by Barbara J. Wood
FLOODS
Reader Evelyn Frank explains, " As you come down the hill at Promise Land Dairy is the Picosa creek bridge, and just a little further is the San Antonio River bridge (where Floresville City Park is) so it's not in two locations. When it flooded in 1998 this is also what it looked like. Picosa creek is a run off from the SA river."
Floresville Cut Off, San Antonio Light, Oct. 5, 1913, page 1, High Water in San Antonio River Causes Damage ...
FLORESVILLE, TEXAS — October 4 – This city has been water-bound for 72 hours and does not expect a train to reach here before Monday. The San Antonio and Cibolo rivers have done a great amount of damage throughout Wilson County, the latter stream washing out two iron bridges belonging to the county; one at La Vernia (costing $12,000) and the other at Kosciusko. Other county bridges have been damaged to some extent. Both streams have subsided.
The corn and cotton crops will not be damaged so badly as was first estimated. Much damage was sustained by the brickyard at Calaveras. The main bridge over the San Antonio River, about a mile from here, was damaged so badly as to be declared impassable. A temporary footbridge was laid over it today to permit farmers to come into the city afoot.
Mayor Houston has issued a proclamation, naming next Thursday as general road work and clean-up day, as a result of the flood. Every able-bodied man and boy in Floresville is expected to respond.
Article submitted to the Wilson County Historical Society by Shirley Grammer for Historic Moments in Wilson County, Texas.
*****************
COURTESY / Wilson County News
Remembering the 1913 flood in La Vernia
La Vernia Swept By Flood, San Antonio Light, Oct. 2, 1913, page 3, Families Driven to Roofs and Clinging to Trees
La Vernia, a small town on the Cibolo creek, between San Antonio and Sutherland Springs, is reported to be in the grip of a terrific flood. Both telephone and telegraph communication with the town was cut off at 7 o'clock this morning and there have been no trains through since that time.
Just before the long distance wire of the Southwestern Telegraph and Telephone Company went out of commission, the operator at that point said several families were reported to have been driven from their homes to the housetops or were clinging to nearby trees.
Another report was to the effect that a large bridge over the Cibolo, just below La Vernia, had served as a dam and was backing up the water all over the town. Later this bridge was said to have been carried out. At a late hour this afternoon the wires were still down. A telephone message from Sutherland Springs reported that the residents of the town were being removed from their homes in boats.
Article submitted to the Wilson County Historical Society by Shirley Grammer for Historic Moments in Wilson County, Texas.
************
COURTESY / Wilson County News
La Vernia, a small town on the Cibolo creek, between San Antonio and Sutherland Springs, is reported to be in the grip of a terrific flood. Both telephone and telegraph communication with the town was cut off at 7 o'clock this morning and there have been no trains through since that time.
Just before the long distance wire of the Southwestern Telegraph and Telephone Company went out of commission, the operator at that point said several families were reported to have been driven from their homes to the housetops or were clinging to nearby trees.
Another report was to the effect that a large bridge over the Cibolo, just below La Vernia, had served as a dam and was backing up the water all over the town. Later this bridge was said to have been carried out. At a late hour this afternoon the wires were still down. A telephone message from Sutherland Springs reported that the residents of the town were being removed from their homes in boats.
Article submitted to the Wilson County Historical Society by Shirley Grammer for Historic Moments in Wilson County, Texas.
************
COURTESY / Wilson County News