The great Virginia flood of 1870
Title:
The great Virginia flood of 1870
Author:
Green, Paula F., author.
ISBN:
9781467147279
Personal Author:
Physical Description:
206 pages : illustrations, maps ; 23 cm
Contents:
Introduction -- 1. The Winding Forks of the Shenandoah: Staunton to Warren County, Virginia -- 2. The Stem of the Shenandoah Becomes a Scythe: Clarke County, Virginia, to Washington, D.C. -- 3. The James River and Its Tributaries: Rockbridge County to Richmond, Virginia -- 4. Soliciting Donations: Relief and the Brief Attempt to Help the Sufferers -- 5. Memory and Memorialization -- Appendix A. Known Casualties of the 1870 Flood -- Appendix B. Peter Bixler's Relief Allotment -- Appendix C. Transcriptions -- Appendix D. Minutes of the New York Stock Exchange Governing Committee -- Appendix E. Richmond Merchant Losses -- Notes -- Bibliography -- About the Author
Abstract:
In the fall of 1870, a massive flood engulfed parts of Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland. What began near Charlottesville as welcome rain at the end of a drought-plagued summer quickly turned into a downpour as it moved west and then north through the Shenandoah Valley. The James, Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers rose, and flooding washed out fields, farms and entire towns. The impact was immense in terms of destruction, casualties and depth of water. The only warning that Richmond, downriver from the worst of the storm, had of the wall of water bearing down on it was a telegram. In this account, public historian Paula Green details not only the flood but also the process of recovery in an era before modern relief programs.
Genre:
