Program to recall 1951 flood

Boat - A motorboat proved to be a very practical way to get around in the Armourdale community during the 1951 flood. Harold Smith, a powerboat dealer (center of photo wearing cap) is seen near Seventh Street and Kansas Avenue. (Photo courtesy of Wyandotte County Museum)
Boat – A motorboat proved to be a very practical way to get around in the Armourdale community during the 1951 flood. Harold Smith, a powerboat dealer (center of photo wearing cap) is seen near Seventh Street and Kansas Avenue. (Photo courtesy of Wyandotte County Museum)

by Murrel Bland

Gil Castro doesn’t remember much about Black Friday. After all, he was only 3 years old.

It was Friday, July 13, 1951, when people in Wyandotte County, particularly those in the Armourdale, Argentine, the Central Industrial District and Wolcott communities, were ravaged with floodwaters. That was nearly 65 years ago.

Castro wasn’t old enough to recall the details of the 1951 flood. But he grew up with people who still have vivid memories of that period. Castro is helping coordinate a program that will commemorate the anniversary of the flood that affected the lives of thousands of people in Wyandotte County and elsewhere in the Kansas and Missouri river basins.

The Wyandotte County Historical Society, in cooperation with the 1951 Flood Reunion Committee, will present a program at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 26, at the Wyandotte County Museum, 631 N. 126th St. in Wyandotte County Park, Bonner Springs.

Castro has assembled a panel of presenters who will tell of their experiences during the 1951 flood. Those will include Irene Gonzalez, the widow of Lupe Gonzalez, a longtime city employee and community leader; Bundy Jenkins, a retired public school teacher and a member of the Kaw Valley Drainage District Board of Directors; Loren Taylor, a lawyer and author of books about Wyandotte County history; and Manuel Reyes, publisher of the Dos Mundos newspaper.

A film about the flood damage, produced by WDAF-TV, will be shown.

Estimates are that as much as 20 percent of Wyandotte County was under water. The flood was responsible for more than $1 billion of property damage and claimed eight lives.

This flood was the reason for a massive federal program that created upstream reservoirs including Tuttle Creek near Manhattan. This flood control effort was not without its controversy as it took more than 55,000 acres of prime farmland out of production and cost more than $80 million. Community leaders from Wyandotte County, including the Breidenthal banking family, were strong advocates for flood control. They argued it was necessary to protect the county, particularly the Fairfax Industrial Area.

There will be no cost for the Historical Society program. Refreshments will be served after the presentation.

For more information, telephone Trish Schurkamp at 913-573-5002 or Gil Castro at 913-302-3188.

Theater - The Kansas movie theater in the Armourdale community of Kansas City, Kan., was damaged by the 1951 flood. This view shows Kansas Avenue near St. Paul Street. (Photo courtesy of the Wyandotte County Museum)
Theater – The Kansas movie theater in the Armourdale community of Kansas City, Kan., was damaged by the 1951 flood. This view shows Kansas Avenue near St. Paul Street. (Photo courtesy of the Wyandotte County Museum)
Railroad bridge - The Kaw River was out of its banks in this view from Strawberry Hill in Kansas City, Kan., during the 1951 flood. The bridge belonged to the Kansas City Southern Railroad. The smoke stacks in the background are from the Armour meat packing plant. The downtown Kansas City, Mo., skyline can be seen in the far background. (Photo courtesy of the Wyandotte County Museum)
Railroad bridge – The Kaw River was out of its banks in this view from Strawberry Hill in Kansas City, Kan., during the 1951 flood. The bridge belonged to the Kansas City Southern Railroad. The smoke stacks in the background are from the Armour meat packing plant. The downtown Kansas City, Mo., skyline can be seen in the far background. (Photo courtesy of the Wyandotte County Museum)
Aftermath - This building in the Armourdale community of Kansas City, Kan., at the east end of Kansas Avenue was severely damaged during the 1951 flood. It housed a restaurant and tavern that nearby meatpacking company employees frequented. The Clarke Investment Company owned the building. (Photo courtesy of Joe H. Vaughan Jr.)
Aftermath – This building in the Armourdale community of Kansas City, Kan., at the east end of Kansas Avenue was severely damaged during the 1951 flood. It housed a restaurant and tavern that nearby meatpacking company employees frequented. The Clarke Investment Company owned the building. (Photo courtesy of Joe H. Vaughan Jr.)

One thought on “Program to recall 1951 flood”

  1. I CAN REMEMBER THIS. MY UNCLE RONNIE HELPED RESCUE PEOPLE FROM THE RUSHING WATERS. I CAN REMEMBER HIS RESCUING A DOG OFF THE ROOF OF A HOUSE THAT WAS FLOATING DOWN THE RIVER. SINCE HE WAS HELPING ALL OF US IN THE FAMILY HAD TO HAVE TYPHOID SHOTS. I WAS 7 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME. HE WAS SURELY A HERO IN MY EYES.

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