Science/Technology blog

This photo was taken in the early 1900’s by Charles Lillybridge, during a flood that very likely threatened his own studio. I haven’t been able to pinpoint the year of this particular flood. Once upon a time, the river, meandering naturally through the plain, flooded quite frequently. The surrounding prairie wasn’t disturbed; rather, the local wildlife flourished after such an event. The nomadic people who originally lived along these banks were able to adapt to the changing waters of what they called the Moonshell River. By the late 19th century, when Lillybridge moved in, humans were adapting the river to their use, rather than adapting to the river.

As people built cities along the banks and canals along the tributaries, the shape of the river was eventually transformed. To satisfy the consumer-happy demands of a growing nation, new industries moved into the area. The once meandering path of the Platte was lined with rigid concrete, utilized by the factories, smelters, and power plants. By the 1960’s, the South Platte River was filled with debris, including discarded vehicles and industrial waste. They weren’t really expecting it to flood.

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