Big Dam Foolishness: The Drowned Settlements of the Blue River Valley

As westward expansion and urbanization accelerated, rural communities like Carnahan Creek began to decline, while growing cities like Manhattan began to rapidly develop. This shift pushed flood control to become an increasingly pressing concern even as early as 1928, ultimately leading to the authorization of The Flood Control Act of 1938, which authorized the construction of Tuttle Creek Reservoir and hundreds of other flood control projects nationwide.

Tuttle Creek Reservoir, like many others, faced opposition. Citizens of the Blue Valley united to form the Blue River Valley Association; leading protests affectionately known under the slogan “Big Dam Foolishness.” However, the fight against Tuttle Creek was effectively lost on July 13, 1951, when a catastrophic flood devastated Manhattan and other Kansas cities. The construction of Tuttle Creek permanently altered the Blue River Valley, displacing families and erasing communities like Carnahan Creek and many others. This project highlights the rural-urban divide across the Blue Valley to better frame and preserve the deeper, the specific histories of towns like Carnahan Creek, communities that are often forgotten that deserve to be remembered.

Presenter, Dakota Boyles, is a senior at KSU pursuing a a BA in History and Political Science. She joined the Chapman Center for Rural Studies at KSU in January.

You may also like the following events from Riley County Genealogical Society:

• This August, 16th August, 10:00 am, Genealogy and History Fair - A Multi-County and Community Event in Manhattan