Museums provide us a firsthand glimpse into people and events we might not otherwise get. However, sometimes we can learn about the past by visiting some of what was left behind – like the ruins of the Austin Dam and a nearby paper mill, destroyed in a tragic flood. Get a glimpse of that historic event at Austin Dam Memorial Park in Pennsylvania.
Austin Dam Memorial Park, in Austin, pays homage to one of the area’s most tragic events. It all started, however, with so much promise.
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Bayless Paper moved into town and built a factory right in Austin in 1900, which meant job growth and population growth. In addition to jobs, the paper company also solved a nagging problem.
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Rain didn’t fall very often in Austin, making storing water in the town’s earthen dam downright difficult. Bayless Paper responded by having a massive (50 feet high by 540 feet long) and expensive (nearly $90,000) dam built in 1909.
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Hints of what was to come started soon after the dam was completed but were largely dismissed. Cracks, for example, were simply blamed on the drying of the concrete.
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For two years, the dam filled with rainwater, including from several severe rainstorms that left it nearly overflowing. Then, on September 30, 1911, another rainstorm struck, causing the dam to burst.
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Thousands of gallons of water rushed through the town, destroying nearly everything in its path. Tragically, 78 townspeople also died that day. The tragedy resulted in the first regulations on the state’s dam industry.
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The townspeople didn’t give up. Both Bayless Paper Mill and the dam were rebuilt in an effort to revive the town. Sadly, neither would last very long. The paper mill was destroyed in a fire in 1933 and the dam again collapsed, fortunately with no casualties, in 1942.
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Today, the site of the Austin Dam and Bayless Paper Mill welcomes visitors as Austin Dam Memorial Park. You can view the dam’s and the paper mill’s ruins, enjoy a picnic, or just explore the park.
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Find more on the official website of Austin Dam Memorial Association. Or, go here for Facebook.
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Have you been to Austin Dam Memorial Park in Pennsylvania? What did you think? Share your experience in the comments! For a refreshing hike that leads to the ruins of former cement kilns, follow the Ironton Rail Trail.
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Address: Austin Dam Memorial Park, PA-872, Austin, PA 16720, USA
