The Flood That Changed Ford City

The Flood That Changed Ford City. . , On the morning of March 26, 1913, the Allegheny River had been on a rapid rise. At about 9:00 AM that day, the water flowed over the area south of Manorville, backed up in the southern end of town, and coursed in over the area north of Ford Street, rapidly covering the town. The inundation of the town was quick, and almost complete. The water poured through the town from the north, roaring down Fifth and Sixth Avenues with tremendous velocity. In a short time, except for the higher elevations and the area north of Tenth Street on fourth Avenue, the town was completely covered. Ford Street was covered to a depth of four feet, and proportionately deeper in lower ends of town, reaching the second floor of some homes at the extreme lower end of town., Because of the devastation, Ford City took steps to prevent this type of disaster from ever happening again. Seventeenth Street was built up as a dike, the Pennsylvania Railroad raised it tracks from street level to where you are standing today, and Pittsburgh Plate Glass and Eljer Pottery made extensive land fills, while PPG constructed concrete flood walls of about forty feet in height along the river bank., Because of these efforts, Ford City has been relatively safe from river flooding., (Captions):, Fourth Avenue at Ford Street looking south, Ford Street From Third Avenue, Fifth Avenue near Ford Street, Ford Street at Third Avenue, Third Avenue at Eighth Street looking south, Fifth Avenue at Tenth Street looking north, Photos are courtesy of Bill Oleksak and Larry Vorpe