Winter in the Berkshires can be wonderful. As local filmmakers Billy
Hahn and Robert Huculak explain, "Traditional
New England architectural styled buildings are nestled in powder white
landscapes full of snow laden spruce and hoar frosted branches." In a film
called "Christmas in the Berkshires", the award-winning producers put wondrous
images of the westernmost county in Massachusetts
to music. Holiday revelers with "visions of
snowmen" and an ear for Christmas carols can express their "Joy to the World".
And then there are those years when it
rains during the holidays.
Nineteen forty-eight was one of those
years. Sadly, the eight inches of rain that fell the week after Christmas dampened
more than holiday spirits. In those days, as local historian Roger W. Rivers explains,
the Hoosic River was wider and wilder than it is
today. In the final years before the flood-control projects of the 1950s, the
Hoosic reminded residents of North
Adams, Massachusetts
that "as man has encroached on its banks, the river has retaliated, trying to
regain its territory."
In late December 1948, the ground was
frozen in those parts of the city where the Hoosic River
had escaped its banks before. During the 1930s, flooding had caused hundreds of
thousands of dollars worth of damage to North
Adams, a vibrant industrial center with mills,
factories, lumber yards, and railroad tracks. Now, as runoff from the rains
followed its familiar path to the Hoosic, residents worried about the low-lying
industrial area near Ashland Street
and Washington Avenue. The picture above, courtesy of Paul Marino, depicts an area near Eagle Street.
First, the Great Flood of '48 swept over
the railroad tracks along the South Branch of the River. Mayor James A. Bowes summoned
emergency personnel, but there was little that could be done to change the
water's course. When the floodwaters approached a lumber yard on River Street, a man
named George Bebee tried to clear the entrance to a flume that ran under the
roadway. Tragically, Bebee lost his footing and fell into the culvert.
Rescue crews lowered a ladder into the river, but firefighter Harry Boyer would
ultimately join Bebee in a watery grave.
Today, much of the Hoosic River
in North Adams is
encased in concrete. These flood control structures ended the most destructive
damage, but also separated the river from the people who live along its banks. Images
of the great gray slabs won't be captured in a film such as "Christmas in the
Berkshires" any time soon, but they have helped to prevent a repeat of the Great
Holiday Flood of 1948.
Resources:
http://www.christmasintheberkshires.com/index.html
http://www.thetranscript.com/ci_11295094?IADID=Search-www.thetranscript.com-www.thetranscript.com
http://cr4.globalspec.com/blogentry/2733/The-Sprague-Electric-Company-s-Long-Goodbye-Part-1
http://www.hoorwa.org/aboutriver.htm
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