Underwater Ghost Towns of Iowa: Part 3 "The Wild Rivers of Iowa" - MWGT Podcast

Finishing Part 3 of Underwater Ghost Towns of Iowa - In this episode we go into the rivers of Iowa and the floods that created a few Ghost Towns around the state. Many of the towns have survived and persevered through floods - but sometimes history has shown that it wasn't always possible.
#rivers #floods #ghosttowns #iowa

[@backwatersandbackroads]

So well done. Does not surprise me that you worked in radio. You make it feel effortless. I'm terrible at narration. I looked up your home town, very iconic Iowa downtown. Keep them coming. This is the best one of the series IMHO.

[@midwestghosttown]

Thanks for the compliment...a better mic will help. I have some interesting ones coming up...stay tuned 😉

[@ronfullerton3162]

I will have to go back through my photographs , check platts, and watch other of your Iowa rivers episodes. I was a fourty year resident of Louisa County, and enjoyed the history of southeastern Iowa. On highway 99 west of Toolesburo, which is between Wapello and Oakville, is a little cemetery named Mallory. It has two mass graves in it. One was a boat load of Civil War pows being transported to Arsenal Island at Rock Island that colera or another bad disease had broken out on the boat and took most everyone. The other mass grave was a ntown on the Iowa River that a flood had demolished. The mass grave marker said the town was to the southwest of the cemetery, putting it somewhere between Oakville and Wapello. The little cemetery was still well kept the ladt time I was there, and is in a very beautiful Iowa setting. Loved the video.

[@midwestghosttown]

Thanks Ron...great comments on this. Interesting you bring up Louisa County. I had a listener reach out last week about her great great grandmothers grave being washed away in a mississippi river flood in Port Louisa - I tried to pin point the flood, but from 1860 to 1900 counted more than 7 major floods. Numerous graves and cemeteries washed away. Thanks for the kind words - reach out anytime.

[@ronfullerton3162]

@@midwestghosttown Louisa has had it's share of floods. Especially with the Iowa and Cedar Rivers coming together at Columbus Junction, and flowing on down to the Mississippi northeast of Oakville. The last bad floor saw Oakville underwater and all that agricultural bottom ground clear south to Burlington under. Louisa County and all the river valley areas really got torn up that summer. But as always, they have bounced back.

[@ronfullerton3162]

@@midwestghosttown I might have an Louisa County book or two yet. See if I do and see if I can find answers. If I can find the photo of Mallory Cemetery, I will see what town it was that was flooded on the Iowa above Oakville. Louisa County had a number of towns that were destroyed by floods on the Mississippi, Iowa, and Cedar Rivers. And some little burgs along creeks such as Long and Buff Creeks were washed out. Years ago I read a book that had that history in it. But I believe it belongs to someone back in Iowa. Wish I had kept a record of my sources.

[@ronfullerton3162]

@@midwestghosttown Unfortunately the Louisa County books I have, none had the information on early towns that died out. That was a book I must of read while still living in Louisa. I found my photos of the Mallory Cemetery, and the one mass grave was of the people who died of the plaque after the 1859 flood of Burris City. And the other were Confederate POWs being brought up the Mississippi River to be held at Rock Island Arsenal. I have been wanting to go home and nose around Louisa County once again, and this makes me inclined to take some me time on my next trip back to see my sisters. I am intrigued about the town I thought the mass grave was from. Now I need to research why I knew about it. Wish you the best as you create further videos.

[@midwestghosttown]

@@ronfullerton3162 I have plans to visit that area at some point - I appreciate you my friend! Let me know if you find anything