THE GREAT FLASH FLOOD OF NEWBURG, MISSOURI
JUNE 8, 1945

What I remember most about the flood was the first time we were able to go into  town
after Little Piney went down enough to go across the bridge.

My Dad had gone around through Flat and Edgar Springs, MO., then back down highway 63
to Rolla, MO. and then to Newburg, MO. He wanted to check on his job. He  worked  for
the Frisco Railroad, which was now at a stand still with all the  tracks  washed  out
around Newburg.

This was a very serious problem, because the war was still going  on  and  everything
going in or out of Fort Leonard Wood went through Newburg. I can't remember how  long
it took to get the trains running again, but it would have taken several days.

When we got to town there were homes and cars washed on to the railroad tracks.

There were German POW's (prisoners of war) that were being held at Fort Leonard Wood.
The Army brought in a large group of these German prisoner's to  help  clean  up  the
town.

There were a lot of Army MP's with weapons keeping watch over the POW's. I found  out
later all of the POW's had volunteered to help with the clean up.

There were 5 people who drown in the flood. Mrs. Courson (I don't remember her  first
name) and her daughter Darlene.

Mrs. Margaret Baker and her daughter Bernadine.

A young girl named JoAnn Williams. (This was Bill William's sister who was  ahead  of
us in school).

Several homes just north of the Church of God were washed off their foundations. They
set along the branch that ran through town. That took the brunt of the  water  as  it
came down off the hills and into town.

The flood hit Newburg around 3:00 pm in the afternoon, I can  remember  it  had  been
raining for several days, but on this day the clouds were  very  dark  with  lots  of
lightning and thunder.

I helped my Grandmother, Minnie Clair (Pryor) Deskin, round up a large group of  baby
chicks that she was raising. She was afraid they would drown.

I guess it was good that the flood came during the afternoon, if it had been late  at
night when people were in bed the death toll would probably have been much higher.
 
 
                                               Written by Cordell Henry Webb
                                Son of Ferd Weldon and Reba Helen (Deskin) Webb
                                                       Newburg, Missouri
                                                              May  2006
          

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