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Any photos not otherwise credited are from the personal collection of Frank Passic, Albion Historian.
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Morning Star, March 5, 2023, pg. 6 Normally for upcoming March in this column I'd feature an article and photo about the Great Flood of March, 1908. We've all seen the numerous postcard photos of the horrific damage done to downtown Albion when all the buildings over the Kalamazoo River collapsed into the raging waters below. We've also seen the photos of the floodwaters on our streets, and the collapsed bridges. We'll forego that this week and feature another flood: The Flood of 1956. Haven't you heard about that one? Well, neither had I, until I came across some 5 x 7 black-and-white photo negatives depicting it, and began digitizing them on my new negative scanner which I probably should have obtained years ago. These negatives are a treasure-trove of Albion history, and I have been very pleased about what I have been finding. Here's the story: On Tuesday, March 6, 1956, a severe storm swept across Michigan, with half-inch hailstones and 75 mph winds. Across the state there were numerous uprooted trees, rooftops torn off, hail damage, power plants knocked off, etc. Here in Albion, a hailstorm began at 4:30 pm along with torrential rain, thunder and lightning. By the end of the day, an inch-and-a-half of rain had fallen, with most of it during the 4:30 to 5:00 pm "session." Albion's storm sewer system couldn't handle the deluge, and several streets became flooded, as well as low-lying neighborhoods. The Albion Evening Recorder reported the next day: "Traffic virtually stopped in Albion during the height of the hail deluge which swept in from the southwest and was part of a series of storms that swept the Midwest. As the rain started running off, it cascaded down Clinton St. and filled up the Cass-Clinton St. intersection." Continuing, "There was some flooding west of the Norwood-Ionia intersection as has been the case since the Wiener plat was developed in 1954. A pond at Fitch and Syndeham Streets stayed over the pavement until around 6 pm." The article continued with mentioning other problem areas, and then observed, "City crews worked until about 7 pm clearing up clogged catch basins. Today they were removing piles of silt from around town." From our Historical Notebook this week we present two never before published photos of the "Flood of 1956." The first shows the bubbling storm-drain waters at the Cass-Clinton St. intersection, with City Hall in the distance, and a sedan trying to make it through the intersection. Our second photo depicts the Clinton-Cass intersection looking north towards the Kalamazoo River. On the left is the original wooden Woody's Service Station. Again, this area is filled with water. Somehow, Albion survived this flood, too. How many of our readers remember the "Flood of 1956?"  The Flood of 1956 - City Hall Area
 March 6, 1956 - Clinton-Cass intersection
All text copyright, 2024 © all rights reserved Frank Passic
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