Charles and Lillian Bardo (interview); Creator: Bardo, Charles; and Lillian Bardo; Interviewer(s): Maureen Curran, Meegan O'Connell, and Sarah Platt; Interview location: The Bardo's home in Danbury, CT; Running time: 35 min., Apr 22, 1995

Coverage: 1940s-1957
Topics discussed : (side A): Two floods one in August and one in October; Night before August Flood; they were told of the possibility of a flood; they had been out and had difficulty trying to get home; the water rose faster than they expected; left car at a neighbors and walked home over Beaver Brook; Effect on farm; they sold milk regularly to Marcus Dairy; they were forced to hold selling milk for 2; 3 days after flood; they only problem they had was a flooded basement; Froehmans Men Store; Charles worked there at the time; it was not hit by the flood; business was slow for a few days; White Street was hit hard; Meeker's Hardware Store suffered damage; parking lots were under 3; 4 feet of water; Other areas on Main Street; Other parts of CT; some parts were hit worse than Danbury; Torrington, Winsted, above New Milford were hit harder than Danbury; road going to Litchfield was washed out; Washington, CT hard hit; places in Winsted where three; storied buildings were destroyed; Other Danbury areas; fairgrounds were flooded; Damage; was mostly done to stores and retail; few residential areas were hard hit; Clean; up; had experienced a flood in 1936 in Pennsylvania that was worse; they did not take part in Danbury clean; up effort; took 2; 3 weeks to get things back to normal; October Flood; people better prepared for this one; Federal Government; Army core of engineers come in; flood control was necessary after this; Fire Department; did a lot of work in the clean; up effort; Still River; many businesses were built over it; the Market Basket (a grocery store) was directly over it and was one of the place hit hard by the flood; the river had to be re; routed away from the businesses; Community; people came together and helped each other; Urban development; people knew it was needed; hatting industry was declining; Hatting Business; been on decline since WW II; more diversified industries started coming in (side B): Commerce Park; off of Federal Road; developed after flood and the incoming industries; Losing farm land; the state bought them out; building of the highway took place; Development of Danbury; many of the homes on streets were built up following WW II and the flood; description of the roads/streets prior to and after the flood; Pictures of the Flood; (shared several pictures w/ the interviewers during the interview)