The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1921-04-28
Sank Centre---Its Traditions
and Its Life
By GEORGE D. WING

An event which probably change
the entire plan of things in Saul
Centre is believed by SOM
to have been largely responsible TO-
the building up of the city south O
the Sank River instead of on TIT
north bank, was the great flood II
1867.
Prior to that event, both the fioul
mill and the saw mill, owned and op
Grated by Alexander Moore, were To-
Gated on the north side of the river
There was also a store or two there
and as business seeks the center OF
activity, it is likely that had not the
food come, Sank Centres business
district would today, have been To-
Gated north of the Sank River instead
of south Of the river where it is to-
day.
Next to the Indian wars, the great
food was probably the greatest dis
aster which has ever visited this 10
cality.
Old settlers who were present here
during those trying times, tell of the
havoc wrought by the inundatlon. OF
the rivers of water which ran
through the village streets, and OF
hugh trees lodged several blocks
from the rivers original path where
they had been carried by the rush OF
surplus waters which overfowed the
natural channels and swept away
over the country.
1t was during this flood and while
the waters were at their height that
three Sank Centre men lost their
lives while navigating Ashley River.
The rush of waters carried away
both the Moore mills, utterly demol-
fishing them and it was the great
food that washed out the mill dam,
and drowned out the crops for miles
Through the Sank River valley.
The great flood was the aftermath
of a heavy rain and cloud-burst, The
worst ever experienced in this vicin-
ity.
On Vic dltciHOOIl VI coiy AoSiA'
1867, a heavy rain storm which swept
This entire section of the state, set in
and continued for two days. So
heavy was the rain, that little
streams grew into rivers and rivers
became lakes. The tributaries to
Sank River and Sank Lake over
flowed their banks-the waters gush-
ed into the Lake out of all usual pro-
portion and the water rose until 1t
Overlooked the banks for miles.
On the night of the 18th of July,
HE situation became serious for the
settlers of Sank Centre. The, grist
mill and the saw mill-the only bus
mess institutions Of the community
and the basis of employment for
most of the settlers were swept from
their foundations. The water rose
over the mill dam, and that night AL
.exander Moore called to the men of
the community for assistance. All
village battIed against the rising wa
tiers to save the mill dam. Homes
and farms were endangered, the
whole plan of things hung in the bal
ahce.
But success was not for the men of
Sank Centre that night. Fight as
they would, they could not stem the
tide of the gigantic overflow and in
the night, the great mill dam gave
away before the waters and the ter
ritory north of the river was COM
pletely flooded. Cattle and horses
had to be moved to places of safety.
Chickens and smaller animals were
drowned and homes north Of the rly-
er were flooded.
Fortunately, the situation on the
south side of the Sank river was not
60 serious. 1t is true that rivers OF
water ran through the main streets,
carrying refuse from up the stream
but the damage done to property
was slight in comparison with that OF
residents to the north.
The greatest tragedy of the fooo
was the drowning of three residents
of Sank Centre in the upper Ashle!
river. These men were: Messrs. Par
ker. Chandler and Watson, who WIFI
George Gordon of Osakis, were max
ing their way to Sank Centre iron
Osakis. They had been employed II
Osakis and were enroute here to take
ND labor in the mills.
At the home of farmer nance
Preston on Ashley river, the lou
borrowed boat, expecting to max
their way here by water. Near Tn
mouth of the Ashley their boat wa
caught in a whirlpool and capslzeo
Gordon and Parker had practlcall!
gained the shore by swimming whel
they heard the cries of Watson AM
Chandler who had been unable T.
breast the current.
Parker turned back to help nj
companions, although advised b.
Gordon that he could do no gooc
Hardly had he reached the tw
drowning men than he was overcom
and the three lost their lives in tn