The devastating floods of 1868

Flood damage to the Santa Fe tracks on the old Downey Avenue Bridge (later North Broadway) during the Los Angeles flood of 1885-1886. (California Historical Society)

Floods and heavy rains endangered Southern California in 1868-69 and the Los Angeles Semi-Weekly News on Dec. 3, 1868 reported this devastation in Los Nietos, now Downey:

“At this settlement the losses were severe: E. H. Boyd lost 100 acres; Mr. Parsons 50 acres; Gov. Downey about 200 acres; Mr. Murphy, out of 150 acres, lost 100; Don Pio Pico lost about 200 acres, the river forming a new channel at that place. Some Californians lost about 100 acres.

“On Monday evening, when the river commenced rising, Mr. Murphy and family, fainting the water rising to the floor, undertook to wade to high land. Mr. Murphy and three children got to a place of safety but Mrs. Murphy and her daughter and Mr. Casserly were caught but succeeded in reaching a drift where they remained from 4 o’clock in the afternoon until midnight when they were relieved by a boat built for the emergency.

“Next morning Messrs. Sharpe and Baker undertook to cross the river in the boat but were swamped. They succeeded in reaching a sycamore tree where they remained until a new boat was built some eight hours later.

“Several houses were washed away, among them Mr. Murphy’s with all its contents.”

Downey remained plagued by high waters until a few years ago when drains were installed. During the heavy rains, Firestone Boulevard was a river and merchants resorted to sandbags in their doorways to keep the flood out of their stores.

Installation of new drains in the northern portion of this city in the summer of 1957, and other street work contemplated by the new city department of public works, would eliminate flood waters almost entirely.