Sometimes when you hear the same story over and over again, you begin to ask questions about what really happened during a particular event. The tale of the 1894 Boulder flood was one I needed to question. Not because I lacked belief in the numerous renditions, but I wanted to know more about the people, what happened to them, how the town struggled to rebuild, and what happened to the mountain towns after the destruction of the railroad.

There are times when all it takes to develop a local history project is the desire to know more about something you see or hear about on a regular basis.

The case study presented here is based on my originally published 2001 article “Good Baptist Weather": Boulder County and the Flood of 1894" in the Colorado Historical Society's quarterly, Colorado Heritage. Click the introductory link below to begin the journey faced by Boulder citizens over a century ago.

Introduction
Put the events of the flood into perspective by getting a sense of what was happening around Colorado in May 1894.

Before the Flood
The day prior to the flood was full of Memorial Day preparations and quite typical, except for the heavy rain.

31 May 1894
The water unleashed its full power in the early morning hours, turning central Boulder into a lake by midday.

Cleaning Up
After evaluating the damage, the citizens of Boulder and the mountain communities faced a long process of cleaning up before rebuilding could begin.

Rebuilding
Personal and financial struggles made rebuilding difficult for everyone, but unfortunately some faced greater sacrifices and one was pushed past the brink of sanity.