />$200,000 damage," according to the RockY,Mountain Times. Evi-, <br /> <br /> <br />dently, this was a very fast-rising flood as records show that <br /> <br /> <br />the river rose 8 feet in 2 hours. <br /> <br />May 3D, 1894 <br /> <br />The Colorado Chieftain headlines read: "Highest <br /> <br /> <br />Water on Record Visits Pueblo" and "The Fountain Also on a Tear." <br /> <br /> <br />Five lives were lost and $2 million in property damage was sus- <br /> <br /> <br />tained from the combined flooding of Fountain Creek, Dry Creek, <br /> <br />and the Arkansas River. The 8th Street. Bridge WaS severely <br /> <br /> <br />damaged and the 4th Sfreet Bridge was entirely swept away. The <br /> <br />channel of the Fountain has entirely changed, running fully 200 <br /> <br /> <br />yards east of its former place, the Colorado Chieftain news <br /> <br /> <br />article informed. The floodwaters reac~ed a depth of 4 feet over <br /> <br /> <br />the floors of the building on 2nd Street between Santa Fe Avenue <br /> <br /> <br />and Main Street. <br /> <br />The flood originated primarily in the Fountain Creek <br /> <br />25 <br />