Clarksburg floods of 1950

The photos I am sharing today are part of the Ralph Murphy photo archive, which my husband received from his Aunt Jean in 2012. This extensive collection comprises 15 boxes of slides, totaling thousands, all captured by Uncle Ralph. These images span the years from 1947 to 1984. Among them are scenic shots from their travels across the United States, glimpses of family members, and candid moments with friends and co-workers. I digitized the slide collection in 2015, and they continue to bring me joy.

This group of photos are from a natural disaster that took place in West Virginia in June 1950 when a devastating flash flood struck Gilmer, Harrison, Ritchie, Doddridge, Lewis, Braxton, and Upshur counties in West Virginia. Triggered by relentless rain, this flood left a trail of destruction, including:

• Thirty-three lives tragically lost
• Homes ravaged, leaving many homeless
• Businesses suffering significant losses as floodwaters inundated their premises, destroying merchandise
• Crops and gardens swept away, leaving farmers reeling from the impact
• Farm structures, haystacks, and even livestock succumbed to the relentless force of the water
• Desperate to survive, some men sought refuge in trees, clinging to them throughout the night
• In Gilmer County, a highway bridge was swept away 
• A majority of the 20 deaths in Doddridge County occurred when one house was swept away, eventually crashing into a railroad bridge
• Adding to the chaos, a gasoline storage tank containing 10,000 gallons of fuel caught fire in Weston

Clarksburg and Nutter Fort, both situated along the banks of the West Fork River in Harrison County, were not spared from the raging waters of the flood that weekend. Ralph Murphy, armed with his trusty camera, traveled the short distance from Nutter Fort to Clarksburg to capture the images you see below.

Anderson’s Restaurant, shown on the billboard in the next photo, was located at 411 N. Fourth Street in Clarksburg.

Adamston Flat Glass Company in Clarksburg

Thanks to Pete at the Clarksburg History Museum, I know the bridge in the next photo is located on Camden Street, near the Chestnut Hills community.

I hope you enjoyed these photos from Ralph’s archives. To see others from his collection, click here. You can read more about the June 1950 flood on the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History website.

References

• Blanchard, Wayne, 1950–June 24–25, Heavy Rain, Flash Flooding, Central WV, esp. Smithsburg Area (22)-34-35, Deadliest American Disasters and Large-Loss-of-Life Events website, https://www.usdeadlyevents.com/1950-june-24-25-heavy-rain-flash-flooding-central-wv-esp-smithsburg-area-22-34-35/. 
• Worst Flash Flood In History Sweeps Troy and Other Communities: Thirty-One Known Dead In 6-County Area; Little Kanawha River Hits Crest of 31.1 at Glenville, West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History; https://archive.wvculture.org/history/disasters/flood195001.html.