Brazos River Levee
FM 50, Cooks Point, TX, USA
Texas, USA
MARKER
TICKETED:
NO
PARKING:
NO
RESTROOMS:
NO
EST. 1909
EST. 1909
1899
HISTORIC PEOPLE WHO WERE HERE
0
HISTORIC PRESERVATION at Brazos River Levee.
The Texas Historical Commission Atlas records this marker as in situ at the listed location. It remains part of the state marker inventory; the placement description and coordinates in this row follow the current official Atlas record and should be field-verified before publication.
About Brazos River Levee
Built in 1909-1913 by contractors Roach and Stansell after Burleson County voters approved bonds, a 9-foot levee ran 30 miles along the Brazos River to protect farmland. It failed catastrophically in a December 1913 storm, killing 180 people and causing 8 million dollars in damage. Voters nonetheless approved reconstruction bonds in 1914, reflecting the levee's importance to area agriculture.
HISTORY HAPPENED HERE at Brazos River Levee
Destructive Brazos River floods have often plagued residents of Burleson County. In 1899, a 30-inch rain killed 35 and caused about $9 million in property damage. Again in 1900, 1902 and 1908, Brazos River bottom inhabitants endured serious flooding. In 1909, W.S. Mial and 49 other citizens asked commissioners of Burleson County to build levees along the Brazos to protect the valuable farm land. In July 1909, voters unanimously approved the issuance of bonds and the higher taxes to pay off the debt. Contractors Roach and Stansell built the 9-foot levee which extended south for 30 miles. Its test came in December 1913 with a storm far worse than the 1899 flood. Residents of this area, depending on the levees for safety, did not flee until the water had risen dangerously. Too late, they discovered the levee trapped water and then broke, unleashing a wall of destruction from which there was no escape. Victims rode out the flood on roofs and in treetops. There were 180 deaths and $8 million in property loss. Still convinced of the value of the levees, voters in 1914 approved reconstruction bonds. The indebtedness was not retired until 1963, long after modern flood control methods made the area safe. (1978) Source: https://atlas.thc.texas.gov/Details/5051007551
HISTORIC PLACES NEARBY
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