Floods

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1952 April Flood - Savage BridgeApril, 1952 the Minnesota River flooded. Dick St. Martin, took this photo at the Savage Bridge at the "Dan Patch" train crossing.

May, 1952 Savage Bridge FloodedMay, 1952 the Minnesota River flooded. Dick St. Martin, took this photo at the Savage Bridge at the "Dan Patch" train crossing.

1965 floodA view of the 1965 flood compliments of Mark Champine.

1965 floodA view of the 1965 flood compliments of Marck Champine.

1965 Flood in SavageUnidentified street in downtown Savage, flooded.

1965 Flood in SavageAnother view of the 1965 Flood showing Continental Grain.

South River Hills HomesSouth River Hills Drive, 1965 flood.

Photos from the 1965 FloodTwo of the photos which appeared in the Dakota County Tribune with information about the flood.

Savage flood damage may exceed $75,000April 29,1965 Minnesota Valley Review

Preliminary estimates indicates flood damage in the village of Savage will likely exceed $75,000...

Savage flooded 1965April 15, 1965 Minnesota Valley Review features photos of the 1965 flood.

Savage Flood 1965Flood at Savage, then 1965 and now 2022 site.

Minnesota River flood expected to reach Savage 1968October 26, 1968 MInneapolis Tribune -

Minnesota's unusual October floods were expected to reach Savage and Mendota today...

2011 FloodBurnsville Patch photo from 2011 Flood.

Minnesota River Flooding presumed to be 1965 possibly 1969

Minnesota River Valley floodedApril 16, 1965 Minneapolis Tribune photo: Minnesota River rolled over the new Highway 35 W at the Black Dog interchange.

40 Years After flood of 1965Savage Pacer - Nancy Huddleston 2005
April 9, 2005, Savage Pacer

Airlift to season opener
Four Minnesota Twins baseball players living in Burnsville beat the traffic jams by getting an air lift to the 1965 seasons opening game with the New YorkYankees. Rich Rollins, Dick Stigman,Bill Bethea and Jim Kaat were picked up by helicopter at Burnsville High School at 9:30 a.m. and returned after the game . Several classes of elementary age children located in the west wing of the building were thrilled to see the Twins waiting outside their school.

35W a vast, quiet lake
Interstate35W was new in 1965and was usually humming with cars and trucks. It was submerged under a vast, quiet lake dotted with a few trees and road signs and closed off for a week between Bloomington and Highway 13.
The only traffic near the highway was a rowboat that was moored at the entrance to the Embassy Club and colorful pleasure boats of Aqua Craft Inc. that floated unperturbed in a neat row near the water-coveredmarina on the Bloomington side of the river.
Since all area river crossings were under water, motorists had to travelHighway 13to the Mendota Bridge. At times, traffic was backed up to BurnsvilleHigh School and was not moving
at all. So, motorists in the area of the River Hills neighborhood in Burnsvillemade the best of the situation by getting up a roadside ball game.
Many Burnsville residents with downtown jobs simply rented hotel rooms and stayed in town until the flood waters receded.

Savage Flood 1965Aerial view of Savage flooded 1965.

Flooding of the MInnesota River Valley 1965Published in the Dakota County Historical Society's Over the Years - December 2006.

Flood 1965Allen's Mobile in Savage during the 1965 flood.

1952 floodMeadow Inn, Eagan, below Cedar Avenue Bridge, April 11, 1952 Dakota County Tribune.

Dikes, sandbags, hold back flood 1962April 12, 1962 Minnesota Valley Review

Heavy seasonal floods sweeping Minnesota lowlands hit Port Cargill last weekend...

Savage flooded 1965April 15, 1965 MInnesota Valley Review photos of flood workers throughout Savage.

Flood 1965Black Dog Power Plant in flood of 1965. Employees were taken by boat to the plant from the area now occupied by Black Dog Park.

Flood of 1965 fr the 1976 Historypages 144 - 147

In 1965 a combination of heavy - winter snows and early spring rains brought flooding to the Minnesota Valley thqt was the worst in 100 years.
By the second weekend in April the waters of the Minnesota River were 21 feet over flood stage in the Burnsville- Savage area. Trains were halted, bridges inundated, and roads closed. The flood disrupted normal activities in the area for almost a week.
The greatest inconvenience was caused by the flooding of the then new 35W freeway. Under two feet of water in some places along the river bottoms, it was closed between Bloomington and Highway 13 for almost a week. With the Savage and Cedar Ave. bridges also under water, northbound traffic was routed over the Mendota Bridge and monumental traffic jams resulted. Many Burnsville residents with down town jobs simply rented hotel rooms and stayed in town.

Savage Village, protected by extensive diking along Highway 13, was spared, but several river front indus tries in Savage and Burnsville were completely flooded and suffered heavy losses. The Richards Oil Company, west of Savage, lost its race with the river and abandoned diking. Its huge tanks, usually filled with oil, were emptied and partially refilled with water to keep them from floating away. Loss to the company was estimated by the President, Myron Richards, at $40,000.
At the Port Cargill grain terminal only two structures remained dry, a half-million bushel soybean tank and an elevator containing $16,000,000 worth of grain. Emergency help was called for to patch the dike protecting this structure.

The Embassy Club, now the Corner House, was flooded in spite of extensive diking. Owner, George Ellis, was forced to evacuate all furniture and equipment. Further diking and pumping, however, kept the water in the building down to one or two feet.

The Northern States Power Black Dog plant was completely surrounded by water and employees were taken to work in amphibious ducks . Electric power continued to be supplied to the area, however. Diking built to a height of 722 feet above sea level— flood stage is 698--protected Ed Kraemer and Sons, a sand and gravel operation located on the river bottoms in Burnsville.

When the flood waters threatened to seep into downtown Savage, Mayor Merrill Madsen announced on Friday morning, April 10, that the Village would be sandbagged. Local citizens from both Savage and Burnsville responded with energy and determination. The first sandbagging crew, fifty high school seniors, began diking at noon. The work continued over the weekend with volunteers, sometimes 300 strong, manning the shovels and sandbags.

The teenagers, who worked especially hard, earned the respect of everyone involved in the flood effort. Mayor Madsen expressed the feelings of many of the flood workers when he asserted that he didn't want to hear any more talk of juvenile delinquency. Teenage girls helped with the food service, and the boys composed more than half the work force at times, filling and lifting the heavy sandbags. Ten-year-olds, too small to carry the bags, held them while the older boys filled them up.
The operation was directed by the mayor and village council including Cleve Eno, Len Julkowski, John Knutson, and Gene Kearney. Savage Po lice Chief Dick O'Keefe (who doubled as local civil defense director) handled traffic problems. The Burnsville police, the Highway Patrol, and the Dakota County Sheriff helped keep weekend sightseers out of the flood area.

Food service for the flood workers was set up by Mrs . George Allen, Jr. , who was assisted by a score of local women. Food was donated by the Scott County W elfare Department and the Red Cross. Hundreds of families in the Burnsville-Savage area brought homemade casseroles, cakes, and rolls. A serving station was set up
in the Savage fire barn with mobile units bringing hot coffee and sandwiches to workers at the dikes and
in the sand pits. A thousand people were served in Savage on Sunday alone.

A first aid station was set up at St. James Lutheran Church in Burnsville by Mrs. Jane Wisness, director of Red Cross nursing services
for Scott County. Transportation of flood workers to and from the Burnsville High School where they gather ed was arranged for by Robert Pomije and other school officials. In addition to local help, volunteers came from the Twin Cities and every surrounding community.

By Sunday afternoon a dike rang ing from two and a half feet to four feet high had been built on the north side of Highway 13 from the railroad trestle to the corner of Walnut Street. The Credit River, running through Savage, was also diked. The Village felt secure by Monday, but high school students were sent out early in the week to strengthen the dikes and patch up any leaks. The main concern of the Burnsville public officials was the sewage treatment plant. It, however, remained safe.

The flood caused a variety of unusual sights and experiences in the area. Traffic problems inconvenienced the largest number of residents.. . Sunday sightseers who attempted to cross 35W to the flooded areas ended up seeing little more than the tail lights of the car ahead. Traffic was backed
up from 106th Street in Bloomington to 90th for five hours. Motorists going to work Monday morning were stalled along Highway 13 from the Mendota
Bridge back to the Burnsville High School, traffic at times not moving at all. Motorists in the area of River Hills made the best of the situation by getting up a roadside ball game.

Freeway 35W .. .usually humming with cars and trucks. . .was submerged under a vast, quiet lake dotted with a few trees and road signs. A row boat was moored to the entrance to the Embassy Club. The colorful pleasure boats of Aqua Craft, Inc. floated unperturbed in a neat row near the water-covered marina on the Bloomington side of the river.
Four Minnesota twins players living in Burnsville beat the traffic jams Monday by getting an airlift to the season's opening game with the Yankees. Rich Rollins, Dick Stigmen, Bill Bethea, and Jim Kaat were picked up by helicopter at the Burnsville High School at 9:30 a.m. and returned after the game. Several classes of elementary age children located in the west wing of the building were thrilled to see the Twins waiting outside the school.

The Huntley-Brinkley newscast carried the Savage flood story. Their news team, recently back from Viet Nam, visited Savage and were given a tour of the flood area by local officials.
When the flood waters finally receded, the cleanup began, 35W streamed with cars, and the citizens of Burnsville could get to work. But for several years after the flood, motorists crossing both the Savage and Cedar bridges could see high in the tree branches papers and bits of debris to remind them of those
high waters of 1965.

by Sara S. Daly

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