This digital story was created in conjunction with the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street program and its Stories from Main Street student documentary initiative, called "Stories: Yes." The project encourages students and their mentors to research and record stories about small-towns and rural neighborhoods, waterways, personal memories, cultural traditions, work histories, as well as thoughts about American democracy. These documentaries are then shared on Smithsonian websites and social media.
Recorded by Lawrenceville High School students, Illinois, 2016.
Muriel Brumley (00:04): So, I just want to say thank you for coming in and... Well, for letting us be in your home and doing this interview for us.
Janet Faro (00:12): You're very welcome.
Muriel Brumley (00:12): We appreciate it.
Muriel Brumley (00:14): So I'd like to start off... So you experienced the 1950 flood and the 1953 flood as a child, correct?
Janet Faro (00:22): Right.
Muriel Brumley (00:22): Could you elaborate on some childhood memories that you have of during that time?
Janet Faro (00:27): I've been trying to think of what I could tell you. I would have been about 10 or 11 years old at that time. Probably 11. And I do remember it vividly because our school was surrounded by water. There was no way for a schoolteacher to get to the school or home from the school without going in a boat. I remember other things about it, too. Not as much as I wish I remembered because somehow it probably didn't affect me as much as my parents, but I jotted down some things that I do remember.
Janet Faro (01:11): Farmers, when there's high water, they all are very alert to that and they're really worried about whether there will be a flood or not. Are you familiar with the levees and how that operates?
Muriel Brumley (01:22): Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Janet Faro (01:23): Well I don't think it was any official organization, but the farmers would contact each other and they all knew that they better be watching that levee. So they would go over and walk that levee and watch and see how high the water was. Sometimes they would sandbag, do you know what that is?
Asset ID: 8614
Find a full transcript on the Museum on Main Street website: https://museumonmainstreet.org/
