The Rocheport River Gnome that memorializes the Great Flood of 1993 impacting the Midwest

Photo byBookishmeeker via Atlas Obscura.

Rocheport, Missouri is in Boone County and it's part of the Columbia, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to World Population Review, the population is 212.

Rocheport is home to buildings from the 1800s and the Rocheport Historic District. If you're interested in history, there's a lot to see in this town. It's only two hours from Kansas City or St. Louis. The Rocheport Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 8, 1976.

You'll also find the River Gnome in Rocheport located at the corner of North Central and 1st Streets close to the Katy State Park Walking Trial. It's around 1,400 feet from the Missouri River Banks. It represents another type of history which devasted the lives of many, the Great Flood of 1993.

In that year, Rocheport experienced one of the worst floods its seen since 1844. The River Gnome is accompanied by a plaque that contains the following language:

The River Gnome by Peggy and Joe Guest--The gnome was the adoped mascot of the McDermott family of Rocheport. So when designing this memorial, to Jack and Marge Mascott, a gnome had to be included. He stood at the entrance to their property and greeted all who came to visit the beautiful home Jack and Marge built here. This memorial acknowledges their participation and commitment to this community, especially during the most stressful test ... the flood of 1993. It bears witness to the determination and resilience of the men, women and children, and the dedicated volunteers, who refused to given into the river.

The gnome on top of the stump is measuring the actual depth of flood waters reached on this spot in 1993. (Source.)

The gnome indicates 377 feet as the water mark from the flood that affected many in the Midwest from the flooding of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers and their tributaries.

US Army Corp of Engineers photo of the Missouri River's damage to US Hwy. 63, Jefferson City, Missouri, near the Missouri Capitol building.Photo byUS Army Corps of Engineers, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

I still remember this flood. The 1993 flood occurred from May through September. States impacted by the flooding included Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. It also resulted in 50 deaths and a costly amount in damages.

Markers like the Rocheport River Gnome serve as reminders of a historical event associated with what weather can do.

Thanks for reading.