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The Austin Dam Yesterday |
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The dam shortly after completion |
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After the flood |
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Viewing the ruins |
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Photos by unknown Courtesy of Austin Dam Memorial Association
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found these on the Pennsylvania DEP website. I wrote to them to ask
about the pictures and if I could use the photos on my site, they directed me to the Austin Dam Memorial
Association. So my next step was to speak to Dottie Bajor, Secretary of the Association and
she gave me permission to use the photos. She wasn't able to tell me who the
photographer was but she thought these photos were actually picture
postcards. She was very helpful and sent me the most recent and some past
issues of the Association's Newsletters. They contained updates on the park,
some history and photos on the dam & flood, recollections from
survivors, and information on the various ways you can donate to help the
park project.
Always seek permission before using a photograph that isn't your own.
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Postscript: I really enjoyed creating the Austin Dam pages. We took a few special trips down into the park, we had not stopped since they built it until these last 2 trips. We probably wouldn't have done that if I hadn't decided to include something on the dam in my website. About 15 years ago we climbed down the hill to fish before the park was created, easy going down but,....HARD to get up. ;) The park road is in good shape, they have some trails set up for hiking if you're into that, the base of the dam has some nice holes for fish, it's a piece of history,........check it out if you're in the neighborhood. Finding websites to get some background proved to be an interesting task, also. The stories of the people and the dam bursting are captivating and some are heartrending. I also realized one of my favorite series books I read as a child were written by an author from Austin. The Judy Bolton series by Margaret Sutton. Her first book was based on the flood, The Vanishing Shadow. After the flood her family moved to Coudersport, Pa. because there was no work in Austin. The Judy Bolton books are like Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys for those of you that never heard of her. Check out the Judy Bolton site. |
| Postscript 2: As I was double-checking my links, I read that Margaret Sutton just passed away on June 21, 2001. She was 98 years old. |
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NEXT: June 2002 |