White River 1913 flood panoramic photograph
Collection — Frame: OP007
Identifier: OP007
Scope and Contents
This collection a black-and-white panoramic photograph from N. H. Losey in Indianapolis, Indiana in March, 1913 during the flooding of the White River. The image shows the edge of Worm and Company Beef and Pork Packers buildings in the lower left corner, other buildings and bridges, and the Puritan Bed Spring Company factory, all partially submerged, during the Great Flood of 1913.
Dates
- 1913 March
Creator
- Losey, N. H. (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.
Historical Note
The "Great Flood of 1913" took place in the midwestern United States when major rivers flooded from runofff and several days of heavy rain during March 23-26, 1913. In Indiana, the flooding of the White, Ohio, and Wabash rivers wreaked havoc in the communities along the rivers' banks. In Indianapolis, the White River's flooding devastated the city's west side, when the Morris Street levee broke on March 25th and approximately 10-15 feet of water swept over entire neighborhoods. Several bridges collapsed and industrial buildings like the Kingan and Company meat packing factory were partially submerged in the water. Around 4,000 families in west Indianapolis, mostly working class, were impacted by the flood.
Albert Worm opened a small butcher shop on Oliver Avenue in Indianapolis in 1894. In 1899, he built a new store at 1223 Oliver Ave., a building which still exists today. Worm constructed a slaughterhouse near Dakota and Ray streets on the banks of the White River in 1907. He planned to build a three-story refrigeration building, with two basement levels within the next 2 years. The Worm and Co. packing and slaughterhouse was incorporated in 1911 with $300,000 in capital. The facility suffered from flood damage in 1913 when the White River rose. Worm sold his business in the early 1920s, but went on to purchase United Butchers, a former competitor located near Worm’s original processing plant. Later, he owned and operated another successful slaughterhouse, Indiana Abattoir.
Sources:
Cierzniak, Libby. "Indianapolis Collected: The Worms Crawl in..." HistoricalIndianapolis.com, October 31, 2015. Accessed March 12, 2022. https://historicindianapolis.com/indianapolis-collected-the-worms-crawl-in.
Indiana Department of Natural Resources. "Indiana Underwater: The Flood of 1913." Accessed September 20, 2018. https://www.in.gov/dnr/historic/files/hp-1913_flood.pdf.
Mitchell, Dawn. "RetroIndy: 1913 Floods." Indianapolis Star, March 22, 2016. Accessed September 20, 2018. https://www.indystar.com/story/news/history/retroindy/2016/03/22/retroindy-1913-floods/82110634.
Albert Worm opened a small butcher shop on Oliver Avenue in Indianapolis in 1894. In 1899, he built a new store at 1223 Oliver Ave., a building which still exists today. Worm constructed a slaughterhouse near Dakota and Ray streets on the banks of the White River in 1907. He planned to build a three-story refrigeration building, with two basement levels within the next 2 years. The Worm and Co. packing and slaughterhouse was incorporated in 1911 with $300,000 in capital. The facility suffered from flood damage in 1913 when the White River rose. Worm sold his business in the early 1920s, but went on to purchase United Butchers, a former competitor located near Worm’s original processing plant. Later, he owned and operated another successful slaughterhouse, Indiana Abattoir.
Sources:
Cierzniak, Libby. "Indianapolis Collected: The Worms Crawl in..." HistoricalIndianapolis.com, October 31, 2015. Accessed March 12, 2022. https://historicindianapolis.com/indianapolis-collected-the-worms-crawl-in.
Indiana Department of Natural Resources. "Indiana Underwater: The Flood of 1913." Accessed September 20, 2018. https://www.in.gov/dnr/historic/files/hp-1913_flood.pdf.
Mitchell, Dawn. "RetroIndy: 1913 Floods." Indianapolis Star, March 22, 2016. Accessed September 20, 2018. https://www.indystar.com/story/news/history/retroindy/2016/03/22/retroindy-1913-floods/82110634.
Extent
0.15 Cubic Feet (1 framed panoramic photograph)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
This collection consists of one item.
Custodial History
This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation.
Accruals
No further additions are expected.
Existence and Location of Copies
The digitized photograph from the collection are available online in the ISL Digital Collections: https://indianamemory.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16066coll13/id/5193/rec/1.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed 2022/03/12 by Brittany Kropf. EAD finding aid created 2022/03/12 by Brittany Kropf.
Creator
- Losey, N. H. (Person)
- Title
- White River 1913 flood panoramic photograph
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository
Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
