10/08/2026
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Let's take a trip down memory lane and revisit some cherished moments from our community's history! Each week, on Thursday, we are going to "throw it back" and share a piece of our community history with you.
After days of rain across Iowa, harvest is now in full swing in the fields around Clear Lake. In May of 1851 the young State of Iowa was faced with torrential rains that lasted 40 days. Planting season had barely begun when the rain started and continued until the skies finally clear in late July and early August. What corn that had already been planted was washed away and those who had not finished their planting feared that they would never be able to get into their fields.
Iowa was the state most affected by the Flood of 1851. Flooding in Iowa was probably intensified because the Des Moines River basin, where the worst of the flooding occurred, had been settled for less than 10 years. These relativity new Iowa residents had never previously experienced a major flood, and river towns lacked levees and substantial bridges that could withstand flooding. Records indicate that in 1851, 74.5 inches of rain fell in Iowa. Iowa land was already extremely wet following a very snowy winter. As the snow melted, towns turned into muddy messes before the rain even began. The worst flooding occurred may to June in the Des Moines River Basin, and by early August eastern Iowa was feeling the impact as well. Major rivers included in flooding were the Cedar, Iowa, Skunk, Maquoketa, and especially the Des Moines river. Iowa City, where Iowa's capitol was located at the time received 10-inches of rain in 24 hours.
"It was during the month of May in this year (1851), that occurred the greatest freshet. The Des Moines and Raccoon rivers rose to an unprecedented height, inundating the entire country east of the Des Moines River. Crops were utterly destroyed, houses and fences swept away. Farms were covered with drift-wood and other debris, so that the entire work of the season was lost". "The damage done to the farms in the river bottoms was immense. Some were stripped utterly of their fences; fields under cultivation were washed into ruts by the violence of the water; all hope of a crop for one season being destroyed, not only by what was carried away, but by the debris which was left by the subsiding of the river. It was almost impossible to estimate the losses. Roads were rendered impassable-bridges swept away-the mail stopped, and traveling by land to any distance utterly vetoed. Houses were carried away, mills damaged, timber floated off, and all manner of mischief done by the flood." (Quoted information gathered from resources on file with the State Historical Society in Iowa City, Iowa).
As you may recall, Clear Lake's first permanent settlers were traveling here from Clayton County in northeast Iowa in the spring of 1851. James Dickirson and his family had one wagon, and Joseph Hewitt also had one loaded wagon. In addition, a third wagon carried needed supplies including flour, port, meal and salt. Eight miles west of Strawberry Point, the skies opened up and rain fell in torrents. The virgin prairie land soaked up the water like a sponge and soon all three wagons, being pulled by oxen were mired in the mud. The families camped for the night near Buffalo Creek and were awakened by a thunderstorm. Within minutes the creek flooded and Dickirson and Hewitt hitched up the oxen to the two personal wagons and drove them up to the top of a hill. Sadly, they lost their supply wagon to the flood. The bison-hunting travelers to the "clear lake" in north central Iowa, were forced to stay put for eight days before they could continue their journey west. July of 1851 found these weary travelers on the shores of the "clear lake" near the Outlet. These hardy voyagers will make their homes on the shores of our beautiful lake.
