Clark County, Indiana - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 11 of those read), 1909

The Ninth Decade. 1881-189O

Outside of the commercial activity, whicli marked tliis decade and tlic floods which threatened to ruin the city, nothing of great importance occurred. In 1 88 1 the block bounded by Court avenue, and between Spring street and Wall street was divided by a thirty-foot street known as Park street. The part laying between Park street and Court avenue was laid out as a park and improved with walks, trees and shrubs and christened "Warder Park," in honor of the mayor, the Hon. Luther F. Warder.

In 188 1 Sweeney's foundry was moved to its present location. It was originally established in 1869 by Michael A. Sweeney and Chris. Baker, who opened a small shop on Pearl street, near Court avenue. Mr. Baker retired from the firm in 1870, Mr. Sweeney continuing the business alone. In 1872 he moved to Court avenue, and in March, 1876, admitted James Sweeney as a partner. The business was continued here until March, 188 1, when the firm purchased nine acres of ground from Guthrie, Marlin & Company, of Louisville, and as soon as buildings could be erected, moved their works to the place they now occupy. They have a river frontage of nine hundred sixty-five feet, and since their purchase of this property have made extensive improvements. For a number of years they have engaged in boat-building, and have launched cjuite a number of handsome steamers in late years. The principal work of this firm, however, is engine building, although all kinds of machinery is constructed. This firm still remains one of the important industries in Clark county. The most important incident, or rather series of incidents, which collectively made one great calamity in the eighties, were the floods of 1883 and 1884.'

In the year 1883 the river reached such a stage that a large part of Jeffersonville was flooded and great damage done, but in 1884, when on February 15th, the river reached the unprecedented stage of 46.7 feet, the city of Jeflfersonville suft^ered a blow to her hopes - her industries and her business which took years to repair. The water on this date covered Port Fulton up to the Utica pike, as far down at Jefterson street, out to High street, down to Division street, out to Chestnut street, down Chestnut street, out Penn street, down Court avenue, out Fulton street, thence to Ninth street and Walnut, thence east to Walnut and Watt streets, thence to Tenth street and Locust, thence to Eleventh and Wall, to Thirteenth and Walnut, to Locust and Fourteenth, thence southwardly to Sparks avenue, east to Spring street, thence to Spring and Broadway, thence west to the city hue, between Eleventh and Sparks avenue. The water reached the point where Eighth street crosses the west line of Jeffersonville, thence to Missouri avenue and Seventh street, thence to Seventh and Broadway, thence to Sixth and Indiana avenue, thence to Court avenue, east of Indiana avenue, tlience to Fourth street, east of Indiana a\'enue, thence to Ohio avenue and Fourth street, thence to Third and Ohio avenue, thence to Market and Fort street, thence with Fort street to the alley, between Market and Front streets, thence to Clark street, tlience to Mulberry and Market streets, and Ihence to the river front.

The city of Jeffersonville contained two hundred fourteen blocks, of which ninety-three were wholly submerged, forty-three partly submerged, and seventy-eight were dry. Some of the measurements taken at that time by Victor W. Lyon, C. E., show the following depths of water Februarv 15, 1884:

This flood caused great suffering in Jefifersonville and along the whole length of the river, but relief in abundance was received from all over the country. Soon afterward the levee was built under Government supervision and with a Government appropriation. Jeffersonville stands now well protected against the recurrence of such a disaster and during the great flood of 1907, the highest since 1884, Jeffersonville the dryest town or city along the whole Ohio valle}'.

In the eighties also the oil and gas fever struck Clark county and a company was formed in Jeffersonville to open wells. J. V. Reed was president. Willis Goodwin, secretary and J. H. McCampbell, treasurer. Stock was greedily bought and six or seven wells were sunk near Jeffersonville. The one in Ferguson's woods struck a good flow of gas and the stockholders, in their elation, held a celebration at the well and the whole city turned out. The gas was lighted and night was turned into day. The stockholders refused to sell their holdings to less fortunate friends, but their dream was short lived, as the gas soon gave out. Luther F. Warder formed another company to sink wells but they met with no better success.

The political campaigns of '84 and "88 were the most enthusiastic since the Civil war. Cleveland and Hendricks marching clubs vied with the Blain and Logan clubs and the county presented about an equal number of marchers in the many torch-light processions which marked the campaign in this locality. The campaign of 1888, between Cleveland and Harrison, was equally as strenuous and the Clark county citizens maintained their reputation for keeping things warm until the night of the election.

In 1884 one of the most philanthropic acts in the history of the county was performed by Prof. William W. Borden, of Borden, in erecting and starting the Borden Institute, a school which he maintained for a number of vears, and which has furnished good educations to hundreds of young men and women of Wood township.

In Jeffersonville the water works system was completed in 1S88 and accepted. The population of Clark county in 1890 was thirty thousand two hundred fiftv-nine.