Two days after the flood, Marinus Smith was finally removed from his house. Rescuers waded neck deep in water to reach him on the second floor. Smith went kicking and screaming, a scene that shocked and saddened the town’s residents. A prominent pioneer, farmer, and philanthropist, Smith fostered the growth of both Boulder and the university; his contributions included the donation of 25 acres of land for the campus. Marine Street, near the university, was named in his honor.

Smith refused to leave his house during the flood and planned to remain there for the long haul, surviving only on oyster crackers and sugar, which he rationed into seven piles. His rescuers took him to the city jail and put him in the “insane cell.” After two days Smith became lucid enough to talk to a reporter. “I did a foolish thing when I broke a window in my house,” he said nervously. “You see, I thought I had brought all this flood down on Boulder.”