LARVALBUG LENS, January, 2011
Winter here in Texas just does not look as intensely cold as this photo of the Kankakee River at Warner's Bridge in Illinois. Taken in 1956, probably in late February when the ice usually breaks up, the vantage point is from the bridge looking upstream. The fishing shacks being destroyed by the flood water and ice were mostly owned by members of the East Side Athletic Club in Joliet, IL. Val's father was a member of this club, but he never owned one of these buildings. After this flood, the shacks were not rebuilt, and any that survived were removed. The state took over a large stretch of land around the river to create the Kankakee River State Park. Afterwards, a number of the owners of the shacks moved their fishing camps downstream to near the I-55 highway bridge. (Thanks to Evelyn for background information on this image.)