Historian talks Great Flood of 1913 impact in Fremont
FREMONT - On March 25, 1913, after several days of torrential rainfall, the Ballville Dam broke from the force of the already flooded and still rising Sandusky River, later unleashing a devastating flood wave of water into Fremont, the likes of which had never been seen before or since.
Mike Gilbert, educator and local historian, said when the rain began two days before on Easter Sunday 1913, the people of Fremont had no idea what was to come.
“When the people were coming home from church, they heard the bells ringing and the rain falling — it was like a lot of other things they had experienced in their lives,” he said. “Like a good rain to cleanse the ground for the upcoming spring. Nobody really thought too much about it.”
The most severe and rapid flooding occurred after the dam failure.
The Ballville Dam had been standing for less than a year, built in the fall of 1912, mere months before a wooden portion to the south would come tumbling down under the immense pressure of the Sandusky River, which still had not reached its crest on Tuesday morning, March 25.
It would later be referred to as the Great Flood of 1913, one of the most destructive and deadly floods ever to hit the region.
In Fremont alone, three people died, at least 500 homes were damaged, 100 of those beyond repair, 24 houses were completely swept away and 150 businesses were damaged, causing a total of an estimated $1 million in damages.
By Tuesday night, waters were raging through downtown. Between 7 to 10 feet of water covered State Street and the surrounding roads.
Eyewitness accounts from diaries and newspaper articles detail the grim scene, from seeing homes just floating down the river to loved ones on rooftops unable to reach other as the violent water below raced and swirled with whirlpools.
Well over a thousand people were rescued from the city, however, thanks to the bravery and life-saving efforts of both locals and visitors there to help.
Capt. Isaac Floro, of Port Clinton, was one of those heroes. During the flood, Floro led a crew of rescuers down to Fremont in an effort to retrieve as many stranded people as they could.
By March 26, Floro and his crew had already saved hundreds of people when he was coming to the aid of two men atop a home at 225 Wabash St,, who at the time did not think they would survive.
“Here comes Floro and couple other men to the rescue,” Gilbert said. “All of the sudden, they see Floro’s boat start to turnover.”
Despite being a very experienced rescue person working in unforgiving condition before, in an instant Floro fell from the boat and went roaring down State Street.
Gilbert said Floro would later be found at the top of a tree at the corner of Ohio Avenue and Howland Street. Based on how they found Floro’s body, it is believed he likely went through a tremendous amount of pain before he died.
An estimated 2,000 people attended Floro’s funeral in Port Clinton, including around 100 people from Fremont.
Gilbert shared Floro’s story and many others during the History Roundtable series hosted by the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, held on Saturdays from 10 to 11:30 a.m. through October.
For more information about the series or to pre-register, call Nan Card at 419-332-2081, ext. 239 or email email@example.com.