As the Red River of the North began to flood last week, the city of Fargo and its residents prepared to fight the damaging waters, building dikes and other flood control measures.
"The response from NDSU students has been tremendous," said Fargo Mayor Herschel Lashkowitz. "There is no doubt about it, we just wouldn't have made it without the help of the students. When I called Dr. L. D. Loftsgard to ask that school be let out, he was genial and very cooperative."
Student labor went into the manning of dike building crews throughout the city as weather bureau officials predicted the worst flood for Fargo since a crest of 40.1 feet in 1897.
Students spent much of their time working in the Southwood Drive, South River Road and the Woodland Drive-Veterans Hospital areas, as these were the primary diked areas with little city assistance.
Although some people are trying to make comparisons between the 1897 flood and the present situation, it is hard to do so because of the differing conditions in flood control measures and such prior preparations as shelter belts the city has now.
Comments on student labor were generally favorable across the board, with everyone in the affected areas grateful for all of the assistance the students were giving them.
Shelley Lashkowitz, resident of the flooded South River Road area, said, "The city should find a meaningful way to show its appreciation to the students."
Most students talked to during their work on sandbagging operations and dike watching were glad to help these people out, and many of them spent long days working furiously against the rising waters of the Red River.
Many people put in full days of 24 hours and beyond just setting up manpower operations, such as in the student government office at NDSU and the SU coordinator at the Fargo manpower coordination office in the police station.
The number of volunteers obtained in the F-M community is innummerable, and service organizations of all kinds were involved in the flood control operations.
The waters of the Red River covered many streets and public areas during its rise. The Civic Center parking lot had a stand of water on it, as a temporary earthen city dike held back flood waters from the Civic Center proper.
The waters were also swirling through the streets in south Fargo and no dikes were there to hold it back.
A police ban on all travel into the flood areas except for qualified personnel was established as early as Friday, and became more stringent as the situation worsened. Sightseers and persons caught illegally on the dikes were being arrested by Fargo police.
The Sheyenne River running through West Fargo and joining the Red River north of Fargo was also expected to add to the problems of the community, although the 5th Avenue underpass was reopened early Monday morning. Some problems with sewers also occurred in north Fargo and forced cancellation of the full week's classes at Concordia.