Toledo’s location on the Maumee River has provided innumerable benefits, but it isn’t without its drawbacks. Historically, winter on the Maumee River provided opportunities for entertainments like ice skating, but there was a dangerous side to that ice as well. The Maumee River is prone to developing dangerous ice jams and flooding over the winter months. The ice jams and accompanying flooding were a popular subject of stereographic* cards like the image above taken around 1883 by Frederick J. Trost. Ice jams and flooding have continued to be a problem on the river.
- Click here to learn about the 1936 flooding at the Toledo Yacht Club.
- Click here to learn about more ice jams on the Maumee River.
- Click here to learn more about ice jams and winter flooding from Metroparks Toledo.
*These images were designed to be viewed through a stereoscope to produce a three-dimensional image. They were very popular during the second half of the 19th century and many Toledo photographers were producing images this way.
