Reddick dam

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About

Name

• Reddick dam

Recreation

• Amusement / Gambling / and Recreation Industries

Facts

Founded

• 1875

Dissolved

• 1913

Related

Key Persons

Location

• Wooster, 44691, Ohio, United States

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Timeline

View the timeline of this dam.

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Quick Facts

• 1874 - May 14, G. Gow and John Brinkerhoff, City engineers gauged the stream found it to be sufficient to protect the city against fire.
• 1875 - Summer, Work began building the reservoir under the supervision of G. Gow. Building a dam across the ravine right below the springs raising thee water to 18 feet.
• 1876 - Spring - Summer, More work ensued under the energetic supervision of John Brinkerhoff, city engineer
• 1884 - June, "Since last Friday the water in Reddick's dam has fallen an inch and a half daily, and if the decrease continues it will be necessary to shut off all consumers next Tuesday, July 1st."

Services

The main use of this dam was to protect the city in the event of a fire. A secondary use was to supply the city with water.

Newspaper articles

Flew to Wooster: A Bird From Polar Island Caught at Reddick's Dam

• Flew to Wooster: A Bird From Polar Island Caught at Reddick's Dam

While at Reddick's dam yesterday afternoon, Glen McClure and I noticed a Chimneyswift fly down to the water to dip (their way of bathing) with something attached to it. When it struck the water and failed to rise we were curious to know what it was carrying about. With not a little trouble we rescued the bird and found fastened to the left leg by means of a stout linen thread a piece of paper bearing the following.

"I caught this bird Sunday, the 26th of ---, 1904. Paul Ledull. Polar Island."

With the exception of one word, the month, it was legible, being written in ink and there is but little doubt that it was captured in May. The bird carried this strange message for a period of 58 days. It and the groove made by the thread it (will?) carry for life, it would be interesting to know the history of this bird, where it was reared and how it was captured. The bird has evidently begun its migration southward. -- Scott G. Harry.

Two-hour Downpour Causes Much Damage

• Two-hour Downpour Causes Much Damage: Wooster Streets Flooded, Bridges Carried Away and Railroad Traffic Tied Up Several Hours; Break in Redick's Dam Causes Big Raise of Christmas Run and Much Damage at Fair Grounds

A two hour downpour of rain, the heaviest in Wooster this year, and as heavy as any rain in several years completely tied up everything in this city and vicinity late Saturday afternoon.

The storm caused a postponement of the Wayne County Fair until next month, tied up traffic on the Pennsylvania lines for several hours, caused Redick's dam to burst, carried away numerous bridges, and did damage amounting to thousands of dollars to Wooster streets and private property.

It was not a cloudburst, but simply a heavy rain, which came in from the east. There was some lightning and thunder.

The Lloyd Berry home on North Grant street was struck, a hole being torn through the wall. Little damage was done. Lightning Saturday struck the McClelland home on Beall Avenue, throwing bricks many feet away.

The rain began to fall in Wooster a few minutes after four o'clock. In fifteen minutes the streets looked like [river?] and in an hour the condition was much worse. From [?] until [6?] o'clock the water was at its height. Market, Buckeye, Bever and Beall [?] rivers, while the cross street [?] little better. In the south end the water was even higher. Spruce street and Madison avenue being among the hardest hit.

The sewers were unable to carry away the water and it boiled out of the manholes at Liberty and other cross streets.

At the Archer corner the water went over the curbing, and caused some little damage. At the Bever and Liberty street intersection, conditions were worse. The water went in on the first floor of the Johnstone grocery, and did considerable damage, both there and in the basement. Other business places right in the vicinity were also affected. The basement at Annat's store was the scene of some fast work, much goods being hurriedly removed. Some goods were damaged.

In the south end of the city many cellars were flooded.

When the water was at its height, Redick's dam burst, letting the torrent surge down Christmas run valley. At the culvert on West Bowman street, it banked up making a temporary lake above. The water at one time was clear over the road some twenty-five feet higher than the valley. A hole ten feet deep was washed [?] below the culvert. Going on down the valley the water [did?] considerable damage to crops and at the fair grounds tore things up so bad that the fair association [???] the grounds Monday decided to postpone the fair until October 8, 9 and 10.

The rain began to fall in Wooster a few minutes after four o'clock. In fifteen minutes the streets looked like rivers, and in an hour the condition was much worse. From 5 until 6 o'clock the water was at it's height. Market, Buckeye, Bever and Beall were veritable rivers, while the cross streets were a little better. In the south end the water was even higher, Spruce street and Madison avenue being among the hardest hit.

The sewers were unable to carry some twenty-five feet higher than the valley. A hole ten feet deep was washed just below the culvert. Going on down the valley the water did considerable damage to crops, and at the fair grounds tore things up so bad that the fair association, after going over the grounds Monday decided to postpone the fair until October 8, 9 and 10.

Below the fair grounds the B. and O. track was torn up, causing much work for section men Monday.

There were several washouts between Wooster and Smithville on the Pennsylvania ______ , the worst one being just east of the depot, where the water comes down from the Board of Trade allotment section. A passageway as big as a house was washed out under the tracks. The six o'clock trains were delayed more than four hours. Several places up over the hill gravel was two feet deep on the tracks, and only the quick work of a large force of section men enabled traffic to be resumed before Sunday morning.

Applecreek was higher than it has been for several years. The rain was largely in the territory drained by this creek, and the storm approached from the head waters of the stream, thus making it raise doubly as fast as ordinary. The water would rush down the hillsides to the stream, only to be augmented as it flowed, by equal amounts from every little tributary. The water was so high over the way across the valley that Experiment Station employees could not get to the city until 10 p.m., at which time the water had receded sufficiently to enable wagons and buggies to get through.

Waterworks Supt. Miller and Service Director Johnston and their men will be busy many days taking care of damage done by the storm. The cost to the city will be much in excess of $1,000.

Immediately following the storm, there were many amusing incidents. Persons employed down town were anxious to get to their homes, because supper was waiting for them. The streets were running full of water. The water receded quickly, and soon as the stream on each side of the paved street seemed comparatively narrow, the crowd started. People jumped across, some of them getting wet feet.

Before the storm had ended, taxi-cabs were very busy hauling persons to and from the depot. When they got to the depot they were disappointed, for a river was coming down the tracks, and there was no chance to get away. The depot was surrounded by water.

County Commissioner Jos. Whitman was one of scores of out-of-town people who were caught in Wooster or on the way home. Mr. Whitman and his wife reached the distillery before it began to rain. They halted under the railroad arch. One other buggy was there. When the rain slackened up, the creek had raised nearly to the railroad arch, and for several miles up the road they drove though water, sometimes several feet deep. At Smithville, Mr. and Mrs. Whitman found the end of the storm.

Reports from other directions show that Wooster was the real center of the downpour and that it extended only a short distance either way. Smithville and Creston received practically no rain. Orrville just had a nice shower, and Ashland didn't get a drop. At the Holmes county line but little rain fell.

Northern Wayne county got a hard rain a few hours earlier Saturday afternoon.

The heavy rain in Wooster Tuesday morning brought back Saturday's flood in a realistic manner. The streets were again flooded, but the rain did not last so long. It rained heavily Tuesday morning to the north.

No Water: Reddick's Dam Nearly Dry No Fire Protection at High School

• No Water: Reddick's Dam Nearly Dry No Fire Protection at High School

The vicinity of the High school is at present without fire protection owing to scarcity of water at Reddick's dam. The dam has bee low for several days. It has been replenished by turning water in from the Bloomington reservoir but this source is entirely inadequate to the demand. Water users should use extreme care in using water from the line fed by this dam.

Clean Out Reddick's: Plan of Service Board in Water Plans

• Clean Out Reddick's: Plan of Service Board in Water Plans

It is the plan of the board of public service to clean out Reddick's dam and make a fine storage reservoir at that place, as soon as the pumping station has been repaired.

"We are going to fix the water work system up right this time or we are not going to fix it at all.'" said J. M. Nolle, a member of the board, Thursday. "The $9,000 in bonds we are going to issue will cover all the expense we can see now, and if there is any later on there will be enough coming in revenue from the system to take care of that. After we get the new pump installed, we can fix it so we can shut off Reddick's and give it a thorough cleaning out. We are going to have enough capacity so we can shut Reddick's off entirely when the water is muddy and not turn it on until it is clear again. There will be enough storage capacity in that reservoir to run the town for a week at a time, and even longer when the weather is not too dry, without using the pumping station at all. We also plan to keep Bloomington full right along. We are going to have plenty of water and it is not going to be expensive water either."

Newspaper ads

• September 17, 1903: "Board of Public Service: "The board of public service ordered that the damage done in the Reddick dam by the storm be repaid. ...."", Wayne County Herald, p. 3.

• May 11, 1904: "Social Notes. "A party of young people, the most of them from the university chaperoned by Dr. and Mrs. H. W. Lowry, picnicked at Reddick's dam Friday afternoon, and enjoyed a pleasant out door supper."", Wooster Republican, p. 6.

• January 18, 1905: "Board of Public Service Decides Such Action is Necessary: ".... George Bogner superintendent of water works, reported that the supply of water in the Reddick dam was very low and that water consumers would have to be very careful as to waste of supply or it might be necessary to shut off the water...."", Wooster Republican, p. w.

• September 16, 1922: "Roast at Reddick's Dam: "The Older girls of the Girls Athletic association of the high school entertained the freshmen and lady members of the faculty last night at a roast at Reddick's Dam. About 100 were present and 11 teachers accompanied the young folks on their outing. After the feasting was completed, the classes gave several stunts."", The Daily Record, p. 2.

Reddick's Dam was constructed during the summer of 1875. It was located on Mr. Reddick's property just north of the town of Wooster with water. It was 18 feet deep and created a reservoir to supply Wooster with spring water. The construction of the dam was supervised by Mr G. Gow, civil engineer. The cost of the entire project to pipe the natural spring water to Wooster, including later updates, totaled $86,000. This system served Wooster until 1907, when the Applecreek pumping station was placed in operation.