U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Louisville District 1937 Flood Photograph Albums

Held by The Filson Historical Society

Creator: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Louisville District

Title: 1937 Flood Photograph Albums

Rights: For information regarding literary and copyright interest for these photographs, contact the Collections Department.

Size of Collection:  2 albums

Location Number: 020PC12

Historical Note

The Louisville District of the United States Army Corps of Engineers was established in 1886 to provide engineering solutions for Louisville, Kentucky. The Corps was created to focus on frontier exploration and mapping, defense fortification, the traversal and opening of the Ohio Valley waterways, flood reduction, military construction, environmental cleanup, and national disaster response. Their mission has been to reduce disaster risk, strengthen the economy, and support national security. The Louisville District’s main role was the development of Ohio River navigation, specifically at the Falls of the Ohio.

With assistance from the Corps of Engineers, the Louisville and Portland Canal Company operated a canal near the Falls of the Ohio from 1830 to 1874, when the Corps took full jurisdiction of it. The Corps constructed locks and dams along the length of the Ohio River and currently operate eight lock and dam systems throughout.

In response to the Ohio River flood in Louisville in 1937, the Corps started its flood damage reduction mission with funding from the U.S. Government.

Sources

Johnson, Leland R. The Falls City Engineers: A History of the Louisville District, Corps of Engineers, United States Army, 1970-1983. Louisville (Ky.): U.S. Army Engineer District, 1984.

https://www.lrd.usace.army.mil/louisville/

 

Scope and Content Note

The Louisville District of the United States Army Corps of Engineers acquired funds from the U.S. Government to combat flood damage after the 1937 Ohio River flood.

This collection consists of two photograph albums containing 8×10 black-and-white prints of the 1937 flood as the Air Corps and Engineer Detachment of Wright Field flew over several cities in January of 1937. Many photographs are aerial views of flooded areas along the Ohio River that line the entire expanse of the Ohio River including cities in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. Pages are numbered in correspondence with the inventory provided in the finding aid.

 

Item List

Album 1 (020PC12(A))

B&W, 8” x 10” prints

1) Aerial view of flooded downtown Evansville (Ind.)

2) Aerial view of flooded downtown Evansville (Ind.)

3) Aerial view of flooded train yard, Evansville (Ind.)

4) Aerial view of flooded factories, Evansville (Ind.)

5) Aerial view of Mead Johnson terminal flooded, Evansville (Ind.)

6) Aerial view of flooded parts of Evansville (Ind.)

7) Aerial view of flooded farmland, Evansville (Ind.)

8) Aerial view of S.I.G. & E. Co. building flooded, Evansville (Ind.)

9) Aerial view of building surrounded by water, Evansville (Ind.)

10) Aerial view of building surrounded by water, Evansville (Ind.)

11) Aerial view of building surrounded by water, Evansville (Ind.)

12) Aerial view of building surrounded by water, Evansville (Ind.)

13) Aerial view of houses under water, Evansville (Ind.)

14) Aerial view of trains and building under water, Paducah (Ky.)

15) Aerial view of flooded farmland, Evansville (Ind.)

16) Aerial view of flood damage in Brookport (Ind.)

17) Aerial view of flood damage in Paducah (Ky.)

18) Aerial view of the junction of Wabash and Ohio River, Uniontown (Ind.)

19)Aerial view of junction of Wabash and Ohio River, Uniontown (Ind.)

20)Aerial view of junction of Wabash and Ohio River, Uniontown (Ind.)

21) Aerial view of flooded homes, Evansville (Ind.)

22) Aerial view of flooded streets in Shawneetown (Ill.)

23) Aerial view of flooded streets in Shawneetown (Ill.)

24) Aerial view of flooded streets in Shawneetown (Ill.)

25) Aerial view of flooded streets in Shawneetown (Ill.)

26) Aerial view of flooded streets in Shawneetown (Ill.)

27)Aerial view of flooded areas in Golconda (Ill.)

28) Aerial view of flooded Uniontown (Ill.)

29) Aerial view of flooded Golconda (Ill.)

30) Aerial view of flooded Golconda (Ill.)

31) Aerial view of flooded Golconda (Ill.)

32)Aerial view of flooded Brookport (Ind.)

33)Aerial view of flooded homes, Brookport (Ind.)

34) Aerial view of flooded homes, Brookport (Ind.)

35) Aerial view of flooded homes, Brookport (Ind.)

36) Aerial view of flooded bridge, Brookport (Ind.)

37) Aerial view of flooded bridge, Brookport (Ind.)

38) Aerial view of flooded homes, Brookport (Ind.)

39) Aerial view of flooded homes, Brookport (Ind.)

40) Aerial view of flooded homes, Brookport (Ind.)

41) Aerial view of flooded homes, Brookport (Ind.)

42) Aerial view of flooded homes, Brookport (Ind.)

43) Aerial view of flooded downtown Paducah (Ky.)

44)Aerial view of flooded homes, Paducah (Ky.)

45) Aerial view of flooded factory, Paducah (Ky.)

46) Aerial view of flooded downtown and steamers, Paducah (Ky.)

4 7) Aerial view of flooded downtown, Paducah (Ky.)

48) Aerial view of flooded downtown and steamers, Paducah (Ky.)

49) Aerial view of flood damage, Paducah (Ky.)

50) Aerial view of flood damage, Paducah (Ky.)

51) Aerial view of flood damage, Paducah (Ky.)

52) Aerial view of flood damage, Paducah (Ky.)

53)Aerial view of flood damage, Paducah (Ky.)

54)Aerial view of flood damage, Paducah (Ky.)

55)Aerial view of flood damage, Paducah (Ky.)

56) Aerial view of flooded homes, Paducah (Ky.)

57) Aerial view of flooded downtown, Paducah (Ky.)

58) Aerial view of flooded downtown with boats in street, Paducah (Ky.)

59) Aerial view of flooded downtown, Paducah (Ky.)

60) Aerial view of flooded downtown, Paducah (Ky.)

61) Aerial view of flooded downtown, Paducah (Ky.)

62) Aerial view of flooded downtown, Paducah (Ky.)

63) Aerial view of flooded business, Paducah (Ky.)

64)Aerial view of flooded downtown, Paducah (Ky.)

65) Aerial view of flooded downtown, Paducah (Ky.)

66) Aerial view of flooded downtown and train station, Paducah (Ky.)

67) Aerial view of flooded river and bridge, Metropolis (Ill.)

68) Aerial view of flooded river and bridge, Metropolis (Ill.)

69) Aerial view of flood damage, Metropolis (Ill.)

70) Aerial view of flood damage, Metropolis (Ill.)

71)Aerial view of flood damage, Metropolis (Ill.)

72) Aerial view of flood damage, Metropolis (Ill.)

73) Aerial view of flood damage, Metropolis (Ill.)

74) Aerial view of flood damage, Metropolis (Ill.)

75) Aerial view of flood damage, Mound City (Ill.)

76) Aerial view of flood damage, Mound City (Ill.)

77) Aerial view of flood damage, Mound City (Ill.)

78) Aerial view of flooded homes and buildings, Cairo (Ill.)

79) Aerial view of flood damage, Mound City (Ill.)

80) Aerial view of water near train tracks, Cairo (Ill.)

81) Aerial view of water near train tracks, Cairo (Ill.)

82) Aerial view of water near train tracks, Cairo (Ill.)

83) Aerial view of water near train tracks, Cairo (Ill.)

84) Aerial view of bank of Ohio River, Cairo (Ill.)

85) Aerial view of flood damage, Cairo (Ill.)

86) Aerial view of flood damage, Cairo (Ill.)

87) Aerial view of flood damage, Cairo (Ill.)

88) Aerial view of flood damage, Cairo (Ill.)

89) Aerial view of flood damage, Cairo (Ill.)

90) Aerial view of flood damage, Cairo (Ill.)

91) Aerial view of flooded farmland, Cairo (Ill.)

92) Aerial view of flood damage, Cairo (Ill.)

 

Album 2 (020PC12(B))

B&W, 8” x 10” prints

1) Aerial view of flood damage, Ohio River bend above Cincinnati (Oh.)

2) Aerial view of flood damage with house boats, Ohio River above Cincinnati (Oh.)

3) Aerial view of flooded homes, New Richmond (Oh.)

4) Aerial view of flooded homes, New Richmond (Oh.)

5) Aerial view of flooded downtown Cincinnati (Oh.) with Island Queen riverboat on river

6) Aerial view of flooded downtown Cincinnati (Oh.) with Island Queen riverboat on river

7) Aerial view of flooded downtown and bridge in Cincinnati (Oh.)

8) Aerial view of snow-covered Powerhouse surrounded by flood waters, Cincinnati (Oh.)

9) Aerial view of flooded ballpark, Cincinnati (Oh.)

10) Aerial view of flooded downtown, Cincinnati (Oh.)

11) Aerial view of flooded homes, Cincinnati (Oh.)

12) Aerial view of rooftops in downtown, Cincinnati (Oh.)

13)Aerial view of flooded streets, Cincinnati (Oh.)

14) Arial view of flooded homes near Cincinnati (Oh.)

15) Aerial view of the airport hangers under water, Cincinnati (Oh.)

16) Aerial view of flood damage near Cincinnati (Oh.)

17) Aerial view of airport roofs of hangers under water, Cincinnati (Oh.)

18) Aerial view of Luken Airport flooded, Cincinnati (Oh.)

19)Aerial view of flooded Gas Works buildings, Cincinnati (Oh.)

20) Aerial view of flooded factory and church buildings, Cincinnati (Oh.)

21) Aerial view of rural homes and bridges under water, Cincinnati (Oh.)

22) Aerial view of rural homes and bridges under water, Cincinnati (Oh.)

23) Aerial view of rural homes under water, south of Cincinnati (Oh.)

24) Aerial view of rural homes flooded, near Cincinnati (Oh.)

25) Aerial view of homes under water, near Cincinnati (Oh.)

26) Aerial view of rural farmland under water, near Cincinnati (Oh.)

27) Aerial view of town homes and buildings under water, near Cincinnati (Oh.)

28) Aerial view of snow-covered houses and flooded street, Mill Creek Section, Cincinnati (Oh.)

29) Aerial view of flooded streets and businesses, Mill Creek Section, Cincinnati (Oh.)

30) Aerial view of flooded Proctor & Gamble plant, Cincinnati (Oh.)

31) Aerial view of flooded Coney Island amusement park, Cincinnati (Oh.)

32) Aerial view of flooded roller coaster, Dayton (Ky.)

33) Aerial view of snow-covered houses and flooded streets, Dayton (Ky.)

34)Aerial view of flooded downtown Cincinnati (Oh.)

35)Aerial view of flooded downtown Cincinnati (Oh.) and Newport (Ky.)

36) Aerial view of flooded downtown Dayton (Oh.) and Newport (Ky.)

3 7) Aerial view of flooded homes around Cincinnati (Oh.)

38) Aerial view of flooded roadways and homes, Newport (Ky.)

39) Aerial view of homes under water, Dayton (Oh.)

40) Aerial view of homes under water, Covington (Ky.)

41) Aerial view of flooded Ohio River, view of Cincinnati (Oh.), Covington (Ky.), and

Newport (Ky.)

42) Aerial view of the train Terminal flooded, Cincinnati (Oh.)

43) Aerial view of homes under water, Dayton (Ky.), Covington (Ky.)

44) Aerial view of bridges underwater near downtown, Covington (Ky.)

45) Aerial view of flooded downtown, Cincinnati (Oh.)

46) Aerial view of flooded downtown and suspension bridge, Cincinnati (Oh.)

4 7) Aerial view of flooded downtown and suspension bridge, Cincinnati (Oh.)

48) Aerial view of flooded suspension bridge at Covington (Ky.)

49) Aerial view of flooded New Albany (Ind.)

50) Aerial view of homes under water, New Albany (Ind.)

51) Aerial view of rural area flooded, vicinity of Milford (Oh.)

52) Aerial view of flooded landscape, West Carrollton (Oh.)

53)Aerial view of river and Hamilton (Oh.), 1/23/1937

54) Aerial view of rural Miamitown (Oh.)

55) Aerial view of flooded homes in rural area, vicinity Hamilton (Oh.)

56) Aerial view of Addyston (Oh.)

57) Unidentified aerial view of flooded area

58) Aerial view of flooded homes, California (Oh.)

59) Aerial view of flooded farmland, Utica (Ind.)

60) Aerial view of flooded Jeffersonville (Ind.)

61)Aerial view of the flooded Colgate & Co. factory, Jeffersonville (Ind.)

62) Aerial view of flooded Jeffersonville and New Albany (Ind.)

63) Aerial view of flooded downtown, Louisville (Ky.)

64) Aerial view of flooded train tracks, Louisville (Ky.)

65) Aerial view of flooded downtown, Louisville (Ky.)

66) Aerial view of the flood, Louisville (Ky.)

67) Aerial view of Hopkins Fertilizer building and homes under water, Louisville (Ky.)

68) Aerial view of the flood, Louisville (Ky.)

69) Aerial view of the flood, Louisville (Ky.)

70) Aerial view of the flood, Louisville (Ky.)

71) Aerial view of the fair grounds flooded, Louisville (Ky.)