In the spring of 1913 a massive storm stretching from Nebraska to Michigan to Vermont made its way across the country. Tornadoes in the Great Plains claimed several lives and was then soon followed by heavy rainfall. The storm’s scale of destruction had never before been seen in the United States, and the town hit the heaviest was Dayton, Ohio. Rainfall started on Good Friday, March 21, and three series of storms continued until March 26. In that time, the banks of the Miami River rose and some areas of the city were under 20 feet of water.
Rev. Charles Polichek
To respond to the needs of the Catholic Churches not only in Dayton but throughout the entire Archdiocese, Abp. Henry Moeller sent a message to all the churches asking for details about parishioners made destitute, those affected but not as severely, and the damage done to church property. As it took some time to take stock of the damage done and to collect names, in late April and early May several letters reached the Archbishop with names and addresses of parishioners in need. Parishes varied in the amount of destruction done. Several parishes in Cincinnati were affected by the storm, especially along the Ohio River, but none so much as those in Dayton.
Rev. Bernard O’Reilly, president of St. Mary’s Institute (now known as the University of Dayton), wrote on behalf of Rev. Charles Polichek of Holy Name Parish for the Hungarian Congregation.
“Fr. Polichek has 75 families that have lost practically everything in the flood. Ten of these families are in exceptionally poor circumstances, because of the large number of children they have or because of sickness. The other 65 have lost all their household belongings. The majority of them having lived in cottages or two story houses that had water in the second story. I have a complete list of these families with the number of persons…Would it be possible for you to give $10 to each of the 65 families and $15 to each of the 10 families? The money [is] to be used in purchasing bedding, of which they are in absolute need. Father Polichek himself has lost his library and several pieces of furniture that were on the ground floor…We have been very fortunate at the College, nearly all our boarders returned and only 20 of our day scholars were obliged to withdraw from school.”
Rev. William Hickey of St. Joseph Church in Dayton writes on May 9:
A list of damages and costs from St. Peter Church, New Richmond.
“I am sending you the list of families in Dayton in the flooded districts as returned to me by the various Pastors.
St. Joseph’s 275 families
Emmanuel 200 ”
Holy Trinity 200 ”
Sacred Heart 280 ”
Holy Rosary 200 ”
St. John’s 100 ”
Corpus Christi 80 ”
St. Adalbert’s 90 ”
Holy Name 75 ”
Personally I feel that this list is very conservative and is rather understated than exaggerated. Owing to the great loss sustained in this city by our poor people, I feel that sixty percent of the fund received for the Diocese should be given to Dayton.”
St. Boniface Church property in Piqua, 28 miles north of Dayton, was unharmed but the storm took an extensive toll on its parishioners, with several members losing their lives.
The Chancery began sending money to parishes in May for their recovery efforts.
Contributions were sent to the Archdiocese from friends near and far. The Catholic Telegraph gives lists of the persons and institutions that donated money, including Cardinal Farley of New York, Bp. E.F. Pendergast of Philadelphia, the St. Vincent de Paul Societies in Brooklyn and New York City, and Catholic University in Washington, D.C., among many others. Slowly the parishes and parishioners began to rebuild and improvements were made to the waterfront to better prevent flooding in Dayton.
The Flood of 1913 was not the first time Dayton was affected by the rising waters. In early 1847, Rev. Patrick O’Mealy was appointed pastor of a new Catholic church, St. Joseph. The parish was in the process of building the church when high flood waters suspended progress for several months so that those in need could be attended to. Rev. O’Mealy writes a description of the flood aftermath to Bp. John Purcell on January 11, 1847.
“Dayton is yet standing, and appears very little the worse of being submerged. Almost the only traces of the damages caused by the flood now discernible are a few bridges swept away, some houses slightly injured by drift wood, lots left without a fence to enclose them, and cellars converted into cisterns. The loss sustained by private persons is thought not to be very great, but it has caused much suffering among the poor. The western part of the city suffered the most, on account of its low situation; and it was inhabited almost exclusively by poor German Catholics, who got lots cheaper there than they could be purchased for in any other part of the town…The citizens, however, have done a great deal for their relief. A liberal subscription has been made, and a committee appointed to distribute clothing and provisions to the poor sufferers. Rev. Juncker [pastor of Emmanuel Church] is actively employed at present in seeking out poor families and furnishing them with necessaries out of the alms which have been given by our Catholics very abundantly for that purpose. The Church, or at least a part of it, has been converted for a season into a storehouse for provisions, and the sacristy into a sewing room, where the good ladies of the Congregation meet every day to make clothes for the poor. The charity and benevolence exercised by all, Catholics and Protestants, far exceed our highest expectations.”
Records consulted:
RG 01.02: Abp. John B. Purcell
RG 01.04: Abp. Henry K. Moeller
RG 04.06: The Catholic Telegraph
Laboring on the Mission is a blog of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Archives. The title is taken from a letter written by Bishop Edward Fenwick, OP, describing his mission work in Ohio. Whether in the wilds of 19th century or the baby boom of the 1950s, the Catholic Church continues the mission entrusted to her by Jesus Christ. Here we tell that story.