It came unexpected on a nice Sunday afternoon, 1903, people do more then nothing, except relax in there homes. But when a rolling storm hit the town of
The stories poured from people. Some were tragic like Dan Stalter, who lost his wife and six children out of his seven. He escaped safely with his remaining child on to some crates. But one of the most satisfying stories was from the heroic Paul Revere like men. Leslie L. Madlock and Bruce Kelly thought if this flood can do all of this to Heppner, imagine what it can do to it's neighboring towns
The aftermath of the Heppner Flood was grueling. The residents of Heppner and others started the hard labor of clearing wreckage and recovering bodies. Bodies had to be identified and then buried at Cemetery Hill. Many people rumored that there were 400 to 500 people that had died but in reality came to 251. Some of the residents left after the flood, but enough stayed to keep the town going. The cause of the flood was the overflowing of Willow Creek waters. Some of the same actions started in 1948 and again in 1971 but were minor compared to the first flood. Eventually, after a lot of work and 55 million dollars, a 155 ft. dam came across Willow Creek in 1893.Shortly after the floodwaters receded, Leslie Scott, a reporter for the Oregonian, commented: "The beauty of Heppner is gone, but not its pride. No community could rise more bravely under adversity." And so it is today, with its deep Irish roots and state known for its St. Patrick's Day celebration, a great and prideful town.
Source: http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/ohq/105.1/denouden.html