Rockdale Flood: Iowa Time Machine July 4, 1876

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On July 4, 1876, while the rest of America celebrated its centennial, the tiny village of Rockdale, Iowa, faced a wall of water estimated at 20 feet tall and hundreds of feet wide. Following the collapse of a mill dam, the small eastern Iowa town was almost entirely wiped away by the unrelenting flood.

As fireworks faded and families settled in for the night, a gentle drizzle quickly transformed into a relentless downpour. By 10 p.m., Catfish Creek had swollen beyond its banks, and disaster loomed. When the mill dam upstream the small town gave way, an incredible wall of water rose over Rockdale. In mere moments, nearly every building, including homes, stores, the hotel, the post office, and the blacksmith shop, were swept into wreckage. Only the sturdy Rockdale Mill and a single house remained standing.

The human toll was devastating: around 40 people, almost the town’s entire population, lost their lives. Survivors recounted harrowing escapes: some clung to treetops as the floodwaters surged beneath them, while others watched loved ones swept away. Among the incredible stories was that of barkeeper Charles Thimmesch, who, after warning his neighbors, climbed to the post office roof and ultimately swam naked to safety, clutching his money in his teeth.

Rockdale never recovered from the flood. Families were torn apart, and the village was left in ruins. The bodies of victims, including many children, were found in muddy debris or along the banks of the creek. The grief was so profound that, as one letter from the time put it, “I cannot sleep well for thinking of those dear children.” The tragedy marked the end of the village as it had been known, and its story remains a somber reminder of nature’s power and the fragility of life. Today, Rockdale exists only as a memory in Dubuque, but the 1876 centennial flood stands as Iowa’s deadliest and most haunting natural disaster. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar