Page 118 - A Flood of Memories

Hamilton: The Rentschler Building
Below: Shot from across the street at the Butler County Courthouse, the Rentschler Building at High and South Second streets became a ood-response headquarters. With its eight oors, the Rentschler Building was the rst high-rise of ce building in Hamilton and was not yet 10 years old when the ood hit. The Rentschlers were successful businessmen in the Hamilton area. The Hooven-Owens-Rentschler Company suffered great loss during the ood.
Gordon Rentschler chaired the Hamilton Citizens Relief Committee. He was instrumental in the creation of The Miami Conservancy District, lobbying state legislators for passage of the Conservancy Act. Mr. Rentschler also was one of the original members of The Miami Conservancy District Board of Directors, serving from 1915 to 1932.
Notice in the foreground, all of the cars on the courthouse lawn. Owners drove their cars onto the elevated lawn in hopes of protecting their vehicles from the rising waters.
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