Flooding today and Yesterday. Today is truly history.

These past couple of days have indeed recreated history. I sit here, high and dry in Fort Collins, while just north of us the town of LaPorte is flooding.

That is interesting, because the original Fort Collins, a military base to protect the Overland Trail from Indian attacks was built where LaPorte is today. 

           On June 9, 1864, a devastating flood of the Poudre river, (you can see the river in the photo above) nearly wiped out the Fort, carrying tents, ammunition and some of the cabins downstream. The soldiers managed to retreat to the nearest bluff without lives being lost, but the morning presented a scene of desolation; a sea of muddy water and only the roofs of a few cabins visible.

           They decided that they needed a better location. A search began for a new location for the post. Living on a farm between the present North Shields and Wood Street was Joseph Mason. Mason pointed out land on the River in the vicinity of the present Willow Street. 

          On August 20, 1864, the regional commander, William Oliver Collins, gave the order for the camp to be reopened at that location, near Old Town today.

Col. Collins

Soon the new camp was ready and the Fort Collins camp was built, safe from flooding.

I guess the point is, that even today 140 years later, Fort Collins remains relatively untouched by the flood that nearly drowned LaPorte last week. Guess it sometimes takes a long time to learn lessons!