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October 1998 Vol. XXVIII No. 1   CALENDAR Thursday, October 8 @ 7:00 p.m. LHG Meeting, Carnegie Building HERITAGE GUILD HAPPENINGS   Gary Drummond and Anna Siig held a successfiil book signing at the Carnegie Library for their new book The Klondike News, The Adventures of Livermore Area Residents from 1897 to 1906 during the Alaska Gold Rush. This 239 page book features letters and articles about Livermore residents who participated in the Alaskagoldrush. It makes for very interesting reading about this period in Livermore's and Alaska~s history. Copies are available at the Carnegie Library for $12,95. WANTED: History Center Docents Hours: Unlimited (Minimum: one 4 1/2 hour day a month) Tasks: Varied Salary: You gotta be kiddin' Satisfaction: Can be huge Inquite: The History Center or Phone 449-9927

The Rains Came by Barbara Bunshah   Floods have been a constant factor in this Valley foras tong as records have been kept. Elmer Stilt in his"Highlights in History of Livermore" noted that in thewinters of 1861-62 and 1889-90 heavy rains caused the whole lower end of the valley to be covered with flood water, from a point midway between Livermore and Pleasanton clear to Dublin, a distance of about nine miles. But the most interesting flood story was published in the Grizzley Bear (the magazine of the Native Sons) in the issue for March 1933. It said: "Away back in March, 1783 Padre Anselmo predicted that a hundred years hence (1883) a flood of mammoth proportions would sweep through the Livermore Valley. Led by Bernard Alviso numerous Mexican families left their homes for quarters atop Cedar Mt. and other elevations and awaited the Flood That Never Came: a heavy storm came March 26 and dropped three to five inches of rain in the valleys and six feet of snow in the mts. " The Herald on January 18, 1965 in its report on this story goes on to say: "The prediction proved true as far as heavy rain was concerned, the record showing 3.45 inches in March 1883, although this would not ordinarily be sufficient to cause floods. "There were many Livermore residents in 1933 who had been here in 1883, and none had any recollection of a flood or persons leaving the valley for Cedar Mt. This included several persons who either resided close to the mountain or were on it herding sheep at the time.

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There was one person who remembered Mexican families going into the bills near Sunol to escape a predicted flood, they said, and another remembers heavy purchasing by Mexican families at a grocery store where he worked, saying they were going to the hills, but would not give any reason." The floods of 1903 "One of the heaviest floods in history occurred in March 1903, so much water running west on First St. that the drug store and First and K had water inside the store and its basement filled. "	From the Herald again: "The flagpole intersection ... was always the heaviest sufferer from flood waters after the city was laid out. Overflow water came down First St. from the east and met the rush of water coming down S. Livermore Ave. which had picked up an additional supply at the East Ave. intersection and the combined volume created a rushing stream past the Bank of Italy building, "extending out into lakes along the side streets. "
The flagpole intersection during heavy rain of 2/11/38 (1.35 inches in 24 hours)

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Revised: Nov. 15, 1998

Link update: 1/10/98