The San Saba Flood of 1938, revisited 85 years later

Sometimes when going through our parents' belongs, because they have moved or have passed away, we find treasures of great interest. This was the case for Eleanor Johnson of San Saba. She came to the San Saba News & Star office to share some of those treasures with you.

Eleanor’s mother, John Zack (Millican) Owen, had clipped out newspaper clippings in July of 1938 of the San Saba Flood of 1938. Among the treasures was an aerial picture of the flooded San Saba's Lower Residential Sections. Even though it is an old photograph, it is very evident this was a life-changing flood event for so many.

Another clipping was that of an old article (with no date included) from the San Angelo Standard-Times. The article talked about the heroic actions of two young men, John D. Jones (21) and Herman Jones (19). It mentioned one particular family by name who was stranded and rescued by these men - Antonio Gamboa, his wife, and his children. Antonio Gamboa was the grandfather of our very own Yvonne Contreras, the Advertising Director here at San Saba News & Star. Her mother, Marie Anita (Gamboa) Gomez, was one of the children rescued and was three years old at the time.

Eleanor stated she still lives in the area where the flood occurred, at the Chamberlain place, and she said she has never seen anything like it. She noted that the rain water level has gotten pretty high, and even up to the back door, but it has never come into the house like happened in the Big Flood.

In the July 28, 1938 edition of the San Saba Star, the Front Page headline read, “18 INCH RAIN FALLS IN FOUR DAYS - Waters Rise Highest In History of County; Damage Rated High.” The article noted that the slogan “A Million Dollar Rain” had come true because of the amount of damage done. Several hundred homes were deserted, and once the waters receded and folks could make it back to their homes, the losses became more and more evident.

In the July 18, 1940 issue of the San Saba Star, a different picture of the flood was published with a caption that began: “Two years ago this month, folks here were experiencing one of the worst floods in history, which damaged to the extent of one million dollars.”

The July 1938 article noted that tragedies such as this bring communities together. Neighbors that may not ever speak to each other all of a sudden reach out and help one another in ways they never would have even contemplated before. We saw this after 9/11.

Something to think about don’t wait for a tragedy to reach out to your neighbor and help one another.