News Summary

It was 94 years ago in Dayton.

The rain started on Easter Sunday, March 23, 1913 and as it continued all week long as the rivers overflowed and a wall of dark, dirty flood waters swept through the city taking down homes, barns, buildings and bridges.

President Woodrow Wilson declared the Dayton flood a national calamity. More than 300 people died in the Miami Valley.

The Dayton Daily News set up a makeshift newsroom and print shop in NCR buildings and emergency extra editions of the newspaper were provided free to all residents, delivered by boat.

Not many of the individuals who lived in 1913 and survived the tragedy are still with us.

But many family members of those who were caught up in the great flood, and others with a sense of history, have made a noble effort to commemorate that time in our city's history.

Many made contributions, and in 1992 a small Flood Memorial Park was dedicated on land lent to the city of Dayton by Children's Medical Center on Valley Street.

"Since that time, there were issues about maintenance and usage of the park," said Vicki Giambrone, vice president of marketing and development for the hospital. "It became a problem that affected the neighborhood, our employees and our patients.

"All of us at Dayton Children's wanted to find a satisfactory solution that would honor the history of the flood, and serve the neighborhood."

Hospital leaders worked with Dayton officials, members of the Miami Conservancy District, the Northeast Priority Board and the Old North Dayton Business Association, and the task force developed a plan that now is a reality.

A new Flood Memorial Park is nearly complete, and there are hopes to dedicate it sometime in May.

The new park has been built near the Great Miami River on Valley Street, near Keowee Street, at the gateway to Old North Dayton.

In addition to honoring the spirit of those who fought back from that great flood of 1913, the park also will honor Joseph R. Konak. Konak died from cancer four years ago at the age of 50, and is being remembered for his dedicated public service to the Old North Dayton Community.

"Joe was just incredible," said his wife, Sandra. "He was on every committee and was involved in any event that made our neighborhood or the city of Dayton a better place to live."

Just at the top of five steps, as you enter the new park, there is a pillar of granite which has words thanking Konak for "his service and love to country, community and family."

Across from that monument are two stones which carry the names of about 900 Dayton area residents who donated money when the original park was constructed.

A handcrafted iron flood gate, a piece of art that was a centerpiece of the original park has been moved to the new location.

On an iron fence at the edge of the park there are a few photos mounted, which document the horrible flood damage.

One story quoted Carl Yeager, who lived at 225 Hunter St.: "I remember my father moving everything to the second floor. The family watched the water come up. I vividly remember seeing a wall of water about four of five feet high coming down the street. We quickly went to the garret (mother, father, and six kids) and we had to be careful not to punch through the floor. Boats came and gave us beans. The Red Cross provided boots and mattresses."

It is a nice little park, and with the proposed redevelopment of the river area on both sides, it is in a high profile place where many will have a chance to visit it. And perhaps, as one sign suggests, folks will meditate a bit "remembering the day the water came."