Individuals standing on the remains of the dam along Brush Creek.

In 1903 tragedy struck Jeannette’s Oakford Park amusement park when a dam holding back a manmade lake burst, unleashing a wall of water on Jeannette, Greensburg, and Grapeville. The ensuing flood killed at least 40 people, and caused millions in property damage.

The Day of the Oakford Park Flood

July 5, 1903 started out as a typical day at the park with a reported 800 guests in attendance when a sudden cloud burst brought extremely heavy rains. The waters in Lake Placid began to rise, putting pressure on the Oakford Park dam. Grounds manager James McGrath, realizing the situation, began urging those who were taking shelter in the buildings to evacuate to higher ground. 

Water began rolling over the dam, and shortly before 4 p.m. and with a thunderous crash, the dam broke and unleashed a six-foot wall of water into the park.

Individuals are seen in the immediate aftermath of the flood standing on the remains of the dam, surveying the damage.
Another view of the devastation caused by the flood.

The water swept through the park, sweeping away its victims and lifting buildings and attractions off of their foundations. All that was left standing in the park when it was all over were the restaurant and the dance hall. The raging waters carried everything else to the next town over, creating a disaster in the city of Jeannette as well, completely wiping our their sewer system. All-in-all more than 5.5 inches of water fell on Jeannette that afternoon. 

There were more than 40 lives were lost that day.

This image shows the damage sustained to the trolley barn. Note the derailed trolley cars.

Life After the Flood

In the immediate aftermath of the flood, hundreds of individuals visited the park’s remains in order to search for relics of the disastrous flood.

The Latrobe Bulletin recounts one such visitor returning to Latrobe with a wooden head from the carousel — supposedly this was the only one recovered. Additionally, men’s and women’s hats; parasols; and hair combs were found among the wreckage.

An article in the July 6 Greensburg Review used half of a column to explain that the Oakford Park tragedy was not an “act of providence” to punish Sunday park-goers.

The park eventually did rebuild, operating as an amusement park until 1939 when the rides were removed. The park’s large swimming pool continued to operate until the 1990s when Oakford Park ceased operations for good.

So what is your take? Accident? Nature? or Divine Punishment?

Sharing is caring!

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.