In his 1978 master’s thesis, “Maximum Probably Flood on the Brazos River in the City of Waco,” Edward Dale Leach told a tale of the Tonkawa Indians and the wisdom of heeding nature’s warning signs.

Native American logic held that when the prairie dogs, snakes and grasshoppers headed for the hills, it was wise to follow suit.

Flooding of the Brazos River and Waco Creek were regular occurrences for Waco residents who lived more than 100 years ago.

This week, Brazos Past recalls the 125th anniversary of one of the largest floods to soak Six Shooter Junction — the Flood of 1885.

“The mighty Brazos again on the Rampage and Continuing to Rise,” read one headline in the Waco Daily Examiner. “News from the Country Anything but Bright.”

The flood of 1885 inundated large parts of the Brazos River Valley.
Texas Collection at Baylor University photo

After describing the earlier idyllic spring day in Central Texas, the author continued:

“But about 4 o’clock (a.m.), the sky became sultry, the moon went off in a pout behind the clouds, and there seemed to be strong indications of a big family jar (clash) in Dame Nature’s household.”

At 5:30 a.m., a northwest wind blew “harder than an offensive partisan at election time,” the report said.

The wind carried away everything that wasn’t tied down — and quite a few other things as well, such as tree limbs, fence boards, roofing materials and humble shacks — in the midst of a huge lightning storm.

“Old Father Brazos rose in wrath . . .”

The rain sent the Brazos and Bosque rivers overflowing their banks and by mid-day May 27, downtown Waco resembled the canals of Venice, reports said. Numerous bridges were washed out.

Widespread damage

The Examiner reporter “tramped through the business district” to survey the damage for his readers.

Above is one of the few remaining images of the Flood of 1885, which inundated large portions of the Brazos River Valley.
Texas Collection at Baylor University photo

The roof at Lessing, Solomon and Rosenthal’s wholesale warehouse was gone, causing thousands of dollars in damage to goods. The Iron Front Saloon also lost its roof, as did Domneau Bros. and C. Robinson Dry Goods.

“All of the city east of Eighth Street and south of Mary (Avenue) appeared to be one solid sheet of water,” the reporter wrote.

The brick wall of a saloon on Bridge Street collapsed and almost killed a customer, who was leaving at the time and was protected by the sturdy door frame.

A chimney at the McLennan County Courthouse fell and hundreds of business signs were littering the “waterways” that formerly accommodated horse carts and foot traffic.

The river, which was rising at a rate of more than a foot per hour at the storm’s height, challenged rescuers.

Nonetheless, the newspaper said, people tried to assist neighbors in crossing the raging waters to safety.

Farms devastated

The farmland of Central Texas took a severe hit in the Flood of 1885.

Sober assessments from farmers included this observation: “Many whole fields of golden wheat, which (were) ready for the reaper, (are) now such a tangled mass that (the fields) cannot be harvested.”

The same was reported for oats, corn and cotton, which had long been Waco’s economic staple.

The July 1902 flood of East Waco reached the ground floors of many businesses, including Texas Central Railroad building (above) and sent loose merchandise, such as barrels, floating down the streets.
Texas Collection at Baylor University photo

Mentioned in particular were the farms belonging to Texas governors Lawrence Sullivan “Sul” Ross (1838-98) and Richard Coke (1829-97), and several local physicians.

Waco fathers called a special meeting to raise taxes by 20 cents per $100 valuation for purposes of bridge replacement and municipal cleanup. The fear was that allowing debris and animal carcasses to rot would prove a public health disaster.

Lost lives

A special report to the New Orleans Times-Democrat from Waco stated that at least 15 people lost their lives in the flooding when their homes were swept away.

Among the victims were an immigrant named T. Denninghoff, his wife and three small children; and a black family: Howard Lewis, his wife, a sister and three children.

Most families had to desert their homes and flee to higher ground during the storm.

The Times-Democrat reported:

“The damage to property in Waco is $30,000 (more than $700,000 today). The damage to crops in the county is over $250,000 (almost $6 million today). Rain storms have prevailed throughout north and west Texas and the damage to crops and railroads is incalculable.”

People look at Waco after the city was soaked by the Flood of 1885.
Texas Collection at Baylor University photo

The Flood of 1913 and the 1936 Brazos River Flood would surpass the Flood of 1885 in duration and devastation.

But for the residents of Victorian-era Waco, any storm of such magnitude once in a lifetime was enough excitement.

Sources: Flood files of the Texas Collection at Baylor University, Handbook of Texas Online, TexasAlmanac.com, Flood Plain Information: Brazos and Bosque Rivers, Waco, Texas (prepared by the city of Waco in 1970 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers).