Mill River (Northampton, Massachusetts)

(Redirected from Mill River Flood of 1874) Tributary of the Connecticut River in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, USA

The Mill River is a 13.5-mile-long (21.7 km) tributary of the Connecticut River arising in the western hilltowns of Hampshire County, Massachusetts. It is notable for dropping in elevation, along with its West Branch, more than 700 feet (210 m) over 15 miles (24 km).

History

Before European settlement, the Mill River was called Cappawonganick by the Nonotuck people. Dozens of mills were built along the Mill River in the early to mid 19th century to take advantage of the available waterpower. To maintain sufficient summer water flow four reservoirs were built in the higher tributaries of the river.

Mill River Flood of 1874

In 1865, a group of mill owners from Williamsburg, Haydenville, Leeds, and Florence constructed a dam on the Mill River north of the town of Williamsburg, using a design drawn by one of the owners, a man with no engineering training. The dam was poorly constructed and leaked as soon as it was filled. On May 16, 1874, the dam failed catastrophically, killing 139 people in the towns to the south. The flood destroyed much of the villages of Williamsburg, Skinnerville, and Haydenville in the town of Williamsburg, and the village of Leeds in the town of Northampton. As high as the death toll was, it would have likely been much higher but for the actions of dam keeper George Cheney, who rode his horse at a gallop to Williamsburg to raise the alarm as the dam began to fail. Other riders took off from Williamsburg and were able to warn residents in towns to the south. Despite an inquest and the clear negligence of the mill owners, no one was punished in court for the disaster. Today, the former site of the Williamsburg Reservoir is accessible by a public hiking trail.

The flood was widely covered in newspapers across the United States, garnering front-page coverage as far away as San Francisco.

The Great Flood of 1936

Main article: 1936 Northeast Flood

In the two weeks that elapsed between March 9 and March 22, 1936, two record-breaking storms showered the eastern United States in heavy rainfall. From Virginia to Maine, towns and cities in river basins all along the east coast experienced extensive flooding. A survey undertaken by the United States Geographical Survey the following year estimated that between 150 and 200 people were killed as a result of the floods. The same report tallied material damages in the hundreds of thousands. The monumental nature of the 1936 flood, along with another massive flood in 1938, led to the decision to re-divert the Mill River away from downtown Northampton.

Causes and regional impact

The quantity of rainfall from the storms was described as among the greatest in concentration ever recorded in the country. In New England, the ground was still blanketed from the previous snowfall, and the warmer weather and heavy downpours melted the snow, significantly increasing the volume of floodwaters. Along the Connecticut River, communities were hit by two waves of surges. The first occurred when the Vernon Dam in Vermont gave out, sending an "enormous wall of water" downstream, and prompting the evacuation of Sunderland, Massachusetts. A second occurred when ice jams along the river began to break apart. In Northampton, flooding of the Mill River was compounded by the flooding of the Connecticut River, whose waters allegedly backed up as far as the dam at Paradise Pond by Smith College.

Local impact

On March 19, 1936, the Daily Hampshire Gazette reported that "Northampton and environs faced the second serious flood within a week as heavy rains began today to swell the Connecticut river and its tributaries to menacing proportions." The Mill River was reported to be rising a foot every hour while the Connecticut River flooded "wide areas of the city and nearby towns." Later that evening, the Mill River had broken past Old South Street, flooding the area around Maple Street and prompting state police to order the evacuation of hundreds of families. On Pleasant Street, floodwaters reached as far as the Plaza Theater at Hampton Avenue, a mere two blocks south of Main Street.

Flooding and damage resulted in highway closures, the suspension of rail and bus service, and impacts to the sewer system, as well as gas and electric services. The Northampton-based Gazette, which reported extensively on the catastrophe, was forced to set up temporary offices at the neighboring Holyoke Transcript, publishing several editions on the Transcript's presses.

Impacts on public utilities and transportation raised concerns about water-borne diseases and other sanitation issues, as well as potential supply shortages. Commissioner of Public Safety Paul G. Kirk prepared for the possibility of food shortages and Mayor Charles L. Dunn issued a cautionary statement saying that persons engaged in "food profiteering" would be prosecuted. On March 21, the Gazette reported that food supplies were being transported by boat through flooded areas. Following the evacuation of local residents, looting of flooded homes quickly became a problem. In response, Mayor Dunn deputized 50 citizens to protect houses in the Maple and Pleasant Street sections of town. The patrol was assigned 20 boats to accomplish the task, and only residents and persons with official business were permitted to be in the area.

Response and relief efforts

At the national level, President Roosevelt mobilized federal agencies and the American Red Cross to provide immediate aid to impacted areas. He also issued a blanket authorization for the use of WPA workers in flood zones. By March 20, 38,000 families from 11 states had been forced to flee their homes, and the Red Cross was seeking to raise $3 million ($65.9 million in 2023) for the necessary relief fund. According to historian Joseph L. Arnold, "In Massachusetts, where scores of large cities and small towns were pounded by water and huge chunks of ice, 56,000 people sought Red Cross aid." The Hampshire County chapter of the American Red Cross was enlisted to raise $2,000 ($43,914 in 2023) toward the $3 million fund; however, it was soon after determined that the chapter would need "at least three or four thousand dollars over the $2000 quota stipulated by the national Red Cross… because of the acuteness of flood distress in this vicinity." The flood created 3,000 refugees from Hatfield and the lower parts of Northampton. Along with the Red Cross of Hampshire, the American Legion and numerous other organizations and private individuals extended aid to people left homeless by the flood.

References

U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map Archived 2012-03-29 at the Wayback Machine, accessed April 1, 2011
Bruchac, Margaret (2004). "Native Presence in Nonotuck and Northampton". In Buckley, Kerry W. (ed.). A Place Called Paradise: Culture and Community in Northampton, Massachusetts, 1654-2004. University of Massachusetts Press. p. 19.
^ Sharpe, Elizabeth M. (2007). In the Shadow of the Dam, The Aftermath of the Mill River Flood of 1874. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4165-7264-0.
"Historic Dam Trail". Williamsburg Woodland Trails. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
"A Calamity—An Avalance of Water—A Massachusetts Horror". San Francisco Chronicle. May 17, 1874. p. 1. Retrieved October 22, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
^ Grover, Nathan C.; United States Geological Survey.; United States Department of the Interior. (1987). Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 798: The Floods of March 1936, Part 1. New England Rivers (PDF). Washington: United States Government Printing Office.
Sinton, John (April 1, 2012). "A Short History of the Mill River Watershed 1650-1940". The Mill River Greenway Initiative. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
"Northampton Local Protection Project". U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
^ Klekowski, Edward J. (2003). The Great Flood of 1936: The Connecticut River Story. Springfield, MA: WGBY.
"On the Flood Front". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Northampton, MA. March 21, 1936.
^ "City is Facing Second Serious Flood Threat Within the Past Week". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Northampton, MA. March 18, 1936.
^ "2000 Residents Flee Raging Waters; '27 Record Shattered". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Northampton, MA. March 19, 1936.
"Gazette Printed in Holyoke for Third Day in Succession". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Northampton, MA. March 21, 1936.
"Bad Sanitary Condition May Prevail in City as Aftermath of Flood". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Northampton, MA. March 19, 1936.
"Board of Health Advises Drinking Water Be Boiled". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Northampton, MA. March 20, 1936.
"Reported Typhoid Fever Outbreak in Chicopee Denied". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Northampton, MA. March 21, 1936.
"Present Hookup Make-Shift One; Gas Main Breaks". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Northampton, MA. March 21, 1936.
"Food Problem Here May Become Serious Soon, Says Commissioner Kirk". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Northampton, MA. March 20, 1936.
"Food Supplies Being Transported by Boat in Northampton Flood Areas". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Northampton, MA. March 21, 1936. p. Front Page.
"Patrol Guards Against Looters". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Northampton, MA. March 21, 1936.
^ "F.D.R. Acts to Aid Flooded Areas". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Northampton, MA. March 18, 1936.
Arnold, Joseph L. (1988). The Evolution of the 1936 Flood Control Act (PDF). Fort Belvoir, VA: Office of History, United States Army Corps of Engineers. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
"Red Cross Chapter Here is Asked to Raise $2000". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Northampton, MA. March 20, 1936.
"Red Cross Here Will Need $3,000 or $4,000 More Than Its Quota". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Northampton, MA. March 23, 1936.
"Rescue Work is Continued Here". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Northampton, MA. March 20, 1936.
"Boy Scouts and Sea Scouts Busy in Flood". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Northampton, MA. March 20, 1936.
"Chairman Dunn of Water Com. Supplies Pumps for Gazette". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Northampton, MA. March 20, 1936.

External links

Mill River at Northampton hydrograph (National Weather Service)

Rivers of Massachusetts by drainage system

Atlantic Ocean

Buzzards Bay	Acushnet River Agawam River Back River Copicut River Crooked River Mattapoisett River Nasketucket River Paskamanset River Pocasset River Sippican River Slocums River Wankinco River Westport River Weweantic River
Nantucket Sound	Bass River Bumps River Childs River Coonamesset River Mashpee River Mitchell River Oyster Pond River Popponesset Creek Quashnet River Santuit River
Others	Tiasquam River

Gulf of Maine

Cape Cod Bay	Bluefish River Eel River Herring River Jones River Little Pamet River Pamet River Town Brook
Massachusetts Bay	Aberjona River Alewife Brook Canton River Charles River Chelsea Creek Cochato River Fore River Fresh River Indian Head River Malden River Millers River Monatiquot River Muddy River Mystic River Neponset River North River Saugus River Stony Brook (Boston) Stony Brook (Waltham) Stop River Weir River Weymouth Back River
Merrimack River Watershed	Artichoke River Assabet River Back River Beaver Brook Cochichewick River Concord River Little River Merrimack River Nashua River Nissitissit River North Nashua River Phillips Brook Powwow River Quinapoxet River Salmon Brook Shawsheen River Souhegan River South Branch Souhegan River South Nashua River Spicket River Squannacook River Stillwater River Sudbury River Trout Brook Vine Brook Whitman River
Others	Annisquam River Blackwater River Eagle Hill River Egypt River Ipswich River Jericho Creek Roger Island River Rowley River Skug River

Long Island Sound

Connecticut River Watershed	Burnshirt River Chapel Brook Chicopee River Connecticut River Cranberry River Deerfield River East Brookfield River Farmington River Fall River Five Mile River Green River Hubbard River Manhan River Mill River (Northampton) Mill River (Springfield) Millers River Mirey Brook North Branch Millers River North Branch Westfield River North River Otter River Quaboag River Scantic River Seven Mile River Tarbell Brook Ware River Westfield River
Housatonic River Watershed	Housatonic River Konkapot River Schenob Brook Umpachene River
Thames River Watershed	French River Quinebaug River

Narragansett Bay

Mount Hope Bay (Taunton River Watershed)	Assonet River Canoe River Cedar Swamp River Cocasset River Cotley River Forge River Hockomock River Matfield River Mill River Nemasket River Poor Meadow Brook Quequechan River Rumford River Salisbury Plain River Satucket River Segreganset River Shumatuscacant River Snake River Taunton River Three Mile River Town River Wading River Winnetuxet River
Providence River Watershed	Abbott Run Blackstone River Bungay River Chockalog River Mill River Mumford River Peters River Quinsigamond River Sevenmile River Tannery River Ten Mile River West River Wilde River
Others	Barrington River Cole River Coles Brook Kickemuit River Lees River Palmer River Runnins River

Upper New York Bay

Hudson River Watershed	Hoosic River Kinderhook Creek

Connecticut River watershed

Tributaries

Connecticut	Blackledge River Coginchaug River Connecticut River Duck River Eightmile River Falls River Farmington River Hockanum River Hubbard River Jeremy River Lieutenant River Mattabesset River Nepaug River Pameacha Creek Park River Pequabuck River Salmon River Scantic River
Massachusetts	Burnshirt River Chapel Brook Chicopee River Connecticut River Cranberry River Deerfield River East Brookfield River Farmington River Fall River Five Mile River Green River Hubbard River Manhan River Mill River (Northampton) Mill River (Springfield) Millers River Mirey Brook North Branch Millers River North Branch Westfield River North River Otter River Quaboag River Scantic River Seven Mile River Tarbell Brook Ware River Westfield River
New Hampshire	Ammonoosuc River Ashuelot River Blow-me-down Brook The Branch Cold River Connecticut River East Branch Mohawk River Gale River Great Brook Halls Stream Ham Branch Indian River Indian Stream Israel River Johns River Knox River Little River Little Sugar River Mascoma River Millers River Mink Brook Mirey Brook Mohawk River Nash Stream North Branch Gale River North Branch Millers River North Branch Sugar River North Branch Upper Ammonoosuc River Oliverian Brook Otter Brook Partridge Brook Perry Stream Phillips Brook Simms Stream South Branch Ashuelot River South Branch Gale River South Branch Israel River South Branch Sugar River Stocker Brook Sugar River Tarbell Brook Upper Ammonoosuc River West Branch Mohawk River West Branch Upper Ammonoosuc River Wild Ammonoosuc River Zealand River
Vermont	Black River Connecticut River Deerfield River Fall River Green River Halls Stream Leach Creek Moose River Nulhegan River Ompompanoosuc River Ottauquechee River Passumpsic River Rock River Saxtons River Utley Brook Waits River Wells River West River Whetstone Brook White River Williams River Winhall River

Lakes

Connecticut	Barkhamsted Reservoir Lake Beseck Lake Hayward Lake Pocotopaug
Massachusetts	Brooks Pond Browning Pond Lake Monomonac Quabbin Reservoir Lake Wyola
New Hampshire	Ashuelot Pond Back Lake Canaan Street Lake Cedar Pond Christine Lake Comerford Reservoir Connecticut Lakes Crystal Lake Dublin Pond Eastman Pond Echo Lake Lake Francis (Murphy Dam) Goose Pond Grafton Pond Granite Lake Lakes of the Clouds Little Sunapee Lake Mascoma Lake McIndoes Reservoir Lake Monomonac Moore Reservoir Pearly Lake Silver Lake Spofford Lake Lake Sunapee Surry Mountain Lake Lake Tarleton
Vermont	Ball Mountain Lake Comerford Reservoir Harriman Reservoir Harvey's Lake McIndoes Reservoir Moore Reservoir North Hartland Lake Lake Rescue Townshend Lake

Towns

Connecticut	Chester Cromwell Deep River East Haddam East Hampton East Hartford East Windsor Enfield Essex Glastonbury Haddam Hartford Higganum Lyme Middletown Moodus Old Lyme Old Saybrook Portland Rocky Hill South Windsor Suffield Thompsonville Wethersfield Windsor Windsor Locks
Massachusetts	Agawam Chicopee Deerfield Easthampton Gill Greenfield Hadley Hatfield Holyoke Longmeadow Millers Falls Montague Northampton Northfield South Hadley Springfield Sunderland Turners Falls West Springfield Whately
New Hampshire	Bath Charlestown Chesterfield Claremont Clarksville Colebrook Columbia Cornish Dalton Groveton Hanover Haverhill Hinsdale Lancaster Lebanon Littleton Lyme Monroe Northumberland Orford Piermont Pittsburg Plainfield Stewartstown Stratford Walpole West Lebanon Westmoreland Woodsville
Quebec	East Hereford
Vermont	Ascutney Barnet Beecher Falls Bellows Falls Bloomfield Bradford Brattleboro Brunswick Canaan Concord Dummerston Fairlee Gilman Guildhall Hartford Hartland Lemington Lunenburg Maidstone Newbury Norwich Putney Rockingham Ryegate Springfield Thetford Vernon Waterford Weathersfield Wells River Westminster White River Junction Wilder Windsor

Crossings

42°23′59″N 72°43′57″W / 42.39972°N 72.73250°W / 42.39972; -72.73250

Categories: