The Marietta Register, Thursday, February 8, 1883
(Page 2 has a long article about the flood which happened the previous day, Feb. 7th)
Former floods
This is the highest since 1860. Water stood on Front Street from Wednesday morning till Saturday afternoon.
The first great flood of which we have any account was in 1772 and from marks left at the time the water was higher than it has ever been since.
In January 1813, was the first rise that seriously discomfited the people of Marietta. In twenty-four hours the river overflowed the banks and rose at the rate of eight inches an hour. It was principally from the Ohio River and the weather was quiet. The water was about as high as in 1860, and the ice did much damage.
In 1815 there was a rise about like that of 1813. There were two floods in 1817 and in 1818.
February 9, 1832, the Ohio took a rise overflowing the banks on the 10th and for five days many of the people were kept out of their houses. It was after a season of unusually cold weather, and the loss of property was estimated at $25,000.
There was a small flood in 1847 and another in 1852 in the month of April, but neither of them very destructive to Marietta.
In 1880 from the 10th to the 13th of April, the point was completely covered. The water on Front Street was about 8 feet lower, was pleasant, and the loss of property comparatively light.
The flood of Feb 12th 1881 is familiar to nearly all. It rose all day, Saturday, and came to a stand the next day.
Louise Zimmer tells that as the early settlers built their cabins close to the river’s edge, the Indians laughed at them. The Indians showed them the marks of recent high water in on the trunks of the trees, but the settlers didn’t believe it could be true.
This list is not complete. There were other floods recorded in about 1808.
