78                  HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY

    At some time prior to 1850, perhaps as early as 1845, John Acree
& Son established a mill of small capacity, mainly for the grinding of
corn, on the river, near the Putnam county line, in Cass township, which
they ran continuously for a number of years, when it passed into the
hands of Adam Carpenter, about 1860, who enlarged its capacity by
putting in wheat buhrs and otherwise improving it. This site is still
known as “Carpenter’s Mill.”
    In times of protracted heavy rain-falls Eel river bottom has been
frequently covered with floods which have swept the valley “from hill to
hill.” The amount of damage sustained in the loss of property from this
cause is dependent, largely, on the season, but, in the aggregate, it is
incalculable. No season is exempt from these visitations. If the flood
comes in summer-time, the greatest damage is to crops; if in winter-
time, to stock. There are now but few living who were here at the
time of the memorable flood of 1847, so that it is impracticable to attempt
to give any account in detail of the destruction caused by it. Mention
has already been made of the accumulation of drifts traceable thereto
and of the undermining and washing away of the Anguilla flouring-mill.
    The flood which came the middle of May, 1854, was unprecedented
in the suddenness of its rising, reaching high-water mark within an
incredibly short time, then receding as quickly, the like of which had
never before been witnessed, from the effects of which the farmers of
the flooded area did not recover that year. The freshet of July, 1866,
immediately succeeding the wheat harvest, was signally destructive of the
crop, then standing in the shock, which was floated about and lodged
promiscuously against fences, trees and other obstacles, at places in heaps
by the road-side.
    The flood-tide of 1875 exceeded that of any previous or after time
in the history of the county as known to civilization. Following the
incessant hard rain-fall of the last days of July, the crest of the flood
on the first day of August, which was Sunday, rose above all known
high-water marks. Families living in the flooded district who had not
gone to the up-lands in anticipation of the worst, who lived in two-story
houses, were driven to the upper floor, and tenants of one-story build-
ings to the attic, and even to the roof, for safety. Relief parties in boats
ministered to the wants ofthe imprisoned and distressed, rescuing those
whose lives were imperiled. Stock which had not been driven to the hills
or collected upon the few knolls not covered with the waters, was lost,
only an occasional straggler showing up after the passing of the flood.
The track of the Terre Haute and Southeastern Railroad between the
river and the bluff of Big creek was covered with a depth from three
to four feet, boats passing over it in the rowing back and forth. The
flood rose to the level of the floor of the wagon bridge at Bowling Green
from fifteen to eighteen feet above low-water mark at that point. Thou-
sands of acres of corn were destroyed. On the higher grounds along
the course of the stream were gathered hundreds of people, on Sunday,
to witness the scenes attending the swirlings of the flood.
    In the spring and summer of 1882 there were repeated freshets
from heavy rains falling at intervals. Corn-planting was late, and after
a large percent of the acreage had been once ploughed there came another
overflow, which drowned out the growth. necessitating the replanting
of the same acreage, which was not finished until the last days of June.
Many farmers abandoned their intended planting. The harvest time of