The Flood of 1955 - First Person Accounts & Photographs
The Flood of '55 devastated Unionville. Homes were lost and there was extensive damage of both homes and businesses. The Museum has a large collection of photographs, objects, newspapers from the time of the flood. We also have some videos that tell the story of the flood. Tragically, lives were lost, the lives of residents trying to evacuate and the first responders who had rushed to help them. Below are first person accounts of those who went through the flood or were part of the cleanup as well as photographs showing the extent of the flooding, the damage it caused and some of its victims.
First Person Accounts
Edward Durant - The Farmington Flood - August 19, 1955 - Edward Durant tells a harrowing story of spending hours in the waters of the Farmington River at the height of the flood trying to help evacuate and rescue a River Glen family. All the while he feared for his life and theirs. River Glen was the hardest hit area of Unionville.
Patty LeBouthillier, President, Unionville Museum Board - "Memories and Recollections of the Flood of 1955 Farmington and Unionville, Connecticut". At the time of the Flood Patty and her family lived on the corner of South Main Street & Railroad Avenue. Her family's home was heavily damaged in the Flood and eventually had to be demolished.
John McManama - "Flood of '55 Farmington Avenue and Union School". At the time of the flood John McManama was the Principal of Union School. He and his family lived on Farmington Avenue across from what is now the Morin-Yodkins Memorial Park. His home was heavily damaged but salvageable.
Patty LeBouthillier, President, Unionville Museum Board - "Memories and Recollections of the Flood of 1955 Farmington and Unionville, Connecticut". At the time of the Flood Patty and her family lived on the corner of South Main Street & Railroad Avenue. Her family's home was heavily damaged in the Flood and eventually had to be demolished.
John McManama - "Flood of '55 Farmington Avenue and Union School". At the time of the flood John McManama was the Principal of Union School. He and his family lived on Farmington Avenue across from what is now the Morin-Yodkins Memorial Park. His home was heavily damaged but salvageable.
Water Everywhere - At its highest level, the river was 10' above the road.
Catastrophic Damage - 70 homes were lost, 100 were damaged. Everywhere you looked the ground was covered in 2' of mud and stacks of debris.
The Victims - Lives were lost, hundreds more were impacted by the total destruction the flood left behind.
For more of the heroic story of Officer Yodkins and Joseph Morin, a young college student, who also lost his life in that fatal rescue attempt read "Remembering the Heroes of the '55 Flood" which appeared in the August 20, 1995 issue of the Hartford Courant. The Morin-Yodkins Memorial Park on the south side of Farmington Avenue was created in their honor.