Emily and Stuart Rowe grew up south of Putah Creek — they both remember the original channel that ran through Davis before it was completely blocked off by levees built by the U.S. Corps of Engineers.
They talked about riding horses through the creek, the forts built by the signal regiments training for World War II, and a few drownings that stuck with both of them. Here's one of Stuart's, told to reporter Elizabeth Case in an oral interview. She transcribed them and edited for clarity.
I had a friend in Dixon. His name was Melvin George, we did things together. When we had high Putah Creek floodwaters, we decided we'd go down and see how high the floodwaters had gone up. His dad had a pretty new car, which he bought from Joe Truffini, who sold Oldsmobiles, and on occasion he'd let George take the car.
So we went down Mace Boulevard. We went over the levees, there was a sign across the road with those old oil lamps, you remember? It said "Road Closed: Flooding" but we could get around the edge and drive on down to the water's edge. We were sitting there playing music and talking, 50 yards past the levy.
And all of a sudden this car came over the top. My friend grabbed the steering wheel, ’cause we were going to get hit, and I put my arm around the front seat there, and bawhoom! we got hit by this car. And, boy, if we weren't there they would have gone straight to the river.
They hit us so hard my friend bent the steering wheel around and the whole back was smashed. The seat came off its moorings.
I caught a ride up and found Melvin's dad and told him we'd been in an accident.
Joe Treffini had been trying to convince him to trade it in for a new car, and Melvin's dad said to me: "Oh, that Joe Truffini; he offered me $1,300 for a perfectly good car, and I got $1,800 for it wrecked."
(The insurance paid out the extra cash. But Truffini still sold Melvin's dad a new car.)
I had a friend in Dixon. His name was Melvin George, we did things together. When we had high Putah Creek floodwaters, we decided we'd go down and see how high the floodwaters had gone up. His dad had a pretty new car, which he bought from Joe Truffini, who sold Oldsmobiles, and on occasion he'd let George take the car.
So we went down Mace Boulevard. We went over the levees, there was a sign across the road with those old oil lamps, you remember? It said "Road Closed: Flooding" but we could get around the edge and drive on down to the water's edge. We were sitting there playing music and talking, 50 yards past the levy.
And all of a sudden this car came over the top. My friend grabbed the steering wheel, ’cause we were going to get hit, and I put my arm around the front seat there, and bawhoom! we got hit by this car. And, boy, if we weren't there they would have gone straight to the river.
They hit us so hard my friend bent the steering wheel around and the whole back was smashed. The seat came off its moorings.
I caught a ride up and found Melvin's dad and told him we'd been in an accident.
Joe Treffini had been trying to convince him to trade it in for a new car, and Melvin's dad said to me: "Oh, that Joe Truffini; he offered me $1,300 for a perfectly good car, and I got $1,800 for it wrecked."
(The insurance paid out the extra cash. But Truffini still sold Melvin's dad a new car.)
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