Honey Creek

COX

Posted By: Gloria Dodds (email)
Date: 10/29/2002 at 15:51:53

Thursday, August 15, 1935 The Keosauqua Republican Page Seventy-Three
80 year Anniversary Edition from 1855-1935

HONEY CREEK WENT ON RAMPAGE IN 1905

"The Bonaparte Bee," of June 14, 1905, gives an interesting picture of the 1905 flood, in which Honey Creek, the unassumning little stream just west of Bonaparte, threatened to blot the western part of the town from the face of the earth. The great rush of water, drained from the hills came down with such persistency that the opening at the railroad was insufficient to allow an outlet. The small opening was soon wedged tightly with trees, fences, a straw shack, etc., and back of this for miles up the creek, could be found floating most everything usually found around a farm. The weakest point proved to be the railroad bridge. S. I Cox, then section foreman, was patrolling his track with the handcar and crossed the bridge just a moment before it went out. It was carried to the mouth of Honey Creek and anchored beyond the wagon bridge which was swept from its abutments. The wagon bridge was carried downstream and never located. In a dozen houses water covered the floors depositing several inches of slimy mud, which was also left on several streets.
Sixteen inches of rain fell in three hours, according to the account in the "Bee" which tells of the great damage to property and crops. Patrons were notified to come to the post office for their mail which had been brought from Mt.Hamill by teams.