1906-07-12 – Loveland Reporter – 1906 Big Thompson Flood ⧉

The 1906 Big Thompson Flood destroyed part of the Riley Road including one of its main bridges. The Loveland-Estes Park Stage line was in peak operation and many tourists touring the canyon experienced it first hand. Idlewild was one of the main resorts in the canyon at this time and is mentioned several times throughout the article. ⧉

ONE BRIDGE IN THE BIG THOMPSON CANON WASHED AWAY.

Several Persons Along Big Thompson at Time of Storm. But Nobody Injured- Road Through Canon Will Probably Be Ready For Traffic By Monday.

The big rain storm or cloudburst which occurred last Saturday evening in the first and second canons of the Big Thompson-Estes Park road has been a subject of comment the past few days. There were various reports. A dozen or more got a good soaking. There was considerable damage done to the Estes Park road but not enough to interfere with travel but for a few days. At least by Sunday it is expected that travel may be resumed over the worst damaged part of the road. Parties who witnessed the storm do not agree as to the enormity of the downpour, owing to their not being at the same place at the same time but it is safe to say that it was much the worst storm of the season.

A fishing party composed of E. C. Turkington, A. Becker, C. W. Luff and wife, W. J. Galligan, H. Kelley and sons, and C. L. Wanamaker and wife were at Van Bramer’s resort and the pronounce the storm a mighty heavy rain to say the least. The rain seemed to come down with such terrific force that a slicker rain coat was no protection.

An automobile party who were in Cottonwood gulch chained their autos to trees to keep them from being washed away. One man lying on a cot hustled to higher ground but his bed floated down the stream immediately.

Mrs. Van Bramer had a large jar of butter, twenty seven pounds, in a spring. It was given another churning over the rocks as it floated down a stream.

C. E. Clay and wife on their way up to Van Bramer’s were caught in the rain. It began to rain just a little as the left the first canon and the road was dusty but in an incredibly short time the water was running down the road almost knee deep to the horses. Reaching Louie’s cabin they stopped till the worst of the rain was over. Mr. clay says the water came down over the hills like pouring out of barrels. He thinks the heaviest part of the storm did not last over fifty minutes.

Reed Hayward had the worst of it. He and his little brother Leonard and M. Noel got the full benefit. They were just starting through the first canon when the rain began. They had an open rig and got more or less damp for sure. They had to stop several times on the account of washouts, and take the buggy and team over the washouts and dangerous places separately. This gave them a good chance to get much out of the large refreshing shower. And to make it still more interesting, stones loosened by the rain came rolling down the mountains both n front and behind them. Taking it all in all they think they were in fine luck. The most of the water seems to have fallen in Cedar park, as oncoming to where Cedar creek empties into the Big Thompson a wall of water ten feet high came tearing down Cedar creek. While it seemed an unusual amount of water was falling Mr. Hayward said it did not seem to them at the time that it was in any way a hazardous journey and as they wanted to get to their place two miles about the Forks that evening they kept right on.

The fishing crowd at Van Bramer’s was a jolly well soaked, though apparently as happy as usual, probably somewhat picturesque, attired in borrowed cloths that were either much too large or a good deal too small.
Some one saw a large boulder about ten feet in diameter go bounding down the river, and it was probably what knocked out bridge No. 3.

E A. Biggs and wife and Mr. and Mrs. O’Mera were among those on their way to the Van Bramer resort when the cloudburst was doing business.

The real damage done was washing out about 100 yards of the road. Bridge No. 3 was carried away entirely. Besides bridge No. 3 being torn out entirely, bridge No. 2 was slightly damaged also a small bridge across a dry gulch just above Dixon gulch. The worst washout is a piece of road, about 100 feet altogether, a short distance below where bridge No. 3 was. This is the third washout at this places since the road was built. In repairing this place it is intended to blast out the rock wide enough to make this piece of road on solid rock.

While the damage to the Estes Park road was quite an inconvenience for a few days it will be the cause of more permanent work in road making. The commissioners are already arranging to ballast the road with rock and make all the dangerous points as solid as the mountains themselves.

The storm is said to have covered an area of four miles and after the first hard downpour it rained gently all night. In that case the worst of the downpour must have been on a comparatively small area. The ditchmen reported the river had raised only two feet at their headgates. Some poor headgates were reported washed out, others were banked up with brush and trees that had been washed down the river so that it was necessary to clear away the rubbish that had drifted in, to let the usual amount of water through.

It was claimed the river was two or more feet above the iron bridge No. 4. Some reported the water higher. One thing however should be remembered, no one took the actual measure of anything. It is also reasonable to suppose ones ability to guess correctly might be more or less impaired under such circumstances.

All the travel has gone over the Bald mountain trail since the freshet. The stage expects to be able to carry its passengers over the regular Estes park road Friday and it is expected the road will be temporarily in condition for general travel by the first of next week.

No one was hurt, no damaged to the life of either man or beast and the real facts was not so bad as indicated by the first published reports.

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