Aftermath of Recent Flood

Thirty-One Houses Swept Away from Sugar Creek to
Warsaw on Kentucky side of River

A representative of the [Walton] Advertiser made a trip down to Warsaw, Kentucky Saturday. From Sugar Creek to Warsaw it was reported thirty-one structures, mostly residences, were carried away by the recent flood. But two houses remain on the river side of Federal Highway 42, between Sugar Creek and Stearmans Branch. One is a log house with a concrete base and an old frame, sitting askew off foundation. The pretty lunch room and service station owned and operated by Mrs. Lara Bracht, was completely obliterated with the exception of the wreck of two gasoline pumps. Not a vestige left but the foundation. It is stated when Mrs. Bracht purchased this stand she expended $3500 in improvements and it was one of the most up-to-date lunch rooms on this highway. She was prostrated when she viewed the wreck of her former home. It was not learned whether she will rebuild or not.

At Rocky Branch, some distance below the pretty home built by L. W. Moore, but now owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Hon, was swept away. The concrete highway was badly damaged just east of Darling Beall’s, when the concrete caved away for a short distance but has since been repaired. In the lower section of Warsaw, bordering on the Ohio, only three frame houses were left and they were twisted on their foundations. An old two-story brick on Main Cross st., the nearest to the river, was demolished. The two-story brick on the corner withstood the flood. The Argonne Hotel was submerged to the second floor. The slaughter house and stable, property of Louis Gutting, meat merchant, were both swept away. Mr. Gutting said the slaughterhouse was anchored. but the Hon house from Rocky branch, in its downward course in the flood, struck it, carrying both the stable and the slaughter house away. Mr. Gutting said that his loss was the heavies in Warsaw, as the buildings contained equipment and feedstuff.

Arrasmith’s Filling Station at Sugar Creek was submerged, and a number of buildings washed away.

The water completely surrounded Warsaw, east, west, and south sides. The water on the Warsaw-Sparta highway reached the old Graves property to the Gip Beall farm, but it did not get in the house on the property. In 1884, the water lacked six feet of covering the pike.

A number of johnboats were made at the furniture factory, equipped with oars to help the unfortunate in the flooded district in the lower end of town near the river.

From the Walton Advertiser, February 18, 1937