The Flood

The great storm and flood last week, of which we had but the beginning as our paper went to press on Friday night, appears to have been general throughout the country, and our exchanges from all quarters comes filled with accounts of disasters and hair-breadth escapes. From New York and New England, from Virginia and Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, &c., the burden of the papers and telegraph dispatches is the same. To give anything like a full account from all directions would occupy more space than we can command, so that we shall attempt little more than a resume of disasters at and near home.

AT DAYTON. – The chief disaster at Dayton was the destruction of the fine bridge, erected by the people four or five years ago, at an expense of some $1000. It was taken off bodily, leaving nothing but the naked abutment. The dam was not seriously injured. A break in the feeder will probably stop the mills from running a month or more. Of individuals, the Messrs. Green are the only serious sufferers. Their dye house, a new building erected north of the woolen factory, has been so badly damaged as to require re-building, and the kilns, hearths, kettles, &c., in it are mostly ruined. The lower floor of the factory was also six or seven feet under water, and suffered considerable damage.

FOX RIVER FEEDER. – The Fox River feeder, leading from Dayton to Ottawa, has again, as usual, suffered serious damage. Some sixty or seventy rods of the bank at Dayton has been swept away, the lower gates and wing of the guard lock have gone out and the lock otherwise much damaged. There are also several smaller breaks in the feeder lower down, and a good deal of dirt has been washed into it. It will take a month at least to repair it.¹

---

1. The Ottawa Free Trader, February 14, 1857, p. 2, col. 1

The following unidentified clipping comes from a family scrapbook.

DAYTON ON THE FOX
Mrs. John W. Fogle
Grand Ridge, Ill., R. F. D. 1

They will build a dam at Dayton,
At Dayton on the Fox,
Where the water twists and tumbles
As it flows between the rocks.

They will undertake this enterprise
If they can overcome their fears,
And bring new life to this village
Which has been asleep for years.

‘Twas a town of thrift and action
As it nestled between the hills,
For the water furnished power
For the flour and woolen mills.

‘Twas a thriving little village
As I look back o’er the years,
And the breaking up of home ties
Caused many bitter tears.

There’s a quiet little graveyard
Along the river’s brink,
Where the leaves in golden autumn
Are all colors you can think.

Where the squirrels frisk and chatter
As they hunt their winter’s store,
From trees that shade the silent homes
Of our loved ones gone before.

Broad and fertile farm lands
Surround this little place,
Where years ago the timberlands
Furnished ground for hunters’ chase.

‘Twas the stopping place of Shabbona,
And many Indian braves
Who gave their time to hunt and fish,
And the fun their spirit craves.

And now it comes to life again,
In this age of power and gold,
When even running waters
Are being bought and sold.

They will build this dam at Dayton
For the wealth of coming trade,
And harness up the waters,
Changing scenes that nature made.

When we visit scenes of childhood
In the sunset of our years,
We will praise the work of science
With everlasting cheers.

How we wish the running waters
Could talk as they go by,
They would preach a lasting sermon
Of our blessings from on high.

As the waves go splashing by you,
Listen now – they seem to say,
“Dayton takes her place in history
In the grand old U. S. A.”

Why do I love this river
As it zigzags ‘round the rocks?
Why, I was born at Dayton,
At Dayton on the Fox.

Mrs. John W. Fogle was Mary Bunna Rhoads, daughter of Thomas and Katherine Rhoads. She was born February 17, 1864 in Dayton. She married John W. Fogel August 22, 1888 in La Salle county, Illinois, and lived in Grand Ridge. She died April 11, 1926, in Ottawa.

 

 

 

 

The Ottawa [Illinois] Free Trader, February 12, 1887, p. 4, col. 6
From Dayton
Dayton, Ill., Feb. 11th, 1887. – The little Fox became the raging Ohio during the flood of last Tuesday. Never since 1857 have we had such a heavy run of water and ice. The ice commenced running Tuesday morning, and run two hours; just before noon it run two hours, and in the evening it run five hours, making nine hours, run. And contrary to the usual manner, the last ice running, instead of being the lightest, was the heaviest, some of it being two feet thick. The fish chute was carried out, but no damage was done to the dam. One of the gates at the locks was broken, and the feeder bank was washed nearly through for quite a distance. The water was so high it ran over the locks and the surrounding embankment. The trestle work of the second span of the new bridge was carried away Monday night, and during the heavy run of ice Tuesday evening, the stone were all knocked out of the noses of the piers, leaving them in a very battered condition. The water alongside of the piers was nearly twenty feet deep. The paper mill lost six hundred dollars worth of straw, which is quite a loss to them, as it is difficult to replace it at this time of year, on account of the bad roads.

The Ottawa [Illinois] Free Trader, February 19, 1887, p. 1, col. 4
Please Rise and Explain
The managers of canal affairs in this city have provoked the ire of divers and sundry of our manufacturers here, by either gross inattention to their duties or a want of due knowledge thereof, as follows:

On Sunday last an ice gorge occurred in the river and feeder of the canal at Dayton, and soon the waters there were on a level – formed a “pool,” and threatened to do considerable damage. On Sunday evening the ice broke away and the waters subsided. Then the waters in the canal were let out, why, no one knows, as all danger was then over. The canal remained dry four days, during which every manufactory in Ottawa whose power is supplied by water was idle. The canal and feeder banks were all sound and no repairs were needed, and none have been made. This withdrawing of the water and stopping the factories, as figured by the proprietors of the different establishments, resulted in damage as follows:
Victor and City Mills, per day, $70; H. C. Strawn, $10; Tile Works, $250; Weis & Wolf, $10; King, $10; Koeppler, $15; Colwell and Rugg, and the Electric Light Co., not reported. Result, a loss of $865 a day, or $1,460, to the factories that have been heard from.

The State of Illinois or its servants ought to make good this loss, in the absence of a satisfactory explanation.

The Ottawa [Illinois] Free Trader, February 26, 1887, p. 8, cols. 2-3
From Dayton
Dayton, Feb. 24. – The slush ice is slowly cutting away out of the river, but large banks of it twelve feet thick remain upon the shores. The mills all got started up again this week.

Your valuable paper last week, in an article under the heading of “Please Rise and Explain,” publishes some things in regard to the shutting out of water from the feeder and canal, which your reporter obtained from a very unreliable source, for there is hardly a word of truth in the whole article. Our manufacturers and citizens who witnessed the flood of the 18th all agree in saying that the canal authorities acted wisely in closing down the gates and thus preventing much greater damage than was actually done; and it is but just to those in authority to state the true facts. Your article stated that “on Sunday evening the ice broke away and the waters subsided.” Now, this is not true, for although the waters subsided a few feet, yet the ice did not break away, but, on the contrary, the ice remained in the same dangerous condition as it was on Sunday, and a fall of temperature, bringing down more slush ice on Monday, would have made the situation more dangerous than on Sunday. Your article further states, “Then the waters in the canal were let out, why, no one knows, as all danger was then over.” As a matter of fact, the water in the feeder and canal was let out about nine o’clock Sunday morning, and a messenger on horseback was dispatched to the canal authorities warning them of the danger to the banks. A gang of the state’s men watched the feeder banks all night Sunday ready to cut it and let the water back into the river again should the danger increase. Again we quote “The canal remained dry four days, during which every manufactory in Ottawa whose power is supplied by water was idle.” Sunday, when the current of the river was forced by the slush ice into the feeder, an ice jam was formed which completely shut off all the water and forced it over the banks into the river again. Tuesday morning, when it was thought the danger was over for the present, the lock gates were raised, and as much water was let in as could be forced through the ice jam. It required two or three days to cut out the ice, and the feeder and canal were being filled as rapidly as possible. If the gates had been left up during the flood there is no question but that a large amount of the bank would have been washed out, which would have taken at least two weeks to repair. Then, let us figure what the damage would have been to the Ottawa manufacturers had the canal authorities not taken the precautions they did: Victor and City Mills, $70 per day, 12 days, $840; H. C. Strawn, $10 per day, for two weeks, $120; Tile Works, $250 per day, for two weeks, $3,000; Weiss & Wolf, $10 per day, for two weeks, $120; King, $10 per day, for 12 days, $120; Koeppler, $15 per day, for 12 days, $180. Result, an actual loss of $1,460 – a probable loss of $4,380, leaving to the credit of the canal authorities $2,920 by reason of their taking such precautions as they did.
Occasional

The Ottawa [Illinois] Free Trader, March 5, 1887, p. 4, cols. 5-6
The Freshet and the Canal
Ottawa, Ill., March 3, 1887
Messrs. Editors: – As “Occasional” has charged in your issue of Feb 26th that the statements made in your issue of Feb. 19th were nearly every word false; and as those statements were obtained from me, in an interview with your reporter, I feel that I ought to reply briefly to the wholesale charge of falsehood.

I visited Dayton Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday following the overflow of the canal bank at Dayton, on Sunday, the 13th of February last. I examined and inspected the canal banks, lock and floodgates each day; and I hereby declare and affirm that not a cent’s worth of damage was done to the canal banks or canal property at Dayton at that overflow, either Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, the day they finally let in the water. Nor was there one cent’s worth of work done nor material furnished or used for any repairs to the canal during that time at that place for any damage done the canal by the overflow of the Fox river into the canal.
The canal authorities declared to me Tuesday morning, standing on the bridge at Dayton, that there was no damage done to the canal.
Now, will Mr. “Occasional” inform me, or the public, why the water could not have been let into the canal as soon, at least, as its authorities were informed that no damage was done, and that no repairs were needed.

“Occasional” says that some water was let in on Tuesday. That may be true; but I measured the water in the lock at the head of the feeder every day, – Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, – and the water was twenty inches lower Thursday morning than Wednesday morning; so that if the gates were opened Tuesday, they must have been closed again.

“Occasional” says that the State men watched the banks all night Sunday night, and at the same time admits that the ice gorge broke below the dam, in the river, Sunday night and that the water went down. But he neglects to inform us that on Monday (notwithstanding, as he says, the danger was over) they did cut the feeder bank more than one mile below where the overflow was and when there was no water in the canal and no prospect of any. And this large hole was cut in the narrowest part of the bank and where, if a washout could have been furnished to the invitation thus made and kept open three full days (for it was not refilled until Thursday, I think it would have been later than the next planting time before the bank would have been rebuilt. “occasional,” especially in the Ottawa Republican, is very full in his charge of falsehood, but still follows each charge with an admission of facts stated in the Free Trader of the 19th of February. He says, if the weather should change, &c., &c.; as well he might say, if we should have a June freshet, or if some other awful thing should happen, it was safe to wait and see.
The canal authority that would shut the water out of the canal and keep it out for four days and cut a large hole in the canal bank and keep it open three days as a precaution against what may happen in the future, is no doubt a very prudent authority.

And now, if “Occasional” will point out, over his own signature, where one cent’s worth of damage was done to the canal on account of the overflow, or where, during the time between Sunday and Thursday, one cent’s worth of repairs was made by the canal authorities on account of the damage done by the overflow, that shall be the truth, then I will confess that I am wrong. Until that is done, no matter how many times you charge me with falsehood, the facts as stated must stand for the truth.

No, Mr. “Occasional,” the conduct up there at that time is consistent with the conduct here daily. There is hardly a day but the water in the main canal is anywhere from ten to twenty inches below navigation stage. That, Mr. Authority knows full well, taken from a six-foot head, well nigh destroys the power on that head. And all, as Mr. Authority says, because he will take no chances.
Once more, if, as “Occasional” says, it was true that an ice bar was formed across the feeder below the gates so that no water could pass if the gates were open, then, in the name of common sense, why were the State men set at work Monday cutting the canal bank one mile down the feeder, where there was no water and none could be got if his statement was true? There is an adage, that “of all men, liars ought to have good memories,” – or ought to have reason enough to see where their statements convict themselves.
Respectfully, Wm. Thomas

The Ottawa [Illinois] Free Trader, March 12 [printed; actually 19], 1887, p. 2, col. 5
The Dayton Flood Again
Dayton, March 3, 1887 – On your last issue Mr. William Thomas, an old citizen of Ottawa, came out in a lengthy article admitting that he is the author of the unjust criticisms on the action of the canal authorities, and charging your correspondent with telling falsehoods. Our citizens and manufacturers feel that Mr. Thomas has very much misrepresented the facts in this matter and desire that we should answer his article and place the facts again correctly before the public.
Why should we write anything but the truth when we are a user of the water at this place and a loser by the shutting out of the water? We are also your reporter for this vicinity and always try to give your paper nothing but the facts, and we know that we are supported by the citizens here who were eye-witnesses of the overflow, in saying that we have given the facts correctly in the matter.

In Mr. Thomas’ whole article he does not (and cannot) deny the points we made, viz.: of the danger during Sunday and Monday, Feb. 13th and 14th of a wholesale destruction of the banks, and of the fact that the canal was filled as rapidly as the water could force its way through the ice jam. There can be no denial of these facts.

Mr. Thomas charges that we admitted that the ice gorge broke below the dam Sunday night. Why does he say this, when in our last correspondence dated Feb. 24th, this was one of the points which we most emphatically denied. We claimed that the ice remained in the same dangerous condition on Monday as on Sunday.

Mr. Thomas claims that on Tuesday morning the canal authorities declared to him, standing on the bridge at Dayton, that no damage was done to the canal. We were present during that conversation, as were also three or four more responsible witnesses who testify to the same thing, and heard the canal supt. say that he did not know what damage was done to the banks. How could he tell when the ice was piled up all over the banks? Mr. Thomas acknowledged during the conversation on the bridge, that he had been up trying to examine the banks but as he had no shovel to clear away the ice, he could not tell the condition of the banks.

In regard to the big hole in the bank, he states was cut on Monday. These are the facts: the canal authorities thought the danger so great that they employed the bridgemen who were idle that day to cut the frost out of the bank below the paper mill, so that in case the river raised again and overflowed the banks, the bank could be quickly and easily cut and the water turned into the river again, and the canal would not be given more water than it could dispose of. It was not safe to cut the bank any nearer the locks as the river was too high.

We have never said or claimed that any damage was done to the banks at this time, but these are the facts: during the heavy run of ice of Feb. 8th the banks near the dam were cut about one-half through for a distance of nearly 100 feet, and the states’ men were two or three days repairing them, but the banks were still weak, however, when the flood of the 13th came on and it was only by a narrow escape that they were preserved. Instead of finding fault, Mr. Thomas should feel thankful that his electric light was not dimmed for three months instead of three days.

In regard to the measurements which he states he made at the lock, we have responsible witnesses who testify that at no time was the water more than fourteen inches low at the locks and that more water was being let in every day than could force its way through the ice jam.
We have interviewed a few of our prominent citizens and give you their opinions: A. F. Dunavan, Esq., of the Horse Collar Works, says he feels confident that the authorities did the proper thing in shutting out the water on that Sunday, and that there was great danger to the banks by the overflow. His factory was laid idle for a few days, but he feels confident that his loss would have been much greater had not the canal authorities shut out the water. J. W. Channel, of the Tile Works, says he is positive the authorities did perfectly right in shutting out the water, and that any one who would have seen the condition of the river at the dam at that time could not have a different opinion. He was an eye witness of the overflow. He had lived in Dayton a good many years, and never saw the water in as dangerous a condition to the banks as on that Sunday and Monday.
O. W. Trumbo who has lived here 30 years says he never saw the water so high. Mr. D. Moore of the paper mill thinks the authorities did the proper thing, as do Mr. Davis and Green Bros.
Occasional

————————————- AND THAT’S THAT, SO THERE!!

In 1915, the State of Illinois conducted a survey of the Fox River and proposed improvements. The report traced a history of the state of the Fox River from the 1830s to the present day (1915). Much information was presented on flooding and how it affected the many structures along the length of the river. The following excerpts from the report give a look at the river at Dayton and the place’s suitability for a hydro-electric plant. Following this report, the state built a dam and power house at Dayton in 1925. 

State of Illinois Rivers and Lakes Commission
Report of Survey and Proposed Improvement of the Fox River

p. 48: Although the records are not complete it seems to be pretty well established that there have been great floods on the Fox River in 1849, 1857, 1872, 1882 and 1902.

p. 48-9: Of all the floods, however, the one of 1857 seems to have been the most pronounced. . . . Heavy rain on February 6, 1857, melted the accumulated snow and broke up the ice. All the bridges from Batavia to Ottawa were washed out and several dams upstream gave way.

p. 50: There seems to have been many more floods in the days of the early settlement of the Fox River valley than in later years, although there were plenty of forested areas then while now there is practically no timber. In the early records frequent mention is found to washing out of dams and bridges year after year. The explanation for this is very likely due to the fact that originally the bridges were low wooden structures and the dams were crude affairs whose main reliance for stability consisted of logs across the channel. These were insecure affairs and high water floated them away. Most of the early bridges were built by private subscription and at great sacrifice of time and money to the pioneer settlers. Often they were no sooner erected than a freshet would wash them away.

p. 57: The Fox River valley was settled by the white race from 1839 to 1850. Pioneers looking for homesteads were impressed by the beauties of the valley, the abundance of clear water supplied by the river and the opportunities for securing water power from this stream. One of the first thoughts of the early settler was to start a saw or grist mill, the former to cut timber for buildings for family and cattle, and the latter in order to feed both himself and his stock. Otherwise, long journeys over trackless forest and prairie were required before the early family could have flour or meal. The history of the early settlements in the Fox River valley shows that practically the first thing done in every case, after building a house, was to build a dam and put up a water-wheel-driven mill. These dams were very crude timber structures, built of logs and slabs, and generally washed out or were seriously damaged by high water.

p. 62: Of the abandoned water-power sites, that at Dayton would naturally have a greater interest than the ordinary on account of its use in diverting the water from the river to the feeder of the Illinois and Michigan canal, which connected the canal proper at Ottawa. The head of the feeder was located about half a mile north of Dayton, where the State constructed the dam. Edward B. Talcott, resident engineer, in his report of December 10, 1840, referring to the Fox River dam, lock and section of the feeder, says this work was finished in September, 1839. This improvement was maintained until 1902 when the dam was washed out, since which time the feeder has been abandoned, as well as other interests dependent on this water power. In addition to its use as a feeder for the Illinois and Michigan Canal, a reservation was made between the Canal Commissioners and the owners of the mill property at Dayton that the latter were to have the use of one-fourth the supply created by the improvement, “the same shall be drawn out of said feeder within seven-eighths of a mile from the head of the guard lock” under direction of the Canal Commissioners. This gave the required power for manufacturing interests, but with the passing of the dam and power all else was abandoned, as shown by the large four-story building stripped of all machinery.

The first dam at Dayton was built in 1830 by John Green and was erected to furnish power for a grist-mill. It is claimed that this mill was the first one in the State to be operated by water power.
The second dam built by the State in 1839 was about fourteen feet high and was constructed of stone with a wooden crest. It developed about 2,000 horse-power, part of which was distributed —
120 horse-power to paper mills
40 horse-power to tannery
34 horse power to tile factory
120 horse-power to grist mill
40 horse-power to collar factory
120 horse-power to brick factory
—-
474 horse-power

One-fourth of the power was to be used on the east bank of the river and one-half the total developed power was to be used in Ottawa. The present stone mill building was built in 1864 by Jesse Green, at a cost of $65,000, and was operated as a woolen mill until 1882, when it was sold to a pressed brick company, who operated it until 1901, when financial reverses caused the owners to close the mill.

p. 66: Mr. R. S. Feurtado, of Chicago, made a report in 1910 on the proposed hydro-electric development of the Fox River near Dayton and Wedron. This report is in considerable detail and has gone into the question of power development at these two locations thoroughly. The minimum flow of the river is taken at 620 second-feet, but by building dams across Indian and Somonauk Creeks and holding the flood waters in the reservoirs thus created and discharging same into the Fox, a minimum flow of 933 second feet is obtained. On this basis the river alone at Dayton, with a 31-foot head, would furnish 1,740 horse-power constantly. With the two reservoirs proposed and the mill pond at Wedron to add additional water during the periods of low water, Mr. Feurtado estimated the total installation at the Dayton power house would be 6,220 horse-power.

p. 67: In this proposed development it was intended to build a 19-foot dam near Dayton that would create a pond of 209½ acres and have a capacity of 80,864,000cubic feet. The Wedron mill pond would have an area of 950 acres, that at Indian Creek would have 680 acres, and that at Somonauk Creek would have 550 acres area. This would make a total reservoir of 2,370 acres.
By reference to the profile of the Fox River it will be seen that there is a sharp drop in the river bed just above Dayton, giving a large head for a dam located at the foot of this slope. Near Wedron the river bed flattens out, giving a better storage location. This, combined with the fact that Indian Creek and Somonauk Creek valleys form natural reservoir basins, tends to make this an exceptional location for power development. Owing to these natural advantages and also that there is a good district surrounding Dayton for marketing electrical power, all contribute to make this one of the best locations for the development of a hydro-electric plant in this part of the State.

 

ARMY ASKED TO USE DYNAMITE ON ICE GORGE AT DAYTON DAM¹
Bridge Endangered as River Continues Rise
Families Flee as Water Enters Homes
Power Plant is Shut Down

BULLETIN!

Kenneth Short, superintendent of construction of the Illinois Division of Waterways, arrived at Dayton today to make a survey of the flood situation. He informed State Rep. J. Ward Smith this afternoon he would confer immediately with other engineers on the advisability of using dynamite or some other method to break the ice gorge.

The flood situation at Dayton, caused by a huge ice gorge in the Fox River, was described as very serious today, and the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers was asked to consider the matter of dynamiting the jammed slush ice.

The ice gorge went down slightly last night at 8, then rose again today, and water flowed over the road at the east side of the bridge below the dam. Ice reached the floor of the bridge, which is in danger of being washed out or badly damaged due to the intense pressure against it. At 9:30 today the water had risen to the top of the dam, above the floor of the bridge and the power plant of the North Counties Hydro-Electric Company was put out of commission.

Water completely surrounded several of the numerous cottages on the east bank of the river, both above and below the bridge. Basements of some of the homes were flooded and water had risen above the ground level floors of others. Many of the families moved out their furniture as the water continued to rise.

Move Furniture

At the Frank Kossow Jr., home water was over the floor and half way to the windows. Furniture from this house was moved last night to the nearby home of Frank Kossow Sr., which was on higher ground. This morning the water had reached the front steps of the latter’s home and had entered the basement. Mrs. Frank Kossow Jr., and her two sons, 5 and 3 years old, have gone to Peru to reside temporarily with her mother until the flood danger is over. Her husband was called back from Chicago where he was attending a convention. Frank Kossow Sr. is vacationing in Florida.

The H. T. Mossbarger house south of the road leading to the bridge was completely surrounded, and water threatened to enter the house. The Mossbargers, who have an 8-year-old son, piled up their furniture to protect it from damage and moved out last night.

North of the road an unoccupied summer cottage owned by George Farnsworth, county engineer, was moved from its foundation, and was tilted at an angle. The water there was nearly to the windows. The Harlan Kossow home also was surrounded by water, which at 10 today was within a foot of the floor.

Auto Submerged

An automobile owned by Ted Mathews in the yard near his home was almost completely submerged.

Water was up to the front door of the Larry Marta home. Marta is at Ft. Benning, Ga., attending a National Guard training school. His wife and their four-month-old baby moved out last night, and are residing temporarily at the home of her husband’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Dom Marta, Illinois Avenue.

The fire in the furnace at the home of Mrs. John Murphy was extinguished as water entered the basement. The family of Roy Murphy moved out as water entered their home. Another home threatened with flood damage was that of Bernard Hackler, who is employed in Ottawa by Scherer’s.

The Clyde Jeffries family left their home as the river continued to rise, and they were unable to return as the roadway leading to the house became submerged to a depth of four feet. This morning water had risen to within seven inches of the floor of the William Campbell home. The Robert Kennedy home was another which was flooded.

There are approximately 15 homes, with about 35 occupants, in the flooded area on the east side of the river.

Damaged in 1943

Robert Kennedy said today that in a similar flood in 1943, caused by an ice gorge, the river rose to about the same height that prevailed this morning. At that time the bridge was moved a couple of inches and cracks were caused in the foundation. The present bridge replaced a steel structure that collapsed in 1940 under the weight of a truck and automobile which were crossing it.

The drop in the level of the ice gorge last night apparently was due to the closing of the gates at the Starved Rock dam, causing a rise in the level of both the Illinois and Fox Rivers, and the subsequent opening of the gates, resulting in sudden dropping of the level. This action was taken at the request of George Farnsworth, county superintendent of highways. Dropping of the level presumably broke open a channel for the gorged Fox River ice. A new pileup of ice, however, in the river cause the water to rise again.

State Rep. J. Ward Smith was contacted by Dayton area residents at 3 a. m. today after the river resumed its rise. Rep. Smith telephoned to Tom Casey, chief engineer of the division of waterways, Illinois Department of Public Works and Buildings, and urged his cooperation in coping with the critical situation at Dayton. He also notified state police, who promised their assistance. After conferring with Casey, Rep. Smith notified the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, and asked their assistance. Smith suggested that dynamite be used to open a channel.

H. McGrogan, superintendent of the North Counties Hydro-Electric plant, said this morning that the water was 24-25 feet above normal below the dam, which is 26 feet in height from base to crest. There were two feet of water on the floor of the hydro-electric plant. McGrogan said the water was still slightly below what it was on the occasion of the last gorge, but he predicted it would go higher because of the enormous amount of ice still coming over the dam. He described the bridge situation as serious, due to the tremendous pressure against the structure.

---

1. Ottawa Republican-Times, January 30, 1952, p 1

It’s winter again and the Fox River at Dayton has a history of ice jams and floods. In 1960, the river again was jammed with ice, causing flooding, as seen here in the powerhouse.

• 

• 

In addition, the houses along both sides of the river were engulfed by ice,

• 

• 

and the bridge was under pressure.

• 

Here are some of the predecessor events for comparison. 1875, 1943, and 1952

• 

• 

January 27, 1855, 166 years ago today, the following notice appeared on page 4 of the Ottawa Free Trader.

Water Power To Lease

            The undersigned offer great inducements to capitalists and manufacturers, as they have decidedly the best water power in the state, having over 25 feet head and fall, and situated in Dayton, 4 miles above Ottawa, and drawn from the Fox river Feeder, which is kept in repair by the state, without any cost to the undersigned. They have water to lease for a term of years sufficient to drive 20 run of 4 ½ feet burrs, and will lease on very liberal terms to any good, responsible company.

            This is a rare chance for men of capital who may wish to go into the manufacturing business. The location is very healthy and admirably situated; as it is on a navigable feeder, within 4 miles of the contemplated Rock Island railroad, and the head of steamboat navigation. For further information, address Dayton Jny 31.

                                                                                                            John Green & Sons

When John Green bought the west side of the Fox river at the rapids, he became the owner of one half of the water power the river provided. (The other half belonged to the owner of the east bank of the river.) Green deeded one fourth of the power he owned to William Stadden. Green and Stadden then deeded one half of their water right to the Canal Commissioners for the Illinois-Michigan canal. Therefore, John Green’s share was 1/2 of 3/4 of 1/2 or 3/16 of the power of the river. He then deeded to Jesse and David Green one half of the power owned by him or 3/32 of the whole river. A government survey of the river in 1869 calculated the volume of the river was 40,000 cubic feet per minute at or near the mouth of Indian Creek. 3/32 of 40,000 equals 3750 cubic feet per minute and this is equal to 142 horse power. The use of the best wheels and machinery at the Green mills would equal 114 horse power, so John Green & Sons had excess power to lease.

DAILY EVENTS
Tuesday, June 3, 1890

A sport which is becoming quite popular with Ottawa cigar-makers is frog hunting. George Keim and Morris Flynn captured several dozen of these pet animals at Dayton on Sunday.¹

Frogs were not the only sport in the Fox river at Dayton. It was known for the good fishing, attracting people from a wide area. Anglers fished for common snook, redfish, trout, bass, pike, catfish of several species, walleye, and muskellunge.

Our busy little neighbor, Dayton, besides becoming famous for her horse collars, woolen goods, tile and paper, is getting to be quite a popular summer resort. The stream of visitors during the few weeks since the fishing season opened must be enormous, for on every bright day at least the banks of the river are lined with people. As a sample of the size of parties: – Some 25 couples from Streator went up in a special car on Tuesday! Already the campers have begun to put in their appearance, and it is altogether likely that from this time until fall there will be no great diminution in the number of visitors. We should think the citizens would turn this flood of tourists to their advantage; and they certainly could make themselves vastly popular with the people of the Fox River Valley by lending their aid in the suppression of illegal seining in their waters.²

In 1884 a muskellunge was caught at Dayton with a hook and line, that weighed over 32 lbs.! It was over four feet long, and 9 inches across the body.

Fishing is all the rage here now, and a large number of game fish have been caught and carried away during the past two weeks. Good fishermen have caught all the way from 25 to 100 and over of black bass, ranging from one pound to five and six pounds in weight. The river seemed to be full of them and sportsmen are having a jolly time.³

In 1891 it was reported that over 1000 fish were caught at Dayton in a single day.

---

1. Ottawa Free Trader, 7 Jun 1890, p. 3, col. 2
2. Ottawa Free Trader, 27 May 1882, p. 6, col. 1
3. Ottawa Free Trader, May 12, 1888, p. 8, col. 2

WILL REBUILD DAYTON DAM TO FURNISH POWER FOR ELECTRIC ROAD
Simpson Brothers, of New York, are Behind This New Proposition

            Simpson Bros., who are promoting the new railroad from Yorkville to Mendota through Sandwich, Somonauk and Earlville, have closed a contract for the power rights in Dayton and expect to construct a dam there this summer and utilize the power for lighting the towns through the Fox Rive[r] valley and operating their proposed railroad. Simpson Bros. were in this city on Monday and closed a contract with the Chicago Retort & Fire Brick company for their property interest at Dayton. They also propose negotiating for the Duffy property on the North Bluff. They may decide to move to Ottawa and locate here. This firm has built a dam across the Fox river near Oswego and will supply power to the towns from Yorkville to Ottawa. The contemplated road from Yorkville to Mendota will parallel the La Salle County railway, which is building from Ottawa to Mendota, Earlville to Sandwich and DeKalb. Sandwich, by granting a franchise to the Simpsons may have the La Salle County Railway, which is in active competition.

Simpson Bros. have been negotiating with the commissioners of the Illinois & Michigan canal for several months. The abstracts of the property which it will be necessary for the Simpsons to purchase has been turned over to the canal commissioners and they are now being examined by the attorneys for the canal board. It is expected that the dam will be built by the state, but that the Simpsons will furnish the money. The state will exercise jurisdiction over the dam. The Ottawa Hydraulic company, which had an interest in the Dayton water power, have surrendered their charter and whatever rights they had in the water power at Dayton have lapsed, so they will not have any opposition from this source.¹

---

1. The [Ottawa, Illinois] Free Trader, 13 Sep 1912, p7, col 2