“This city was a melting pot made up of immigrants and working-class people. Many of those who survived the 1921 flood walked away with their lives but not much more. Many lost their homes, their belongings, and their businesses,” said local foundation chair Lucille Corsentino. She also echoed another Pueblo community member, Therese Simony, whose grandfather and father’s family was dramatically affected by the flood.
“We came. We persevered,” Simony said. Corsentino added, “They survived, by the grace of God, and then they rebuilt.”
Today the river has been tamed by a dam and a levee, and the Historical Arkansas River Project is the centerpiece of a development effort that is changing the face of downtown Pueblo.
“People from Pueblo are known for their resiliency and perseverance,” said Pueblo Mayor Nick Gradisar. “They were then, and they are now.”
Several public events and screenings of an upcoming documentary are available this week:
- Press conference: Wednesday, June 2 at 11am on the historic Riverwalk in downtown Pueblo
- Free, outdoor public screening of “Colorado Experience: The Great Pueblo Flood” on Wednesday, June 2, 7 - 10pm, at the Riverwalk in Pueblo. Discover the resiliency of the Pueblo community through interviews, extraordinary historical footage, and testimonials from survivors in this 1-hour documentary.
- YouTube Live Premiere of “Colorado Experience: The Great Pueblo Flood” on Thursday, June 3 at 7pm. Interact with the interviewees and creative team behind the episode with a live chat during the premiere.
- “Colorado Experience: The Great Flood”airs on Rocky Mountain PBS at 7pm on Thursday, June 3.
- El Pueblo History Museum: High Water Marks: Pueblo's Resilience in the Face of Disaster, opens Friday, June 4.
- Pueblo Heritage Museum Exhibit: "The Great Flood: A Panorama of Ruin" emphasizes the damage in the wake of the flood and focuses on the businesses of the downtown areas most impacted. The gallery highlights how the people of Pueblo survived through this event. Organizers are planning a walking tour mirroring the route of "Ladies of the Night" but focusing on what happened to residences and businesses after the flood.
- Pueblo Library:This virtual and in-person exhibit features Pueblo throughout the 1920's. This exhibit focuses on the economic boom occurring as a part of the Roaring '20s and the devastation inflicted by the 1921 flood.
Additional Resources:
Julie Jackson is an executive producer at Rocky Mountain PBS. You can contact her at juliejackson@rmpbs.org.
