The Flood of June 1937

The June 26, 1937 issue of the Sandusky Register reported that nearly six inches of rain fell in the 24 hour period between the evenings of June 24 and June 25. Hundreds of people were without electricity and telephone service. The Erie County Engineer reported that practically every road in the area was impassable at some point, because of high water. Sandusky was isolated from the rest of the world, as the subways at Hayes Avenue (pictured above), Camp Street, Columbus Avenue, and Tiffin Avenue were flooded. Trucks were stranded in the flooded subway on Tiffin Avenue:

 Making the most of a difficult situation, some youngsters went swimming in the high waters.

 Several local factories had to cancel operations because of damage to stock and materials, including the Madison Street plant of the Hinde and Dauch Company, the Farrell-Cheek Foundry, the Holland-Rieger Company, and the G. & C Foundry. Providence Hospital incurred over $50,000 worth of damages. The Emergency Room, X-Ray Department, medical supplies room, and kitchen were all under water. Bellevue was the hardest hit community in the June flood. A young man, Emerson Zippernick, drowned while swimming in a pond during the extreme downpour of rain. National Guard troops were called in  to Bellevue to help avoid a railroad embankment from giving way.

Earlier in 1937, the OhioRiver flooded, causing the deaths of over three hundred people, and leaving thousands homeless. 

The Sandusky Register and Sandusky Star Journal provided extensive coverage of the northern Ohio flood of June, 1937. Visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center to read about this event. The Archives Research Center has in its holdings microfilmed copies of Sandusky newspapers dating back to 1822.

Thanksgiving Weekend Snowstorm in 1958

Bob Frank took this photograph in November, 1958 in downtown Sandusky. Columbus Avenue businesses in the picture include: LaSalle’s, Marsh Shoes, J.C. Penney, Gray Drugs, Holzaepfel Brothers, and Burns & Gove Jewelers.

The November 29, 1958 issue of the Sandusky Register reported that a major snowstorm paralyzed traffic throughout the Midwest, and knocked out power lines in three states. Gale force winds downed trees and power lines, and at least 226 individuals had been killed throughout the United States since the beginning of the holiday weekend, which had begun the previous Wednesday. Snow began falling early Friday morning, and continued for twenty-four hours.

Former longtime Hinde and Dauch Paper Co. employee, Roland Sloat, suffered a fatal heart attack after shoveling snow. The Bay Bridge post of Ohio State Patrol reported six accidents on Erie County highways on Friday night, with three of them resulting in injuries. Columbus, Ohio police said that minor accidents were being reported every six minutes.

Below is another photograph of Sandusky during the 1958 snowstorm, taken by Bob Frank. Mr. Frank was looking south from West Adams Street. The office of Dr. J. D. Parker is seen just east of the Erie County jail. Both these properties are now part of the Sandusky Library.