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Boy Scouts Monument - Rhea County
If you live in eastern Tennessee then you have probably heard one of many stories about the flood of 1929.
Like the story of Oakdale.. A once thriving town that had theaters, numerous stores and even a elaborate motel. All of which got washed away in the flood or closed up there shortly after. Now Oakdale is merely a post office and a gas station.
Or the story of Harriman and how whole steam engines were lifted from the tracks and dumped into the river. River front factories were washed away and many people lost there lives. Some of the bodies were never found.
Lamance Falls huge monolith stone that stands at the edge of the splash pool was put there from the top of the falls during the flood also.
Which brings us to the monument. After 2 weekends in a row of being rained out troop 45 decided they were camping out along side Whites Creek rain or shine. So on March 22, 1929 approximately 20 boys from Troop 45 met at the cabin for an evening of games, food and story telling. The boys were awakened at around 4 am as flood waters from Whites Creek started to enter the cabin. The boys went out to the porch in hopes of getting to higher ground but with the rain coming down at a rate of three inches per hour the only option was to climb onto the roof of the cabin. Here the boys tried to scream to men on a near by railroad trestle for help but the water was rising to fast for them to help. The steel bridge on Rt. 27 had collected a lot of debris and turned itself into a makeshift dam until it gave way sending a tidal wave of water and rubble towards the cabin. The impact broke the cabin lose from its foundation and broke the roof into pieces.. separating the boys from each other. The roof pieces continued to break up and sink, leaving the boys clamoring from tree to tree as the flood waters continued to rise and wash away more trees. By around 2 pm most of the boys had been rescued by local Rockwood men however seven of the boys had drown and the troop leader had died trying to rescue the boys. Those who did make it did so with broken legs, broken hips and severed limbs. Many of the boys were in the hospital for up to seven months having multiple surgeries... all of which was paid for by the troop leaders wife using the life insurance from her deceased husband.
A great Heartland Series about the Monument
legacy.wbir.com/videos/news/2015/03/23/25221455/
www3.gendisasters.com/tennessee/12685/rockford-tn-boy-sco...
www.rheaheraldnews.com/news/local/article_2db4c8f3-f56b-5...
archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/TNRHEA/1999-09/093...
Boy Scouts Monument - Rhea County
If you live in eastern Tennessee then you have probably heard one of many stories about the flood of 1929.
Like the story of Oakdale.. A once thriving town that had theaters, numerous stores and even a elaborate motel. All of which got washed away in the flood or closed up there shortly after. Now Oakdale is merely a post office and a gas station.
Or the story of Harriman and how whole steam engines were lifted from the tracks and dumped into the river. River front factories were washed away and many people lost there lives. Some of the bodies were never found.
Lamance Falls huge monolith stone that stands at the edge of the splash pool was put there from the top of the falls during the flood also.
Which brings us to the monument. After 2 weekends in a row of being rained out troop 45 decided they were camping out along side Whites Creek rain or shine. So on March 22, 1929 approximately 20 boys from Troop 45 met at the cabin for an evening of games, food and story telling. The boys were awakened at around 4 am as flood waters from Whites Creek started to enter the cabin. The boys went out to the porch in hopes of getting to higher ground but with the rain coming down at a rate of three inches per hour the only option was to climb onto the roof of the cabin. Here the boys tried to scream to men on a near by railroad trestle for help but the water was rising to fast for them to help. The steel bridge on Rt. 27 had collected a lot of debris and turned itself into a makeshift dam until it gave way sending a tidal wave of water and rubble towards the cabin. The impact broke the cabin lose from its foundation and broke the roof into pieces.. separating the boys from each other. The roof pieces continued to break up and sink, leaving the boys clamoring from tree to tree as the flood waters continued to rise and wash away more trees. By around 2 pm most of the boys had been rescued by local Rockwood men however seven of the boys had drown and the troop leader had died trying to rescue the boys. Those who did make it did so with broken legs, broken hips and severed limbs. Many of the boys were in the hospital for up to seven months having multiple surgeries... all of which was paid for by the troop leaders wife using the life insurance from her deceased husband.
A great Heartland Series about the Monument
legacy.wbir.com/videos/news/2015/03/23/25221455/
www3.gendisasters.com/tennessee/12685/rockford-tn-boy-sco...
www.rheaheraldnews.com/news/local/article_2db4c8f3-f56b-5...
archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/TNRHEA/1999-09/093...