>> WHEN YOU VISIT ANYMORE -- ANY MUSEUM THERE ARE COLLECTIONS ON DISPLAY BUT THERE ARE OTHERS IN STORAGE.

TODAY WE ARE AT THE OHIO HISTORY CENTER WHERE THERE A OPENING --ARE OPENING UP THEIR VAULT FOR US.

WE ARE HERE AT THE OHIO HISTORY CENTER.

CAN YOU SET UP THE COLLECTION WE ARE LOOKING AT TODAY?

>> THIS IS ONE OF OUR MANUSCRIPT SELECTION AND DATES BACK TO 1937.

IT DOCUMENTS THE EXPERIENCE OF SEVERAL FAMILY MEMBERS DURING THE 1937 FLOOD, THE OHIO RIVER FLOOD AND WHAT'S REALLY FUN AND -- I THINK MOST PEOPLE HAVE HEARD ABOUT THE FLOOD.

CAN YOU SET US UP ABOUT THE HISTORY?

>> THE OHIO RIVER FLOODED THE BEGINNING OF 1937 , JANUARY IT STARTS RAINING AND IT KEEPS RAINING AND REALLY THERE IS NO RELIEF FOR THOSE RIVERS.

ENFORCEMENT IS IN THE THICK OF IT AND WE SEE THE LETTER DATED FROM JANUARY 21st.

SHE DESCRIBES GOING DOWNTOWN TO WATCH THE FLOOD WALL AND EVENTUALLY WHEN THEY DECIDED TO OPEN THE FLOODGATES SHE DESCRIBES THAT AS -- WHAT YOU SEE IN THIS LETTER IS A SENSE OF WHEN WILL THIS END?

IF THIS WAS 1913 BY NOW IT WOULD HAVE STOPPED.

SHE WOULD HAVE BLUE SKIES.

SO THE WATERS ARE RISING AND THEY SLOWLY CARESSED AND I THINK IT IS RIGHT HERE ON TUESDAY THE FLOOD IS 73 FEET AND STILL RISING.

WE ARE ABOUT 13 OR 14 FEET ABOVE THE FLOOD WALL AT THAT POINT.

>> THAT IS AMUSING THAT YOU HAVE THAT LETTER.

WHO WAS SHE WRITING TO?

>> SHE WAS WRITING TO HER SISTER.

IT WAS THE DEPRESSION.

THE HUSBAND GOT A JOB AT AN ORTHOPEDIC SHOE COMPANY AND SO THEY CAME FROM THE EAST COAST AND THEY WERE IMPORTS BUT ONLY FOR A FEW YEARS AND AT THE TIME OF THE FLOOD THE FATHER AND HUSBAND IS IN CALIFORNIA FOR BUSINESS BUT MARY ACTUALLY DESCRIBES HIM GETTING OUT OF QUITE A BIT OF WORK.

SHE WAS BUSY PACKING UP THE SHOP AND MOVING THINGS AND THAT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THE COLLECTION POINTS OUT IS THE WAY FAMILY MEMBERS TRY TO CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER AT A TIME OF DISASTER.

>> I SEE A TELEGRAM.

>> THE TELEGRAM IS FROM MARY'S SISTER IN BOSTON.

SHE WRITES FOR THE PORTSMOUTH POLICE AND ASKED IF THEY CAN CHECK WITH EL KIMBALL, THE FATHER OF THE HOUSEHOLD TO ASCERTAIN IF THEY ARE OKAY AND ON THE BACK IS A HANDWRITTEN RESPONSE THAT SAYS WE CHECKED IN WITH THE CAMPBELL FAMILY THE MOM AND CHILDREN ARE OKAY AND SO THEY TOOK THAT BACK TO BOSTON AND THIS IS JANUARY 27th.

MARY STARTS WRITING HER ACCOUNT OF THIS TO HER SISTER BEFORE THAT INCLUDES THAT SHE KNOWS THIS LETTER WILL NOT MAKE IT.

SHE SAYS SHE SEES EVERYTHING AND IT WON'T GET THERE UNTIL PROBABLY A FEW WEEKS AFTER THIS.

>> I THINK IT'S INTERESTING HOW THEY DID RIGHT ON THE BACK OF THAT AND THEY WERE OKAY, WERE THEY?

>> YES.

THEY BROUGHT IN REFUGEES FROM ELSEWHERE IN PORTSMOUTH SO THE LETTER TALKS ABOUT THE CHILDREN AND THE FAMILY HAVING TO SLEEP TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY ARE GOING TO INVITE OTHER FAMILIES TO STAY WITH THEM.

MARY WRITES TO HER SISTER AND SAYS I PUT THEM IN --AND EXPECTED TO REFUGEES TO STAY WITH US SO M IS EMILY, SHE IS NINE YEARS OLD AT THE TIME OF THE FLOOD.

EMILY IS THE DONOR OF THIS COLLECTION.

SHE IS NINE SHE GOES THROUGH THIS EXPERIENCE AND WHEN SHE IS 90 THE PERSON WHO HAS COLLECTED HER FAMILY MEMORY OF THE FLOOD AND HAS GIVEN IT TO A HISTORICAL SITE.

IN TERMS OF BUILDING A RESOURCE CONNECTION YOU MIGHT HAVE A SMALL CONSOLATION OF THESE PRIMARY SOURCES.

>> THIS IS FROM THE PORTSMOUTH FLOOD AND THERE ARE ALSO NEWER EVENTS HAPPENING.

IS REMARKABLE WHEN YOU HAVE SOMEONE WHO IS LIVING THROUGH SOMETHING AND WRITING IT.

VERSUS LIVING THROUGH IT AND TAKING THE TIME AND HAVING THE MENTAL SPACE TO RECORD YOUR EXPERIENCE OF IT.

LET'S SAY WITH THE COVID PANDEMIC A LOT OF INSTITUTIONS ARE INCLUDED AND PUT OUT CALLS FOR PEOPLE'S FIRST-HAND ACCOUNTS.

SOME PEOPLE WERE READY TO SHARE THAT AND SOME WERE NOT.

AND THAT PROBABLY DEPENDS ON THEIR EXPERIENCE.

THERE IS ALSO A SENSE THAT WE ARE NOT NECESSARILY OUT OF IT.

THAT IS AN ONGOING THING.

I THINK IT IS THAT BALANCE OF HAVING THE SPACE TO EVEN -- IT IS A PRIVILEGE TO THINK ABOUT PUTTING YOUR THINGS IN HISTORICAL SOCIETY AS OPPOSED TO SAVING WHAT YOU CAN IN THE MOMENT AND TRYING TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR LOVED ONE IN THE MOMENT WHICH IS I THINK WHY THIS IS SUCH A GREAT COLLECTION BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE THE SISTERS TRYING TO CONNECT.

I THINK THAT TRUE CERTAINLY THROUGH OTHER EVENTS.

>> I LOVE THIS AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS COLLECTION.

I THINK IT REALLY SHEDS LIGHT ON TIME AND HISTORY THAT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT , THANK YOU AGAIN FOR INVITING US INTO THE VAULT.

>> THANK YOU FOR COMING.