The Great Flood of July 1916 destroyed the Southern Railway trestle at Nation Ford. The trestle collapsed at about 9 PM on July 16; this photograph was probably taken the next day, while the flood was still at its height. Note how the iron rails were twisted and bent by the force of the flood, while the trestle framework is completely gone. This view is from the Rock Hill side of the river looking toward the Fort Mill side.

This trestle on the Catawba River was constructed in 1851 by the Charlotte & South Carolina Railroad Company. The company used the historic Nation Ford on the Catawba River as the foundation for the trestle. The trestle was destroyed by Union cavalry in 1865 and subsequently rebuilt. This railroad became the Charlotte, Columbia & Augusta Railroad in 1869 and was incorporated into the Richmond & Danville Railroad in 1878. In 1894 it became part of Southern Railway. Note the double track system, which includes both narrow gauge (3 ft.) and standard gauge (4 ft. 8 1/2 in.) tracks. The trestle was destroyed by the 1916 flood and rebuilt again.

This photograph shows the powerhouse and the western portion of the Catawba Power Company dam after the Great Flood of July 1916 had subsided.

This photograph shows the Catawba Power Company dam several days after the flood of July 1916 had subsided. The eastern section of the dam on the Fort Mill side of the river collapsed during the flood and was washed away.

This photograph shows the Catawba Power Company dam during the height of the Great Flood of July 1916, probably on July 17. The flood waters completely covered the dam, and a whirlpool is visible over the eastern portion of the dam which had given way. This photograph was taken from the Fort Mill side of the river.

This photograph was taken during the height of the Great Flood of July 1916, probably on July 17. It shows the Catawba Power Company dam as seen from the Fort Mill side of the river, completely submerged by the flood waters. The powerhouse is visible across the river, about half submerged. The east side of the dam gave way and was destroyed, resulting in the whirlpool in the foreground of the photo.

This photograph shows a group of railroad passengers preparing to cross the Catawba River from the Fort Mill side to the Rock Hill side, during the Great Flood of July 1916. At this point both the road bridge and the Southern Railway trestle were down, cutting off all travel across the Catawba River. Catawba Indians were ferrying the travelers in canoes.

This phtotograph shows the Great Flood of July 1916 as seen from the Fort Mill side of the Catawba River. The photo was probably taken at the height of the flood, on Thursday, July 17. The crowd is gathered to view the remnants of the Southern Railway trestle that crossed the river between Rock Hill and Fort Mill, which the flood had completely destroyed.

This photograph shows the original Catawba Power Company dam after construction was completed in 1904, but before it was destroyed by flood in 1916.