Submitted article
On Tuesday, May 26, Bucyrus area residents will have the opportunity to attend a program about the destructive 1913 flood presented by the new curator of the Bucyrus Historical Society, Tonia Hoffert. She will be assisted by Mark Steinmetz, a historian and amateur hydrologist, from the Seneca County Museum in Tiffin.
This open meeting of the Bucyrus society will begin at 7 p.m. in the Parish Hall of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 130 South Walnut Street, Bucyrus. It will consist of Hoffert’s audio-visual description of the 1913 flood including information about other major floods which have ravaged our community and its neighbors over the years. Copies of numerous vintage photographs of those flood waters and the damage which resulted will be projected for all to see.
The March 1913 flood of the Sandusky River and its tributaries was a loco-regional natural disaster, resulting from the downpour of some ten inches or more of rain over a four to five day period. One hundred years ago severe floods were often classified as being “acts of God.” Today we prefer to attribute them in large part to such things as “climate change,” unwise farming methods, clear cutting of timber, and “global warming.” Obviously, all causative factors for flood disasters are still not fully understood, not even in 2015. Memories of such floods tend to fade with time but we are fortunate to have written descriptions and, for more recent events, dramatic photographs of them. When pieced together by individuals seriously interested in such phenomena, our memories can be fully restored, allowing us to appreciate such history, involving family, local or regional terrain, or even of broader scope.
In addition to enhancing one’s knowledge of the major floods in Bucyrus history, the May 26 meeting will provide an excellent opportunity to meet and get to know Hoffert, whose labors are already apparent upon visiting the Bucyrus Historical Society’s museum, Scroggs House, now that it has re-opened for the 2015 season. Museum hours are Mondays, 1 to 4 p.m. (except for holidays). Special tours can be arranged at other times by contacting the society at 419-562-6386.
The meeting and a time of discussion with light refreshments to follow is open to all and free of charge. Area middle and high school students are especially encouraged to attend. Parents, bring your younger school age children, too. This is Bucyrus history about which all should be aware.