Flood of 1909 Posts

“Such a delightful time”

July 1909 — Seven billion gallons of water falls on the Duluth area in two days. Grass, trees, timbers, paving blocks, mud and debris are washed down the city’s hillside during the torrential rainfall. Two children drown after being swept out of their mother’s arms.

Within two weeks a postcard is made, and the mood on the back doesn’t quite seem to fit the mood on the front.

Duluth Street Scene, 1909

Street scene, Lake & Superior Streets 21 July 1909 (Minnesota Reflections)

I ran across this photo last year on Minnesota Reflections.

It was the people who caught my interest though. Looking into the faces of people caught in a random freezeframe of Superior Street traffic from 101 years ago grabbed me for whatever reason. I guess the fact that they’re gawking at a ruined street gives it a timeless quality.