Time to Re-calculate!

The Town of Sprague, in the past fifty years, has always been known as a "go-thru" Town.  There were no major attractions, businesses were waning, people took to the open road searching for other areas to "have fun".  Sprague no longer had postcards produced, recording it's landmarks.  Some of the landmarks themselves, disappeared.  The old railroad depot, the movie theater, the Baltic Mill, Park Woolen Mill, The Bay Company Building in the Versailles section of Sprague, are all examples of buildings no longer standing.  One of the most missed landmarks, the Shetucket River Dam just above the Baltic Mill, collapsed in 1955.  At one time, the reservoir created by this dam, provided recreational enjoyment for many families.  Cabins were built up river along the reservoir, allowing for boating, fishing and just plain enjoyment.  It was during this time, Sprague was still considered a destination. 

The collapse of the dam brought devastation to homes and businesses along the Shetucket River.  Levees were built to hold back any future flood waters.  In the late 1960's Sprague once again suffered a flood on the river, ice chunks going over the banks and collecting at the south end of the Village of Baltic, creating quite a bit of damage.  Although I was in my late teens, I remember homes of friends that were impacted by the flood waters.  Again clean up was completed, with officials saying this was "the hundred years flood" and in all likelihood, safeguards were now in place and it shouldn't happen again.   During the late 1970's, this same area of Connecticut as well as a good part of New England had a brutally cold and snowy winter.  A late winter blizzard, then warmer temperatures and rain produced another over the banks flood on this area of the Shetucket River, (Another hundred year flood)!  We lived just about a few hundred feet down the street from Fred's News, which at this time in history, was owned by" the brothers".  Fred's News is located along side of Beaver Brook, which is a small tributary on the Shetucket River.  The actual foundation of Fred's News, holds back the flowing waters of Beaver Brook.  Upstream on Beaver Brook was the M.S. Chambers Mill, a former engraving company,  no longer located in Sprague.  The company had a small dam, just enough to hold back some of the waters along Beaver Brook.  As the ice and snow pack melted, it collected upstream  behind the dam, and the pressure caused it to collapse, flooding homes and businesses, (Fred's News), located along the brook.  "The brothers" took it in stride, using it as an opportunity to "clean out" the cellar.  Yes, this was the second "hundred year" flood in just about ten years.

About maybe ten years ago, we experienced much the same type of winter.  Yes, we were the owners of Fred's News.  During this extreme cold winter, the Shetucket River had frozen solid.  As the rains continued, everyone could see the ice pack starting to move.  I remember that evening, we were in Fred's News with customers and everyone kept saying, "Beaver Brook is rising fast".  Without the dam upstream, we didn't expect a problem.  As the ice pack on the brook let go and came along side the foundation, a rather large piece of the ice flow could not make it under the bridge.  Instead, it flipped upward creating a natural dam right at Fred's News.  The waters rose so fast, it demanded fast action.  Johann..the nephew flew out of Fred's News, quickly heading to his junkyard and returning with his old backhoe.  As he positioned it on the bridge, he extended the giant bucket over the edge of the bridge,  continuing to hit the large chunks of ice until they broke free and moved.  It did save the furnace, but the waters rushed through every open area in the old stone foundation.  We spent the night with our sons, using pumps and buckets cleaning out the water.  Yes, we opened the next morning, but the devastation along the river was again evident.  Chunks of ice ripped through foundations along the lower end of Main Street, even closing Route 97 until waters receded and cleanup could begin.  Fred's News stood strong and proud and we thanked God we survived with minimal damage.  This was the third "hundred year" flood in about thirty years to forty years.

I hadn't thought much about floods until friends mentioned the mid west floods they had survived.  Maybe in our subconscious minds were decided to move to Florida, escaping the cold, snow and early Spring floods.  At least now it is hit or miss with hurricanes, tornadoes and good old-fashioned thunderstorms.