Friday, December 01, 2006

Allegheny River Dikes


Whipcreamy on the dike with two crutches and no bike. In house injury on the way to the bathroom at my cousin's house. Olean, New York 11/06

View of the Allegheny River and Road to Allegheny, NY @ Irving Parkway, Olean 11/06


The only thing more bucolic than having your house situated across a rolling green hill separating you from the Allegheny River would be a farm house or an Amish lady selling elderberry pie and baskets. "Up on the dikes" is what we used to say. The dike was a lot higher back in the day, but it's still a lovely view. Or perhaps it just seems a lot smaller than when I was 6. It was years and years later when I learned that my dear cousin was allegedly also a mountainous dam did I find out the other meaning of the word. In the 1940s the river swelled right over the dike and flooded the Altman homestead and the whole town. Not as big news as the Jamestown---oops, no, that's Lucille Ball--thank you to Oren for correcting me-- the Johnstown Flood, but still. Important part of Olean's history. And the house though now sold twice, is still referred to in town as the Altman House. Who hadn't heard of the largest family in town on the quietest street in town? Anyway, we grandkids spent a lot of time running up and around this thing. Wide open grassy path with a dangerous river on one side? An irresistable attraction. In the summer my aunts and uncles would nail in large pieces of refrigerator box cardboard to the slope and we'd all (old and young alike) coaster down the street side in those Day-Glo saucers. Yes, nails. And gravity forced plastic vehicles carreening into the road. Safe time to be a kid, the 70's. What, I turned out alright without car seats or Baby Einstein, ain't I?

1 comment:

anne altman said...

Johnstown! Johnstown flood! thanks, oren. I should know better, i have some original photographs. will post!