Floods
Not only fire but flood waters plagued Collinsville. Situated in a narrow valley between Lookout Mountain on the east and a ridge on the west, heavy rains rush down the slopes in torrents. Little Wills Creek, as it was in the early days, could not contain the water. The stream overflowed its banks and the flood waters spread over the town, and into buildings, depositing mud everywhere.
Flood waters sometimes stood two or more feet deep in the old Methodist Church and merchandise on low shelves in the stores was damaged. Wagons were backed up to the school house door and children loaded on them and transported to higher ground. The bank called its patrons to get their lock boxes from the vault and dry out the papers in storage.
In 1903, the creek channel was straightened, widened and deepened to help with the problem and two concrete bridges were constructed across Little Wills Creek. Following an unusually heavy rain in 1936, the town asked for help and engineers came from the Office of the District Engineer in Mobile. According to their studies, the flood in July 1936 was produced by a rainfall of 3.25 inches which fell over the watershed in two and a half hours. The peak of the high water at Collinsville occurred three and a half hours after the rain stopped and flooded the business section of town from one to thirty inches. Floods as damaging as the 1936 flood had occurred about once each five years.
After three years (April 17, 1936, the Chamber of Commerce began seeking federal aid money for flood control) of working and waiting on the part of the citizens, a flood relief project finally became reality. It was launched with the help of Representative Joe Starnes and completed in 1939. Blythe Brothers Construction Co. of Charlotte, North Carolina was awarded the contract and began operations during the winter of 1938. The Flood-Protection Works for Collinsville (Section II, Act of Congress, No. 176, 75th Congress) read as follows: In 1937 Congress authorized flood-protection works for the town of Collinsville, which is situated between the North and South branches of Little Wills Creek in DeKalb County. The project included channel rectification by excavation, the construction of levees and concrete flood walls, the removal and replacement of six timber bridges, the construction of a pumping station to dispose of sewage and run-off from within the protected area, and the provision of appurtenant drainage structures. The works were completed in 1939 at a cost of $71,120 and have been turned over to local interest for maintenance and operation.
July 1, 1939, under the leadership of the Chamber of Commerce, Collinsville celebrated the completion of the flood relief project with a "monster" picnic including a 60 piece brass band from Anniston, AL, baseball games, climbing the greased pole and other contests, and the highlight, public speaking with Congressman Joe Starnes as honored guest. A total of $10.00 in prize money was given to the three persons bringing in the largest number of people on one vehicle. Ernest Cagle took the first place prize chauffeuring his truck into Collinsville loaded with 132 people! Local churches made arrangements to serve lunch and there was free lemonade for the approximately 2,500 people who attended. The New Era recorded that there was no misbehavior during the day!
Not only fire but flood waters plagued Collinsville. Situated in a narrow valley between Lookout Mountain on the east and a ridge on the west, heavy rains rush down the slopes in torrents. Little Wills Creek, as it was in the early days, could not contain the water. The stream overflowed its banks and the flood waters spread over the town, and into buildings, depositing mud everywhere.
Flood waters sometimes stood two or more feet deep in the old Methodist Church and merchandise on low shelves in the stores was damaged. Wagons were backed up to the school house door and children loaded on them and transported to higher ground. The bank called its patrons to get their lock boxes from the vault and dry out the papers in storage.
In 1903, the creek channel was straightened, widened and deepened to help with the problem and two concrete bridges were constructed across Little Wills Creek. Following an unusually heavy rain in 1936, the town asked for help and engineers came from the Office of the District Engineer in Mobile. According to their studies, the flood in July 1936 was produced by a rainfall of 3.25 inches which fell over the watershed in two and a half hours. The peak of the high water at Collinsville occurred three and a half hours after the rain stopped and flooded the business section of town from one to thirty inches. Floods as damaging as the 1936 flood had occurred about once each five years.
After three years (April 17, 1936, the Chamber of Commerce began seeking federal aid money for flood control) of working and waiting on the part of the citizens, a flood relief project finally became reality. It was launched with the help of Representative Joe Starnes and completed in 1939. Blythe Brothers Construction Co. of Charlotte, North Carolina was awarded the contract and began operations during the winter of 1938. The Flood-Protection Works for Collinsville (Section II, Act of Congress, No. 176, 75th Congress) read as follows: In 1937 Congress authorized flood-protection works for the town of Collinsville, which is situated between the North and South branches of Little Wills Creek in DeKalb County. The project included channel rectification by excavation, the construction of levees and concrete flood walls, the removal and replacement of six timber bridges, the construction of a pumping station to dispose of sewage and run-off from within the protected area, and the provision of appurtenant drainage structures. The works were completed in 1939 at a cost of $71,120 and have been turned over to local interest for maintenance and operation.
July 1, 1939, under the leadership of the Chamber of Commerce, Collinsville celebrated the completion of the flood relief project with a "monster" picnic including a 60 piece brass band from Anniston, AL, baseball games, climbing the greased pole and other contests, and the highlight, public speaking with Congressman Joe Starnes as honored guest. A total of $10.00 in prize money was given to the three persons bringing in the largest number of people on one vehicle. Ernest Cagle took the first place prize chauffeuring his truck into Collinsville loaded with 132 people! Local churches made arrangements to serve lunch and there was free lemonade for the approximately 2,500 people who attended. The New Era recorded that there was no misbehavior during the day!