Manuscript Database
Creator/Title
Flood of 1937. Papers, 1937-1995. 0.33 cubic feet.
Call No.
Mss. BH F631 / 1-8
Content
This collection contains various records concerning The Great Flood of 1937 transferred from the Filson Historical Society's vertical files. Included are eight (8) folders primarily composed of primary source documents from the flood. Folders 1 contains bulletins and letters to customers from various businesses in Louisville such as the Louisville Courier Journal, the Brown Hotel, Louisville Gas and Electric, and the Pendennis Club. Folders 2 contains correspondence from Filson Club staff to various libraries and court houses inquiring about the condition of their collection during the flood. Folder 3 contains personal narratives of the flood, including letters from Wilbur B. Cogshall, editor of the Courier Journal, written to his family. In Folder 4 are permits and passes issued to allow entry into quarantine zones. Folder 5 contains Red Cross progress reports and the Red Crosses' response to grievances with relief services as well as a broadside issued by the Mayor's Committee on Morale in conjunction with the American National Red Cross concerning public safety. Folder 6 contains memorandums and bulletins from the mayor's relief organization and various committees, while Folder 7 holds records from different committees recording the damage caused by the flood and various relief efforts. The final folders contain miscellaneous reports and ephemera including telegrams concerning the flood sent to Fiorello LaGuardia, the mayor of New York City, reports of the actions of Mammoth Cave National Park during the flood, a list of relief stations, a report of the construction of the Pontoon bridge, and a horse race ticket.