Remembering the 1913 Flood

Over the past 100 years, the 1913 Flood has long been remembered—both in general and on special milestone anniversaries. Shortly after the event, a rallying cry of “Remember the promises made in the attic” prompted residents to recall the horrible flood and contribute to a project for flood prevention. (Evidence of that successful campaign can still be seen and appreciated today in the form of the 5 dams of the Miami Conservancy District!) High water marks could be seen in the city after the floodwaters receded, and in some cases, those marks have been preserved. Reunions of flood survivors have even been held. Plays and re-enactments have taken place. Not to mention the scores of articles that have been written for the Dayton Daily News and other papers over the years!

You can see some of the ways that the 1913 Flood has been remembered in the Miami Valley, in these photos from the Dayton Daily News Archive:

More information can be found in these resources from Wright State University Special Collections & Archives:

• Dayton Daily News Archive, DDNVIP Files, 87F, 1913 Flood (several folders).
• More Dayton Daily News Archive blog posts about 1913 Flood.
• Several “Out of the Box” blog posts about 1913 Flood.
• The 1913 Flood web site section.
• Two of our online exhibits focus on the 1913 Flood.

• Manuscript collections pertaining to the 1913 Flood.
• Digital materials pertaining to the 1913 Flood, on WSU CORE.