A collection of 18 print albumen stereoviews all by Stanley J. Morrow in Yankton, Dakota Territory. They are on the same brown mounts and from two series that documented the Great Flood of 1881, "Views of the Great Flood at Yankton, D.T., 1881" and "Photographic Gems of the Great Northwest." 

The Great Flood was a result of a heavy winter in 1880-81. It remained cold up until the last week of March 1881, when a large ice gorge broke and snow began to melt in the Dakotas. However, not all the ice underneath had completely thawed, so the excess water bombarded the Missouri River from Yankton. By 1 April, it was reported from Yankton that the water rose 35 feet, killed several people and destroyed lowlands. The high waters coursed through cities like Omaha, affecting the water levels until the end of April. 

Stanley J. Morrow (3 May 1843-10 December 1921) was born in Ohio but raised in Wisconsin, where he eventually fought as a member of the 7th Wisconsin in the Civil War. During his time in the Union Army, though, he learned photography from Mathew Brady's studios. He moved to the Dakota Territory and opened his first studio in 1869 in Yankton, where he made his photographic home base until closing his final gallery in 1883 and moving to Florida five years later. While in the Dakota Territory, Morrow took multiple photographs and portraits of Native Americans, traveling up the Missouri River, throughout Montana and into the Black Hills region to capture images. He also became the official Fort Custer photographer following Custer's reburial from the Battle of the Little Bighorn battlefield to West Point. 

The images in this lot are as follows: 

1. No. 310. View of the Western and ferry boat before the ice broke into town. Imprint to mount recto. Image title to mount verso. 

2. 326 View on the railroad, showing depot and car upset. Imprint to mount recto. Number in series from negative. List of photos in series to mount verso. 

3. No. 317. View of the steamers on the ways. Imprint to mount recto. Image title to mount verso. 

4. No. 314. View of boats on the ways, and lower Yankton, from the top of Jencks Hotel, looking southeast. Imprint to mount recto. Image title to mount verso. 

5. No. 341. Wreck of Kunze's brick yard. Steamer Peninah in distance, over half a mile from the river. Imprint to mount recto. Image title to mount verso. 

6. No. 344. Railroad Turn Table thrown over a house and surrounded by Ice. Imprint to mount recto. Image title to mount verso. 

7. No. 350. Steamer Helena after the heavy rise April 5th. Elevator and depot in distance. Imprint to mount recto. Image title to mount verso. 

8. No. 322. View from the top of Jencks Hotel, looking east, April 5th. Round House in distance. Imprint to mount recto. Number in series from negative. Image title to mount verso. 

9. No. 327. Wreck of the government warehouse. Imprint to mount recto. Image title to mount verso. 

10. No. 325. Ice on the railroad just below the depot after the heavy rise April 5th, 44 inches thick. Imprint to mount recto. Image title to mount verso. 

11. No. 316. View of the ice gorge at the ways, looking east. Imprint to mount recto. Image title to mount verso. 

12. No. 331. General view of the lower landing, round house, and steamer Peninah back of the round house. Imprint to mount recto. Image title to mount verso. 

13. View of a steamer stuck in ice with men working to dig it out. Imprint to mount recto. Period and modern inscriptions to mount verso identifying the steamer as the Helena. 

14. No. 333. View from below Excelsior Mills, looking up Capital street after the heavy rise April 5th. Ice over six fee[t] high. Imprint to mount recto. Image title to mount verso. 

15. No. 347. Steamer Nellie Peck from rear, showing her blocked up 7 feet 8 inches on Railroad track. Imprint to mount recto. Image title to mount verso. 

16. No. 323. View of the railroad depot during the highest rise, April 5th. Imprint to mount recto. Image title to mount verso. 

17. No. 336. View from Steamer Helena showing wrecks in foreground and debris on Railroad track. Imprint to mount recto. Image title to mount verso. 

18. No. 332. General view of the bluff and ice from foot of Walnut street, looking west. Imprint to mount recto. Image title to mount verso. 

[Photography, Early Photography, Historic Photography, Daguerreotypes, Ambrotypes, Tintypes, Cased Images, Union Cases, Albumen Photographs, CDVs, Carte de Visites, Cartes de Visite, Carte-de-visite, Cartes-de-visite, CDV, Cabinet Cards, Stereoviews, Stereocards] [Western Americana, Western History, Western Expansion, Wild West]

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