The Conrad Anderson family home at 320 North Seventh Street can be seen beside the sandbag barrier along the south side of Madison Street in St. Peter during the 1965 flood. The water came from a controlled release from a dike along Sunrise Drive, from which it was sent along North Eighth and Madison Streets to the Recreation Field. From there, it made its way to the Minnesota River.
Water from a controlled release from a dike along Sunrise Drive flowed eastward along Madison Street in St. Peter during the 1965 flood. The water was sent through a ravine to North Eighth Street, diverted onto Madison Street, and sent into the Recreation Field, from which it made its way to the nearby Minnesota River. This view looks to the west from a location at the intersection of Madison Street with North Washington Avenue.
The sandbag dike in the foreground was construced at the west end of the mill pond in St. Peter during the 1965 flood in an attempt to contain the rapidly rising water of the Minnesota River. The river water later submerged the dike, and a second dike was constructed on higher ground beside the electrical substation on the north side of the east end of Nassau Street, which is visible in the center of the photo. At the time, the offices of the Light and Water Department were located a short distance to the west (left) of the dike shown here. The offices were later flooded by the continued rise of the river.
The sandbag dike system that is shown in this photo was constructed in order to direct flood water from a controlled release from a dike along Sunrise Drive in St. Peter during the 1965 flood. The dike along Sunrise Drive was in danger of being overwhelmed, so water was sent from there to a ravine that ran along the south side of the Earl Fitch home at 416 North Eighth Street, onto North Eighth Street, onto Madison Street, and into the large Recreation Field near the swimming pool. The water could then make its way to the Minnesota River along the streets and through storm sewers.
A view mainly to the south along North Eighth Street, showing a dike built to send water from Sunrise Drive to Madison Street and the Recreation Field in St. Peter, Minnesota during the 1965 flood. The water ultimately made its way to the Minnesota River. The photo was taken near 416 North Eighth Street.
A number of houses in St. Peter were threatened by the flood water of the Minnesota River in 1965, including this one. A sandbag dike helped to protect the house.