1937 flood

1933  FLOOD

   1933 was unusual in that there were 2 floods that year. The first crested at 63.6' on March 21. The second crested at 54.1' on May 15. The post card above is a modern reproduction of, I believe, the second somewhat minor flood in May.

1937  FLOOD

  The flood of 1937 was the highest the Ohio had ever risen since any type of records were kept. The very first recorded one in 1773 was measured at 76', which if true would have been the worst flooding of the area until the 1937 one. Of course how accurate that one was is debatable. The official height of the 1937 flood is listed at 79.99 feet. If this number seems rather odd to you, it is and it has long been debated on. Rumor has it, (but has never been proven) that had it officially reached 80 feet double indemnity clauses in certain insurance contracts might have become effective, and the companies would likely have been thrown into bankruptcy. For all practical purposes, the Weather Bureau now accepts 80 feet. When the crest was reached 11 of Cincinnati's 72 square miles was under water. Just picture this and I will shut up, Home Plate at Crosley Field was under 20 feet of water.
  The photo below shows the Island Queen trapped between the bridges. The Queen and her wharf boat drifted several blocks from her spot at the foot of Broadway.

These are not postcards

 1937 flood as seen from the Union Central Building, Cincinnati, OH - looking southeast at the ramp to the Roebling Suspension Bridge. Taken January 1937 by Nelson Ronsheim (copyright 2009, Michael G Smith)”

                                       
         Crosley Field                                                           card showing water nearly
                                                                                               covering lower grandstand

                       
Salvation Army roof                     Union Terminal                          Ludlow Viaduct                       Industrial District 

               
Suspension Bridge                 Fire in Cumminsville                 foot of Sycamore St.

                       
    Coney Island                             Coney Island                     Big 4 & B&O Bridge               Suspension Bridge
                                                                                                            Over Big Miami                 across the top of card

                       
      L. & N. Bridge                    View over Central Bridge           East End Union Levee           Columbia Power Station

                       
L. & N and Central Bridges         Union Gas & Electric           Cincinnati Union Terminal                  Beachmont ramp         
Newport, KY at top                                                                                                                                                                    

                   
      Beechmont Levee  East End                                                Beechmont Bridge Over Little Miami

                      
Lunken Airport                          Lunken Airport                   Union Terminal in center                 Cumminsville    

   The area around Lunken Airport is the site of the original Cincinnati. The original settlers had to move down river to the slightly higher elevation of the present Cincinnati because of the very bad flooding in this area.

               
Store Interior                    2730 Spring Grove Ave.                Lower Price Hill

  All four of these cards are views of the huge fire caused by gas storage tanks overturning and catching fire during the 1937 flood. Called The Black Sunday Fire it took more than 12 hours to put out and burned over three and a half square miles causing  $1.5 million in damages (in depression day dollars).

                       
The Zanol Products Co. (no information) This folder contains 14 pictures, (2 shown), of the 1937 Flood

1937  FLOOD  PHOTOGRAPHS

   The following images are not postcards. I have come into possession of a group of photographs with detailed descriptions on the backs of most of them.

                       
#1                                                #2                                                #3                                                #4

   #1-The Island Queen and her wharf boat being towed to a new mooring. #2-View of Pearl St. with Island Queen in the distance and water still rising. #3- corner of Broadway and Pearl. Writer explains that this area is where fruit dealers set up their stands. You can see police in their boats bring people from their homes to dry land. #4- Bellevue (left) and Newport KY. (right) as seen from Mt. Adams. In between is where a ballpark was located.

                       
#5                                                #6                                                #7                                                #8

   #5-A warehouse at 4th & Smith Sts. with gas company behind it. Writer states that at no time was the city not without gas, although the phone, water and electric services were discontinued.  #6- Broadway with the levee on the right. The collapsed building apparently trapped some people. #7-Near L & N Bridge at 3rd and Butler. Writer states that no one was allowed into Jones Restaurant without a pass to take pictures, and that they had no whiskey to sell by-the-glass for many a day, besides which the area was patrolled by the National Guard. #8- 3rd & Central with wreckage obstructing the view to the river straight ahead.

                       
  #9                                               #10                                               #11                                                #12

   #9-This street is not identified by the writer, he calls it the Clinic block because he apparently had a clinic behind the camera. The view is facing the Ohio River and the writer states that the water had several more feet to rise and says due to the inclination of the street the water never reached his clinic that was on the next corner. #10-Scene after the flood at Coney Island. Writer states that these lockers were cemented down and thus were not washed away. I am not familiar with these lockers, does anyone have any further information? #11-(Probably Eastern Ave.) A garage that had floated into its present position. #12-Eastern Avenue. A flat-bottomed boat that was used during the flood can be seen. The Red Cross pleaded for all these borrowed boats to be returned as most of them were abandoned.

                       
 #13                                              #14                                              #15                                               #16

   #13-Eastern Ave. The 2nd floor of this house floated off the 1st floor and fell over when the flood receded. #14-Stanley and Kellogg Aves, just off Eastern Ave. The house floated onto its side and landed on the gas station lot. #15-(Eastern Ave?) One house floated onto the top of another house which collapsed when water receded. #16-Area referred to as "Turkey Bottom" near Eastern Ave. A graveyard of floating homes. 

#17

   House in the "Bottoms" The white square on the far left center is a sign "Condemned by B. of  H." (Bureau of Housing?).